My comments posted on THE HINDU website article: A battle for the soul of Islam by Hasan Suroor:
If it was a false dawn for Leftist liberals, it was a false dawn for
the Islamists too. Both in Tunisia and Egypt, while a temporary flash
of democracy, did bring Islamists at the helm of the affair, forces
against them were ranged to pull them down, from the very first moment.
It is unthinkable that Left liberals who had joined the demonstration
against Mubarak regime, would have sat idle and seen the Arab countries
one after the other getting Islamisized through overwhelming public
support. Together with their supporters, the Neo-Cons of US and Israel,
they went into conspiracies and saw to it that the so-called democratic
process that brought the Islamists to power, should be reversed and
again the anti-people brute military is imposed on Egypt and in any
part of the Arab World that dare to raise its head in support of
political Islam. What alternative Muslims have in such hopeless
situation? Sit back and enjoy?
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http://www.thehindu.com/
Hasan Suroor
Comment (40) ·
One does not have to be a revolutionary poet like Faiz
Ahmad Faiz to look at events in the Muslim world and lament at being
deceived by the promise of a false dawn — as he memorably did at the
time of Indian independence, “Yeh woh sehar to nahin jiski arzoo le kar, chale the yaar ke mil jayegee kabhi na kabhi.”
Barely two years ago around this time, the Arab Street appeared to be on the cusp of a historic democratic revolution that was supposed to define Islam in the 21st century. An Islam compatible and at ease with the democratic values of free speech and tolerance.
With Osama bin Laden dead and al-Qaeda in disarray, moderate Muslims were set to reclaim the much maligned political Islam from extremists. The sight of articulate young Muslims with their Blackberrys and iPhones yearning for change and pushing for a radical break with the past mesmerised the world. Even card-carrying Islamophobes were forced into rethinking their pet theories about Islam.
It was hailed as Islam’s belated Enlightenment moment — a heady time when even a minor street protest came to be celebrated as a sign of Muslim awakening. William Wordsworth’s paean to the French Revolution could well apply to the “Arab Spring,” “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young was very heaven!”
Its own makingYet, all that seems so long ago now. The old terrifying face of Islam projected by extremists is back with a vengeance. The so-called jihadis have seized back the crucial edge in the battle for the soul of Islam. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that, unwittingly, moderate Muslims have thrown away the gains briefly achieved in those heady days in 2011.
Few revolutions in modern history have turned out quite so badly, and been so greedily devoured by its own children. Today, much of the Muslim world is in worse shape than before — a seething cauldron of hate and bigotry, and torn by sectarian violence. Crucially, for once, the “Great Satan” has nothing to do with what is going on there. There is no George W. Bush, no Tony Blair. Indeed, America has gone to some lengths to keep out of it even at the risk of alienating some of its European allies.
Revival of hostilityThe mess is entirely of Muslims’ own making. It is the “Great Satan” within who is wreaking the damage. Islam is at war with itself, which is raging, simultaneously, at several levels — between moderates and extremists; between Shias and Sunnis; and between pro-West (Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies) and anti-West (Iran, Lebanon, Syria) Muslim powers.
Perhaps, for the first time since the emergence of political Islam in its present ugly form in the last century the target of hate is not the West. It is very much an intra-Muslim affair. The warriors as well as their targets are all indigenous. Mostly, it is Muslims fighting other Muslims with Christians often caught up in the crossfire.
One of the most disturbing aspects is the bloody resurgence of Shia-Sunni hostility. Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria all have been sucked into a cycle of Muslim-on-Muslim violence that makes the Catholic-Protestant troubles in Northern Ireland look like kids’ stuff.
In Iraq alone, more than 6,000 people were killed in Shia-Sunni violence in 2013 — “a death toll not seen since 2008,” according to the BBC. Across West Asia, a form of ethnic cleansing is going on with Shias being forced to flee Sunni-majority areas, and vice versa. The region is awash with refugees from both sects raising the spectre of a Palestinian-style crisis of the stateless/homeless Muslims.
It is reckoned that more than a third of Syria’s population has been displaced, with a knock-on effect being felt throughout West Asia. In Lebanon, the presence of Sunni Muslim refugees has put pressure on its already fragile sectarian balance. Tensions are being fuelled by the Shia militant group Hezbollah which is actively backing the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a fellow Shia from the Alawite sect. And all this is happening with the blessings of Shia/Sunni regimes aligned to rival sectarian interests.
It’s a proxy war with Shia Iran, Iraq and Syria in one camp, and the Saudis and their Sunni allies such as Qatar in the other. The ouster of the Mohammad Morsi government and the persecution of the Muslim Brotherhood have nothing to do with protecting Egypt from Islamist extremism or upholding secularism and democracy. It is Saudi Arabia flexing its Sunni muscles as it did when it helped crush a nascent uprising in Bahrain. (To avoid any perceptions of bias, let me declare that I am a Sunni.)
The leaderless Tahrir Square “revolutionaries” have been a casualty of a wider quasi-religious struggle among major Muslim powers for supremacy. Rather than setting the agenda for a “new” Egypt, they have ended up serving others’ agendas. First the army used them to get rid of Hosni Mubarak by portraying itself as the defender of the revolution, and then to suppress the Muslim Brotherhood which, as the only organised political force in the country, posed a threat to its influence.
The failed Arab Spring is an object lesson in how not to organise a revolution. Contrary to the romantic notion of a spontaneous revolution, it is actually a cold beast which needs credible leadership, a high level of organisation, a coherent ideology and a clearly thought-out plan for afterwards. Instead, what we saw on the Arab street was only idealism and anger. No leadership, no organisation and no alternative script.
This allowed all sorts of elements with their own agendas — the army, dodgy dissidents at home and abroad, and extremists — to step in and hijack the show. The only exception is Tunisia where after initial chaos, Ennahda, a well-organised moderate Islamist party, has been able to provide a semblance of stable democratic alternative.
Insecurity of ChristiansAnd what about Islam’s fabled respect towards other faiths?
There has been an alarming increase in anti-Christian violence with attacks on churches, Christian homes and businesses without any apparent provocation. In Egypt, the minority Coptic Christian community is living in fear after a series of attacks allegedly by Muslim Brotherhood supporters. Hundreds of churches and other properties belonging to Christians have been destroyed or looted apparently because the Coptic Pope Tawadros II spoke in support of military rulers. In Syria, Christians have been attacked by anti-Assad forces who accuse them of supporting his regime.
Christians all over West Asia feel insecure and there is a climate of fear. There are reports of large-scale “Christian flight” from the region with almost one-third of Christians having fled Syria alone, it is claimed. The Christians being targeted are not western expats; they do not represent western interests. Not that it would have made attacks on them any more legitimate. They are historically settled communities — as Arab as any Muslim Arab in terms of their historical roots in the region. Understandably, there is deep concern about the future of Christianity in the land of its birth.
Prince Charles, one of the few high-profile friends of Muslims in the West and who has done a lot of work to promote Muslim-Christian dialogue, has voiced his dismay. He told an interfaith audience in London recently that he had spent 20 years trying “to build bridges between Islam and Christianity to dispel ignorance and misunderstanding.” But these bridges were now “rapidly being deliberately destroyed by those with a vested interest in doing so.”
He urged Muslims, Jews and Christians to unite in “outrage” against the turn of events in the region.
Beyond the disappointments of the false Arab dawn, however, is the broader question of the existential crisis facing Islam in the land of its birth. Given its regressive trajectory, liberal Muslims, especially, will be right to worry about the shape in which Islam emerges from this crisis. It doesn’t look good.
hasan.suroor@gmail.com
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Comments (40):
The greatest threat to peace is the increasing radicalization of
Ordinary shia and sunni people may carry on life with each other, but
I feel the main problem lies in the interpretation of religion whether
I agree fully with the views expressed by Vida. As they say, what goes
unlike other religions which have lost their basic teachings,Islam
A completely rubbish article. It smacks of a deliberate hypocrisy
A myopic vision has been shown in this article. The mass killing and
@Arun nair - was a comment adding perspective.
god has no religion and religion has no god. religion is the all evil in
An excellent analysis. The first thing to note is that islam is not a
nationhood, otherwise there would not be so many different arab
countries. Second, islam is simply another medieval man made ideology
that has no solutions to the problems of a complex modern world. Third,
the islamic extremists,completely devoid of morality, are suffering from
the delusion of a world islamic empire nurtured by the primitive
bedouins of arabia and has no relevance to reality.
Religion is the root cause of all evil. It has only sought to divide
A very well written article and i am glad that the 'Hindu' has
published it. Muslims, especially conservative and fundamentalist ones,
need to look within themselves and question the ideology they are
following. Osama and other Jihadis are prepared to commit mass murder to
further their perceived goals of spreading militant Islam.
If it was a false dawn for Leftist liberals, it was a false dawn for
the Islamists too. Both in Tunisia and Egypt, while a temporary flash
of democracy, did bring Islamists at the helm of the affair, forces
against them were ranged to pull them down, from the very first moment.
It is unthinkable that Left liberals who had joined the demonstration
against Mubarak regime, would have sat idle and seen the Arab countries
one after the other getting Islamisized through overwhelming public
support. Together with their supporters, the Neo-Cons of US and Israel,
they went into conspiracies and saw to it that the so-called democratic
process that brought the Islamists to power, should be reversed and
against the anti-people brute military is imposed on Egypt and in any
part of the Arab World that dare to raise its head in support of
political Islam. What alternative Muslims have in such hopeless
situation? Sit back and enjoy?
UNIVERSALITY OF TRUTH
Tushar Sinha, if there is violence and destruction in the name of
On one hand there is a description of "Moderate Muslims" aka the
movie stars old and new, we have the various political personalities and
intellectuals who fall into this category or historical ones like Akbar
on the other hand there is the "Fundamentalist" aka Osama and his like.
I completely agree with article content and intent behind writing it.
A battle for the soul of Islam. Good story. It is true but
ironically the military and anti-Islam forces are claiming to fighting
over it, as we are witnessing particularly in Egypt and Syria.
Moderate and enlightened Muslims is an oxymoron. There is no such beast. Everywhere I
Mr. Hasan Suroor. This is probably the most biased article I have seen
They say pride is the last infirmity of the noble mind. Vivekananda
Very deliberate attempt to paint a negative picture. There is an
Thank you! Mr. Hasan. It was a very refreshing article. Perhaps that beacon of
Mr Hasan Suroor you have indeed stated the sorry state of affairs within the
Well said. Some of my best friends are Muslims and I must say that I
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If it was a false dawn for Leftist liberals, it was a false dawn for
the Islamists too. Both in Tunisia and Egypt, while a temporary flash
of democracy, did bring Islamists at the helm of the affair, forces
against them were ranged to pull them down, from the very first moment.
It is unthinkable that Left liberals who had joined the demonstration
against Mubarak regime, would have sat idle and seen the Arab countries
one after the other getting Islamisized through overwhelming public
support. Together with their supporters, the Neo-Cons of US and Israel,
they went into conspiracies and saw to it that the so-called democratic
process that brought the Islamists to power, should be reversed and
again the anti-people brute military is imposed on Egypt and in any
part of the Arab World that dare to raise its head in support of
political Islam. What alternative Muslims have in such hopeless
situation? Sit back and enjoy?
from:
Ghulam Muhammed
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 14:19 ISTIt will be naive to think that US had nothing to do with downfall of Morsi government. It manipulated each and every move against Morsi, through its proxies in Army,police, judiciary and in the wider political field. It cannot stomach that Muslim Brotherhood could come to power with such spectacular mandate, winning three elections/referendums. It had the last resort in its arsenal: the same public demonstrations that pull down Mubarak, was staged managed through Left liberals and Coptic Christian agitators, with Army this time shooting Muslim Brotherhood counter-demonstrators. The entire scenario was stage managed by US and Israel. Only those who do want to see the facts behind the clever propaganda of US remaining on the sideline, would delude themselves with untruth. Can Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar give even a dime to Egyptian Army, without US behind the entire plot to destabilize Egypt and throw Muslim Brother out, this time possibly for good, as they would have it.
from:
Ghulam Muhammed
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 14:39 IST----- ----- -----
http://www.thehindu.com/
Updated: January 8, 2014 01:04 IST
A battle for the soul of Islam
Hasan Suroor
Comment (40) ·
With Osama bin Laden dead and al-Qaeda in disarray, moderate Muslims were set to reclaim political Islam from extremists. But 2 years later, the Islam projected by extremists is back with a vengeance
Barely two years ago around this time, the Arab Street appeared to be on the cusp of a historic democratic revolution that was supposed to define Islam in the 21st century. An Islam compatible and at ease with the democratic values of free speech and tolerance.
With Osama bin Laden dead and al-Qaeda in disarray, moderate Muslims were set to reclaim the much maligned political Islam from extremists. The sight of articulate young Muslims with their Blackberrys and iPhones yearning for change and pushing for a radical break with the past mesmerised the world. Even card-carrying Islamophobes were forced into rethinking their pet theories about Islam.
It was hailed as Islam’s belated Enlightenment moment — a heady time when even a minor street protest came to be celebrated as a sign of Muslim awakening. William Wordsworth’s paean to the French Revolution could well apply to the “Arab Spring,” “Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young was very heaven!”
Its own makingYet, all that seems so long ago now. The old terrifying face of Islam projected by extremists is back with a vengeance. The so-called jihadis have seized back the crucial edge in the battle for the soul of Islam. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that, unwittingly, moderate Muslims have thrown away the gains briefly achieved in those heady days in 2011.
Few revolutions in modern history have turned out quite so badly, and been so greedily devoured by its own children. Today, much of the Muslim world is in worse shape than before — a seething cauldron of hate and bigotry, and torn by sectarian violence. Crucially, for once, the “Great Satan” has nothing to do with what is going on there. There is no George W. Bush, no Tony Blair. Indeed, America has gone to some lengths to keep out of it even at the risk of alienating some of its European allies.
Revival of hostilityThe mess is entirely of Muslims’ own making. It is the “Great Satan” within who is wreaking the damage. Islam is at war with itself, which is raging, simultaneously, at several levels — between moderates and extremists; between Shias and Sunnis; and between pro-West (Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies) and anti-West (Iran, Lebanon, Syria) Muslim powers.
Perhaps, for the first time since the emergence of political Islam in its present ugly form in the last century the target of hate is not the West. It is very much an intra-Muslim affair. The warriors as well as their targets are all indigenous. Mostly, it is Muslims fighting other Muslims with Christians often caught up in the crossfire.
One of the most disturbing aspects is the bloody resurgence of Shia-Sunni hostility. Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria all have been sucked into a cycle of Muslim-on-Muslim violence that makes the Catholic-Protestant troubles in Northern Ireland look like kids’ stuff.
In Iraq alone, more than 6,000 people were killed in Shia-Sunni violence in 2013 — “a death toll not seen since 2008,” according to the BBC. Across West Asia, a form of ethnic cleansing is going on with Shias being forced to flee Sunni-majority areas, and vice versa. The region is awash with refugees from both sects raising the spectre of a Palestinian-style crisis of the stateless/homeless Muslims.
It is reckoned that more than a third of Syria’s population has been displaced, with a knock-on effect being felt throughout West Asia. In Lebanon, the presence of Sunni Muslim refugees has put pressure on its already fragile sectarian balance. Tensions are being fuelled by the Shia militant group Hezbollah which is actively backing the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a fellow Shia from the Alawite sect. And all this is happening with the blessings of Shia/Sunni regimes aligned to rival sectarian interests.
It’s a proxy war with Shia Iran, Iraq and Syria in one camp, and the Saudis and their Sunni allies such as Qatar in the other. The ouster of the Mohammad Morsi government and the persecution of the Muslim Brotherhood have nothing to do with protecting Egypt from Islamist extremism or upholding secularism and democracy. It is Saudi Arabia flexing its Sunni muscles as it did when it helped crush a nascent uprising in Bahrain. (To avoid any perceptions of bias, let me declare that I am a Sunni.)
The leaderless Tahrir Square “revolutionaries” have been a casualty of a wider quasi-religious struggle among major Muslim powers for supremacy. Rather than setting the agenda for a “new” Egypt, they have ended up serving others’ agendas. First the army used them to get rid of Hosni Mubarak by portraying itself as the defender of the revolution, and then to suppress the Muslim Brotherhood which, as the only organised political force in the country, posed a threat to its influence.
The failed Arab Spring is an object lesson in how not to organise a revolution. Contrary to the romantic notion of a spontaneous revolution, it is actually a cold beast which needs credible leadership, a high level of organisation, a coherent ideology and a clearly thought-out plan for afterwards. Instead, what we saw on the Arab street was only idealism and anger. No leadership, no organisation and no alternative script.
This allowed all sorts of elements with their own agendas — the army, dodgy dissidents at home and abroad, and extremists — to step in and hijack the show. The only exception is Tunisia where after initial chaos, Ennahda, a well-organised moderate Islamist party, has been able to provide a semblance of stable democratic alternative.
Insecurity of ChristiansAnd what about Islam’s fabled respect towards other faiths?
There has been an alarming increase in anti-Christian violence with attacks on churches, Christian homes and businesses without any apparent provocation. In Egypt, the minority Coptic Christian community is living in fear after a series of attacks allegedly by Muslim Brotherhood supporters. Hundreds of churches and other properties belonging to Christians have been destroyed or looted apparently because the Coptic Pope Tawadros II spoke in support of military rulers. In Syria, Christians have been attacked by anti-Assad forces who accuse them of supporting his regime.
Christians all over West Asia feel insecure and there is a climate of fear. There are reports of large-scale “Christian flight” from the region with almost one-third of Christians having fled Syria alone, it is claimed. The Christians being targeted are not western expats; they do not represent western interests. Not that it would have made attacks on them any more legitimate. They are historically settled communities — as Arab as any Muslim Arab in terms of their historical roots in the region. Understandably, there is deep concern about the future of Christianity in the land of its birth.
Prince Charles, one of the few high-profile friends of Muslims in the West and who has done a lot of work to promote Muslim-Christian dialogue, has voiced his dismay. He told an interfaith audience in London recently that he had spent 20 years trying “to build bridges between Islam and Christianity to dispel ignorance and misunderstanding.” But these bridges were now “rapidly being deliberately destroyed by those with a vested interest in doing so.”
He urged Muslims, Jews and Christians to unite in “outrage” against the turn of events in the region.
Beyond the disappointments of the false Arab dawn, however, is the broader question of the existential crisis facing Islam in the land of its birth. Given its regressive trajectory, liberal Muslims, especially, will be right to worry about the shape in which Islam emerges from this crisis. It doesn’t look good.
hasan.suroor@gmail.com
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Comments (40):
The greatest threat to peace is the increasing radicalization of
Muslim youth who have been so conditioned by weekly preaching by the
mullahs. Muslims have been subjected to constant teaching of hostility
towards other faiths and communities to such an extent that it is now
rare to find a Muslim who would think in objective terms. There are
still individuals, some in places of authority and power, who are
genuinely liberal, but they are mostly keeping quiet. Much of the time
they do not even comment on happenings that agitate other communities
and that constitute a threat to a secular society. It has even brought
a response from Hindu intellectuals who argue for a similar adhesion
to so-called Hindu values and mores. Hope lies with the minuscule
category of genuinely secular people who are swamped in a sea of
extremist exhortation and opposing fanatical discourse, known in India
as communalism – of Muslims and Hindus and others.
from:
V. C. Bhutani
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 18:09 IST
Ordinary shia and sunni people may carry on life with each other, but
it is the political powers beyond them that exploit the divide by
using hate as weapon. As it happens, it is not so much the pro- or
anti-West Muslim powers, but the West itself, led by Zionist Anglo-
American powers that is dividing the Muslims - if not committing
genocide in disguise - in order to protect and legitimise an entity
called Israel, which is the one and only core issue at stake in the
"neverending" MiddleEast conflict. To this end, war-leaders Tony Blair
and George W. Bush should be put on trial at the ICC, as already
suggested by Nobel laureate Bishop Tutu.
from:
Rajan Mahadevan
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 18:07 IST
I feel the main problem lies in the interpretation of religion whether
it be Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism or others. And
there is always a nexus between a particular religious interpretation
and the Power. It is an irony that religion today is used as a medium
to divide people, whereas its sole purpose was to unite the whole of
humanity. It is high time for all of us (moderates, extremists,
liberals, atheists, etc) as humans to think over where exactly humanity
is heading towards?
As far as the article is concerned, I appreciate and respect the
author's analysis, although I disagree with his view on non-
interference of foreign powers on the current events in the Middle
East.
from:
Shoaib Mohammed
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 17:57 IST
I agree fully with the views expressed by Vida. As they say, what goes
around comes around. Islamic history was violent to start with. It
was only the rise of the non-Islamic nations that put a stop to the
violent expansion of Islam by the Islamic zealots, under the misguided
belief that Islam was the best for the whole world.
There should be no compulsion in religion. A religion should be
catholic in its outlook and give perfect freedom to its adherents to
embrace every kind of personal response from atheism to mysticism ie
each according to his capacity. When a religion becomes regimented and
a one-size-fits-all formula is rammed down the throats of all and
sundry, it breeds frustration and that in turn breeds violence,
violence and more violence!
from:
DURAI
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 17:50 IST
unlike other religions which have lost their basic teachings,Islam
was never in existential crisis and will never be. Let me remind you
of your own article "Seeking Allah in the Midlands" and of Tatars
who butchered millions of Muslims and it was finally religion of
Islam which conquered them. Sects like Alawites and Druzes who see
Ali r.a as god fall nowhere near the definition of Muslims.These so
called Muslims who are fighting these unholy wars are not fighting
it for Islam rather for their personal , political gains
from:
imran
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 17:40 IST
A completely rubbish article. It smacks of a deliberate hypocrisy
batting for the West. And those who are over delighted and went on to
say that Islam is a Medieval and Archaic religion having no solutions
to the problems of today’s complex world should note that Islam has
the finest solutions to all the problems, given it is implemented in
it’s true spirit. Please don’t form an opinion in the light of the
contemporary regimes across the Muslim world as none of these are
being completely run through the Islamic Sharia. Please note that this
is not a man-made religion else it is divine and was revealed on our
Prophet (PBUH) . I am shocked on the comment made by Mr Sohail Zahid
“Islam is simply another medieval man-made ideology†. Mr Sohail if you
really believe so I feel no inhibitions in declaring that you are no
longer a Muslim.
from:
Azizur Rahman
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 16:53 IST
There is no education , no modernity among muslims . They are not ready to accept others view point and beliefs . Something written in book is more important and true for them than exercising own brain .So this is bound to happen. Tons of articles , Op-Eds like this won't be fruitful.
from:
vipul shah
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 16:53 IST
A myopic vision has been shown in this article. The mass killing and
migration in West Asia are not directed to a particular community.
Muslims are more harmed and destroyed because of the policies taken
by the politicians and world diplomacy.
This is the way of West and rich hypocrites to engage the people of
this area in their own troubles, so that their illegal business of
oil can flourish and no one has the courage, stamina and time to
question them.
In the present generation no nation is following a true Islamic
system and just because the population of a country is muslim you can
not say it is Islamic Country.
And when you are not following ideals of Islam how childish it is to
blame Islam as the root cause.
from:
D Mansoor
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 16:35 IST
@Arun nair - was a comment adding perspective.
Islam is a misunderstood religion - probably the most.
And cliches and easy characterizations dont help at all.
from:
Sundar
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 16:35 IST
Its the politicians who are dividing people based on their beliefs,for their own end. Islam, as a religion, is not at war with itself, rather the followers are ignorant about its teachings.
from:
Shams A
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 16:30 IST
Islam needs to be brought 'kicking and screaming' into the 21st century. The mindset within Islam is still very medieval and archaic. Islam needs to evolve and reflect the progress that Human civilisation has made since the 7th century. Other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity are at peace with themelves and the world at large and want to progress into the future. Unfortunately Islam still harks back to the days of 7th century Arabia. The Mullahs and extremists want to return to the days of the brutal and cruel Caliphate which was established through wars and conquest.
from:
Vida
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 15:52 IST
god has no religion and religion has no god. religion is the all evil in
this world dividing humanity.
from:
naveen
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 15:49 IST
An excellent analysis. The first thing to note is that islam is not a
nationhood, otherwise there would not be so many different arab
countries. Second, islam is simply another medieval man made ideology
that has no solutions to the problems of a complex modern world. Third,
the islamic extremists,completely devoid of morality, are suffering from
the delusion of a world islamic empire nurtured by the primitive
bedouins of arabia and has no relevance to reality.
These islamic
terrorists are a product of the realization of islam's utter defeat at
the hands of western industrial civilization. The world has moved on too
far ahead.
from:
Sohail Zahid
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 15:47 IST
There seems to be a 'self-destruct' button within Islam. Not content with having over 1 billion followers after centuries of turmoil,wars conversions and acquisition of foreign lands, they are now attempting to re-establish the Caliphate by violent means. The Sunni Mullahs and extremists within Islam are hell-bent on radicalisng all Muslims against the followers of non-Wahabi Islam. So they range from Shias, Ahmadiyas, followed by non-Muslims like Xtians, Hindus, Buddhists etc. Time for introspection i think.
from:
Vipul
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 15:01 IST
Religion is the root cause of all evil. It has only sought to divide
people, incite hatred by highlighting difference in cultures and
bringing up this artificial wall between people.
It is one of the most despicable aspects of human kind.
If there is a God, God probably made mankind.
But mankind made religion to exercise control and divide.
from:
Nagarajan
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 14:50 IST
A very well written article and i am glad that the 'Hindu' has
published it. Muslims, especially conservative and fundamentalist ones,
need to look within themselves and question the ideology they are
following. Osama and other Jihadis are prepared to commit mass murder to
further their perceived goals of spreading militant Islam.
Also the author should have examined the turbulent history of the
birth and subsequent spread of Islam to other worlds. It was undeniably
achieved by conquering and forcible conversion, with complete disregard
and dislike for other cultures and religions. The Zoroastrian religion
of Iran was eradicated, Buddhist and Hindu culture of Afghanistan and
Pakistan were also eradicated. Turkey, Syria and other middle eastern
territories were Christian or Jewish. So Muslims need to take a 'deep
breath' and decide which direction they want to take their religion. The
Saudis, as the 'guardians of the Islam need to stop being silent
bystanders in all this mayhem.
from:
Vida
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 14:49 IST
It will be naive to think that US had nothing to do with downfall of Morsi government. It manipulated each and every move against Morsi, through its proxies in Army,police, judiciary and in the wider political field. It cannot stomach that Muslim Brotherhood could come to power with such spectacular mandate, winning three elections/referendums. It had the last resort in its arsenal: the same public demonstrations that pull down Mubarak, was staged managed through Left liberals and Coptic Christian agitators, with Army this time shooting Muslim Brotherhood counter-demonstrators. The entire scenario was stage managed by US and Israel. Only those who do want to see the facts behind the clever propaganda of US remaining on the sideline, would delude themselves with untruth. Can Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar give even a dime to Egyptian Army, without US behind the entire plot to destabilize Egypt and throw Muslim Brother out, this time possibly for good, as they would have it.
from:
Ghulam Muhammed
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 14:39 IST
Salahuddin, do you mean to say that Taliban took orders to butcher Shias, Ahmadiyas, Christians in Pakistan?? Yeah live in denial.
from:
Srihari
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 14:22 IST
If it was a false dawn for Leftist liberals, it was a false dawn for
the Islamists too. Both in Tunisia and Egypt, while a temporary flash
of democracy, did bring Islamists at the helm of the affair, forces
against them were ranged to pull them down, from the very first moment.
It is unthinkable that Left liberals who had joined the demonstration
against Mubarak regime, would have sat idle and seen the Arab countries
one after the other getting Islamisized through overwhelming public
support. Together with their supporters, the Neo-Cons of US and Israel,
they went into conspiracies and saw to it that the so-called democratic
process that brought the Islamists to power, should be reversed and
against the anti-people brute military is imposed on Egypt and in any
part of the Arab World that dare to raise its head in support of
political Islam. What alternative Muslims have in such hopeless
situation? Sit back and enjoy?
from:
Ghulam Muhammed
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 14:19 IST
UNIVERSALITY OF TRUTH
1. My religion is a religion without a nickname. It is a religion
of nature. I label none, brand none, possess none, but serve all alike
like light and sun. Sw. Rama Thirtha
2. Man will wrangle for religion; write for it; fight for it;
anything but live for it.
3. The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren and to do
good is my religion. Thomas Paine. US patriot and political
philosopher (1737-1809)
4. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Jesus
Christ
5. Any believe that makes one kind, compassionate and respectful
of others is good religion and any that makes you intolerant, unkind
and belligerent is bad religion, no matter how orthodox it is. Karen
Armstrong.
6. To die for a religion is easier than to live it absolutely.
Jorge Louis Borges. Argentine writer and poet. (1899-1986)
If everyone can live in the universal spirit of religion as
expressed above how much a better place the world would be to live in!!!
from:
DURAI
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 14:13 IST
Tushar Sinha, if there is violence and destruction in the name of
religion, it certainly is not the fault of religion. If a knife is
used to stab a person, is it the fault of the knife? Anything that can
be used can also be abused. Since religion has the potential for the
highest good, it logically follows it also has the capacity for the
greatest abuse! What is lacking in those who abuse religion for
whatever reason, is a proper understanding of religion! And that's the
cause of all the problems in the world.
Man will wrangle for religion, write for it and fight for it,anything
but live for it.
It is easier to fight for a religion than to live it absolutely!
from:
DURAI
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 13:50 IST
On one hand there is a description of "Moderate Muslims" aka the
movie stars old and new, we have the various political personalities and
intellectuals who fall into this category or historical ones like Akbar
on the other hand there is the "Fundamentalist" aka Osama and his like.
Both designations have nothing to do with Islam or muslims they are
the attempts at defining by those cannot understand even the basic
requirements of Islam.
While anyone who profess to be muslim has a right to be called
muslim there are some criteria to be a where one might be called to be a
"normal muslim" as viewed by muslims themselves. Among the criteria is
following on a regular basis the basic requirements of a follower of
Islam. ie belief in one god,messenger,day of judgement,Quran, regularly
offering prayers,fasting,hajj,charity and avoid major sins, ie
stealing,murder,adultery&
from:
Basheer
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 13:48 IST
I completely agree with article content and intent behind writing it.
I had close experience working with Hindu and Muslim community in
villages based in Rajasthan, India. The project was to bring Hindu and
Muslim together and to start a dialogue on those aspects, which
connected them well. Being Muslim, I was not initially accepted in
Muslim Community because I was non practicing. While Hindu community
was little shy share their concerns because my name similar to Muslim.
But, after working and staying along with them for few years, I
recognized that the absence of platform and dialogue created big gap
between them. Extremism within the Muslim group is harming the
community more that solving the community related problem. Liberal
Muslims are not having close interaction with their their religious
fellows. It a time for introspection within the Muslim community and
also important to differentiate religious understanding from politico
religious vested interests. I appreciate Mr. Suroor!
from:
Sharique
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 13:43 IST
The article is spot on!! Every religion has their own share of extremists and moderates,but the ratio is highly skewed in Islam in favour of hardcore extremists and the worst part is that the moderates are in denial mode.India has a history of communal violence especially hindu/Muslim riots and even if this can be attributed to the rise of hindu extremism,countries such as Mynamar and Srilanka with buddhist majority and even the north province of China (Largely atheist) are experiencing turbulence and it concerns muslims.The moderates in this religion have to retrospect
from:
RaviKiran
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 13:38 IST
A battle for the soul of Islam. Good story. It is true but
ironically the military and anti-Islam forces are claiming to fighting
over it, as we are witnessing particularly in Egypt and Syria.
from:
Jamil Akhter
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 13:18 IST
With majority of bloodshed in today's world attributed to religion (be it communal riots in our country, sectarian violence in Middle East etc) the very institution has been rendered dysfunctional. Would the earth not be a better place to inhabit without the concept of religion. NASA's Voyager II has recently navigated out of our solar system. This spacecraft carries with it the signature of human existence (with a hope that some day it would be intercepted by aliens). Let us assume that after getting to know about our existence some aliens plan to conquer the earth by the mode of invasion. Would us not, in that case, unite as global citizens forgetting about who is Christian, Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, Shia or Sunni. So are we expecting some alien invasion to melt down the religion based differences amongst humans?
from:
Tushar Sinha
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 12:53 IST
"Crucially, for once, the “Great Satan†has nothing to do with what is going on there. There is no George W. Bush, no Tony Blair. Indeed, America has gone to some lengths to keep out of it even at the risk of alienating some of its European allies." it make me laugh bother ur very lenient with western world and the Arab monarch. who provided the arms to the Syrian takfiri group. Saudis, Qatar, Bahrain etc. They doesn't represent the Majority of Sunni. May Allah guide us all
from:
Maseeh Raza
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 12:48 IST
Moderate and enlightened Muslims is an oxymoron. There is no such beast. Everywhere I
see Muslims stick very strongly to their religion with more and more women wearing either
burqa or hijab. When I visit Mumbai my home town I find burqa clad women where 50 years
ago there were hardly any and even in Australia where I now live even girls as young as 5 or
6 wear hijab. All this happens because the Mulla says so. Three years ago educated
Muslims refused to enter our local Hindu temple because Islam says Hindus are kafirs and
these we're visiting university teachers from Malaysia and Indonesia. Many Australian
Muslims are currently fighting in Syria. Young Muslim women here are still subjected to
genital mutilation here. In the earlier comments I read that somehow it is not the fault of
Muslims but of US. What is really sad is the death and destruction wrought upon helpless
population.
from:
Kolsat
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 12:38 IST
Mr. Hasan Suroor. This is probably the most biased article I have seen
from you. Can you also define the orders which come through the
Washington DC for the puppets of Muslim countries. You should have
given some balance to your analysis if you had really mentioned the
"Strategic interest" factors leading to this mess. And of course the
majority of the Muslim world wants to be ruled by Quran which they did
for almost 1400 years. Quran has the best system of life as you would
know ;. And there are no Moderate or extremist
Muslims. This is the narrative you have also copied from the West.
Too bad to copy. Make your own judgement please.
Remember the best protection to minorities came at the time of Islamic
rule and Jewish brothers got protection only under Caliphate.
from:
Salahuddin
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 12:29 IST
While the author is right that Muslim Lands in the M.E are facing unprecedented turmoil, he is wrong when he equates the actions of warring factions there as the actions of Islam. Yes there is a melee of trouble there in many countries, but the underlying causes are only ostensibly religious in nature. It is basically a geopolitical struggle for influence between Salafist Saudi Arabia+Qatar and Iran that has unfortunately taken a sectarian color(it was bound to). Its notable that even in the sectarian wars in Syria, Assad's army which purportedly fighting Sunnis,is itself largely composed of Syria's Sunni muslims. FSA,the main rebels are largely non-Islamist Sunnis who are atleast on the face of it non-sectarian and are currently engaged in fighting Al-Qaeda linked rebels. Even in Iraq,Shia Govt forces(Army) teamed up with Sunni tribes to flush out Al-Qaeda from Anbar. The point is,it can't be denied that the voilence has taken sectarian color,but there is more to it than meets the eye
from:
Shahid
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 10:57 IST
The moderates whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jew, American or anywhere else are too busy sipping their whisky/rum or running from pillar to post for their daily bread to spare time for "RECLAIMING THE SOUL" kind of projects. They arise only when circumstances force them (like repressive rule of Taliban like regime etc). Give them 10 minuets of peace & they will be back to their whisky or bread earning business. Whereas the extremists have all the time (24x7x4.35x12x.......) for their brainwashing business.
from:
Shaleen Mathur
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 10:55 IST
They say pride is the last infirmity of the noble mind. Vivekananda
has said: "Pride of wealth is bad; worse still is intellectual pride
but the worst of all is religious pride. Woe unto the person who
succumbs to this weakness" We can paraphrase him: Woe unto the
community or nation that has this pride of religiosity.
All religious communities has this weakness to a lesser or greater
extent. Vivekananda has again said: "The downfall of the Hindus
started the day they coined the word MILECHCHA for all foreigners" The
Christians use the terms PAGANS and HEATHENS and the Muslims KAFIRS to
refer to those of other faiths.
To say that there is no religion like ours, that ours is the latest
and the best, that our guru is the last, that we have nothing more
to learn, that it is others who have to learn from us, is religious
pride of the worst kind.
It is stated in the PROVERBS: "Pride goeth before destruction and a
haughty spirit before a fall."
Remember the Story of the Vrishnis? ......
from:
DURAI
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 09:36 IST
Hasan Suroor's analysis is brilliant as usual but he is too hasty in not seeing 'a foreign hand' behind the sectarian conflicts in the Middle East. It is well-known that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a client of the United States and that it is in American interests that Iranian influence should be curtailed if not extinguished as long as Iranian oil interests are not made subservient to America. It is also known that Qatar supported 'Libyan rebels' clearly under American instructions. Syria would have been raped like Libya but for Putin protecting Russian interests in the region. Starting with the first Gulf War and the so-called 'disinterested' support of Kosovo, America has almost closed a defensive ring round Middle-East energy resources, and the conflicts will continue till America ensures its geo-political interests in the region or she is thrown back, which seems unlikely in the context of blinkered sectarian fighting among Muslims.
from:
vithal rajan
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 09:27 IST
Very deliberate attempt to paint a negative picture. There is an
inherent Message in Islam and that is of tolerance, piety, charity and
patience that would prevail. These turmoils have happened in all faiths
and it has happened in Muslim Faith. I am shocked at the writer who
looks at glass quarter full, I see things differently. Muslim faith will
emerge stronger, more enlightened when this period ends.
from:
Naveed Khan
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 08:32 IST
A bold and fair article. In context of Kashmir its radicals who lead and controlled the division and to this day there has been no moderate voice or revolt against them. Case in point is when innocent Kashmiris are murdered not one protest takes place whereas if there is a suspicion of security forces involvements the whole valley burns.
from:
Aditya
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 08:19 IST
I am more concerned about muslim in Indian continent. The way radicalism of muslim is increasing triggering radicalism with other religions at some level is really matter of serious concerns. Although India has highly intellectual muslim individuals who are above caste,creed and religion but how they influence to masses will be seen in future.
from:
Shri
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 07:40 IST
A distinguished professor of religion at the University of Alberta, Canada once told me: "Muslims can live only as an oppressive majority or as a turbulent minority." The situation in the world, especially in West Asia and Egypt suggests they are doing both.
from:
N.S. Rajaram
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 06:54 IST
Thank you! Mr. Hasan. It was a very refreshing article. Perhaps that beacon of
moderate voice can come from a place like India where as a culture we are more
spiritual and philosophical than religious. I think the biggest obstacle in the Muslim
world has been a successful muslim (be it at any profession) who values his/her
religion coupled with hard work and an education system that instill confidence in
who they are. And this success story must come from a middle class background to
provide that confidence that others too can achieve that dream!
from:
Sunder R
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 04:28 IST
Mr Hasan Suroor you have indeed stated the sorry state of affairs within the
Muslims. What went wrong with the movement was that strong leadership of the
Jihadist and complete lack of uniform leadership of the morderates. The leaders of
Shia and Sunni were not at all interested in closing the gap but hell bent on creating
a deeper hole within. This could not have happened if the wealth generated due to
vast resources in the Muslim world, not being used for their betterment but used
exclusively to make a few of the "leaders" very rich. They are using their ill gotten
gain in spreading hatred all over the world. The development of the middle east and
parts of India were due to benevolent Muslim leaders who were intent on improving
the lives of all people they governed. Thus art, music, architecture flourished all
over those areas things that are appreciated till today. We need leaders like Akbar to
lead the current Muslim movement. Then and only then will there will be peace
within.
from:
San
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 03:44 IST
Well said. Some of my best friends are Muslims and I must say that I
have felt them squirm at the way things are shaping. The moderate, well
educated & well meaning Muslim is becoming a mute witness to their faith
being hijacked. I sympathise with them and hope that Islam will emerge
from this crisis.
from:
Arun Nair
Posted on: Jan 8, 2014 at 02:52 IST
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