I was reading the thought provoking review of the Pakistani film ‘Khuda ke liye’ in the Sunday newspapers and was reminded once again of the burning issue regarding Muslim fundamentalism. The sad thing is that one does not need to be reminded of Muslim fundamentalism in today’s world. It stares one in the face, so much so that the word Muslim has come to be synonymous with fundamentalism. Now, the people who are most impacted by the increase in Muslim fundamentalism are the Muslim liberals who do not know how to convince others that the tenets of Islam do not propagate violence in any manner.

 

Having been present in Ahmedabad when the Gujarat riots took place, I know the implications of prejudices based on religion and the unimaginably cruel results when people make the mistake of committing huge generalizations.  I remember the afternoon of the Godhra carnage so vividly that it makes me shiver even today.

 

The difference about the last communal riots in Gujarat was that violence was not restricted to the areas inhabited by poor and uneducated people but pervaded every section of society. The Muslim elite who were very educated and occupied prominent posts were especially targeted and killed. Sitting at home and knowing that 5 to 7 kms away, mobs were killing poor innocents without no one to turn to for help is the most terrible feeling that you as a bystander can ever go through. I have been there and I know what it feels like.

 

During this time, The Times of India had published a photograph of a man standing on the roof of a balcony and folding his hands in a plea for mercy. Apparently, a mob was standing below with the aim of setting the building on fire. I am sure that photograph will haunt all of us who ever saw it. Such was the pathos of the situation.

 

In the aftermath of the riots, I have seen a tendency in a large section of the population to view Muslims with suspicion and hostility.

 

 Another instance of communal bias occurred a couple of years before, when I was teaching in a college in Mumbai. During a staff discussion about the Gujarat earthquake, one of the lecturers came up with a shocking statement. I remember him saying that if only we could ensure that the victims of these natural disasters were Muslims, at least half the problem would be solved.

 

Coming from a professor, it was the most shocking statement that I have ever heard. And I think that is the tragedy that we are facing today. Even the so-called educated people are resorting to such naïve and narrow generalizations in an attempt to make sense of the situation. This is a trap that we must avoid at any cost!

 

Movies like ‘Khuda ke liye’ are sorely needed today to provide a reality check and give the common man ample idea about the two faces of Islam. Without such a correction, we are in danger of falling into the Western trap of over simplifying the problem in a crude manner and relegating all Muslims to the level of terrorists.

 

Agreed that Muslim fundamentalism and terrorism are major issues that urgently need resolution. But is this the solution that we have arrived at with all our sophistication?

 

Just for a moment, visualize that you are a liberal Muslim who truly loves India. How would you feel living in a relatively hostile environment and having people around you look upon you as a potential terrorist, someone who can remove the mask at any moment and plant a bomb somewhere? 

 

I understand the need for caution against terrorism. I also understand that the burnt child dreads fire and looks upon any similar event with skepticism. Inspite of this, I also know that the liberal Indian will and should broaden his or her horizon of thinking and arrive at an unprejudiced view of Muslims and Islam. This is the least we can do to prove that we Indians, at least, have a mind of our own………. one that inspires respect in others.