Radicalization Of Indian Muslim Youth A Dangerous Portent
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
31 July, 2010
Countercurrents.org
There are two very disturbing news coming out of India, both from the Marxist bastion of the country. One from Kerala, the other from West Bengal, both points towards the fact of the growing radicalization of Muslim youth, particularly those enrolled in the academic institutions in the country.
The first incidence happened in Kerala, where a college professor, had his right palm chopped off, apparently for preparing a question paper with alleged inflammatory references to Prophet Mohammed for an exam in a private college.
T.J. Joseph, a Malyalam teacher, was on bail after being arrested by the police in April, 2010, for breaching communal harmony. He was suspended from the College where he was teaching, following angry protest marches by various Muslim organizations.
Joseph was returning home with his family when a group of eight unidentified persons, apparently Muslim youth traveling in a van, pulled him out of his car and chopped of his right palm.
The issue of inflammatory question paper could have been settled by the civil society initiating interfaith dialogue but the way it was allowed to degenerate was highly condemnable. Those behind the dastardly act tried to communalize this issue and in order to correct one wrong was committed.
The second incident is from Kolkata where a lecturer Shirin Middya at Aliah University, was warned by the student union to wear a burqa if she wants to teach otherwise, they would not allow her to come to the university.
This institution was established by Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India (1773 to 1784), as Alia Madrasa College in 1781. The West Bengal government upgraded this college giving it a University status in 2005, the first Islamic University, in West Bengal.
Middya, 24, was hired by the Aliah University to teach Bengali language, on a part time basis. The lecturer before taking up this assignment worked as a librarian elsewhere.
This incident actually took place in second week of April, 2010 but when Middya did not comply with the dictates the students forced her to wear the burqa, that made her to approach the media.
Some feel, the best place for Middya to go was a police station but instead she chose the media, with the purpose to bring bad name to the community.
The University disassociated the Middya’s news saying the institution does not have any dress code, and wearing the burqa is not required by the teachers. It also distanced with her cause because her employment was temporary nature. The University instead of taking action against the students, asked Middya to seek employment elsewhere.
Notwithstanding the isolated nature of the two incidents, the fact remains that both has taken place in educational institutions and it reflect the growing influence of radical Islam on the Muslim youth.
Islam in India is centuries old religion; its radicalized version is hitherto unknown to this country. However, in recent times, groups that promote a radical or militant version of Islam are trying to grab the space and are influencing the youth towards their ideas that are supposed to be of a hardliner militant version of Islam.
In reality in India, there are so many different varieties of Islam, the deobandi, the barelvi, the tablighi, the jamayat islami, the followers of different imamams or religious scholars, the Shafai, the Hanafi, the Hambali, the Maliki, and then those call themselves Ahle Hadis. Last but not the least the Sufi Islam, the corner stone of Indian Islam.
However, the majority of the Indian Muslims has nothing to do with any of the versions of Islam and may not like to touch the extremist version even with a barge pole.
Nonetheless there are certain elements among the Muslim community who are trying to create an exclusive community, one that is different from the rest of society, and trying to carve a niche for themselves as representatives of the Muslim community. Regrettably, these extremist elements make it appear that either you are with us or with the enemy. This is very disturbing trend for a multi religious society like India.
Extremism is not however a Muslim prerogative. Sadly, this kind of radicalization is a growing trend in India, even among certain elements among our Hindu brethren.
This is a dangerous portent for both the Muslim and Hindu community and needs to be nipped into the bud in a tactful manner and there should be no negative fall out in handling such issues.
The solution to such problems could be initiated though a campaign for inclusive development of all the communities in the country. This can be done at two levels; One based on the notion of ‘unity in diversity’ that could be steered through inter-faith dialogue, the other by initiating discussions within the Islamic community itself. Since both the campaign feed upon each other, both have equal importance.
As far as the problem of radicalization of Muslim youth in India is concerned there is a pressing need to encourage modern and enlightened Muslims to look at things in their totality since we live in a multicultural, multi religious society and not in a single religious state.
A heterogeneous Muslim society adhering to different varieties of Islam should not be allowed to be high jacked by fringe groups because they backup their campaign through militant means.
To the majority of the India Muslims, their religion is based on certain believes and practices. They have no inclination towards militant version rather with in any version of Islam. They want to practice their faith in a peaceful way, adhering to the secular, socialist and democratic character of the Indian state.
It’s only a small of section of the Muslim community by giving a political meaning to their religion is brining bad name to the community. They are trying to extract political mileage out of their acts of extremism and pandering themselves as crusaders of the religion, in reality they are the black sheep of the community.
It is such kind of atmosphere the moderate voices needs to isolate these extremist and militant elements from the general community. There acts should be condemned by all such like minded people. This alone may ensure peace and harmony to prevail in the country and others may reciprocate the rouge elements in their community.
Syed Ali Mujtaba is a working journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at [email protected]
