https://www.southasiamonitor.org/spotlight/crimes-name-religion-two-wrongs-dont-make-right
Brutal Condemnable Murder of Kanhaiyalal: Violence and Religion
Ram Puniyani
Mohammad Riyaz Ansari and Ghouse Mohammad, two Muslim youth brutally killed Kanhaiyalal, a tailor, on 28th June (2022). They made a video of this and put it on the net. Nearly two weeks ago, Nupur Sharma had made some comments on Prophet Mohammad on a TV debate. The comments were not in good taste. There was condemnation of the same. It was primarily a non event till the Islamic countries in the gulf region started protesting against it.
There was an all round condemnation of this barbaric act of killing of Kanhaiyalal from liberals and Muslim organizations, who underlined the fact this act is not an Islamic act. Other groups pointed out that youth who murdered the innocent victims, for forwarding some posts supporting Nupur Sharma, are misguided one’s who hold that blasphemous acts should be punished. Blasphemy laws have no place in a democracy or rather in any civilized state, whatever be the religion of majority of the population.
One also recalls the equally horrific killing of Afrazul, a Muslim worker, by Shambhulal Regar a few years ago. Regar was totally taken up by the social media posts where Muslim was supposed to be the culprits for Love Jihad. Incidentally while many a groups condemned this act, there were other groups which praised Regar for this brutal act, and collected some funds for his family and for his defense. One also recalls the equally horrific lynching of Akhalaq, Junaid, Rakbar Khan and scores of others.
Two wrongs don’t make a right. Any violence in the name of any religion is wrong and against the morality of religions and against the values of our Constitution. While those involved in murders of Afrazul and those indulging in lynching of nearly hundred innocents are called as fringe elements, those killing Kanaihaylal and the Pundits in Kashmir are being blamed on the teachings in Madrassas. The Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is concerned that in all the Madrassas, jihadist Islam is drilled into the heads of young boys. This, according to him and many approving commentators is the reason for such acts of insanity as witnessed in Udaipur.
The roots of violence leading to Afrazul and victims of lynching are in an ideology which presents Hindus as victims and Muslims as perpetrators and threat to Hindus. This is part of the ideology which also sees Gandhi as the appeaser of Muslims. To expand it further this appeasement is supposed to be the root of communalism. This misplaced ideology hides itself under the guise of Hinduism, while Hinduism of Gandhi and majority of Indians is inclusive and looks at all Indians as part of the Kutumb, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam.” (Whole World is my family)
As far as Jihadi Islam and its relation to madarassas is concerned, we need a deeper introspection. Madrassas have been there for a long period, but the Jihadi Islam is a post 9/11 2001 phenomenon. It is true that what is known as ‘Jihadi Islam’ is a version of politics in name of Islam. We should try to understand its genesis. It is not due to what is being taught in Indian Madrassas. This type of Jihadi thinking was implemented in few Madrassas in Pakistan. Here as per American plan the training of youth in this version of politics, under the garb of Islam was given.
We recall that in the cold war era, America was competing with Russia as the global super power. Its goal was clear, to control the oil wealth of West Asia. It picked up a version of Islam, Wahabi, which was used in these few madrassas of Pakistan to train Mujahedeen-Talban; the base from which Al Qaeda and ISIS came up in due course. Mahmood Mamdani in his book ‘Good Muslim Bad Muslim’ shows that US invested 8000 million dollars and provided these groups with 7000 tons of armaments to fight the Soviet forces. After the defeat of Soviet forces, such forces entered Kashmir and communalized the Kashmir issue, tormenting the Pundits and creating the situation, where they had to leave the valley and become refugees. It is another matter that same elements were totally against Muslims with pro-India bent of mind and did not hesitate in murdering many of them and forcing many more to leave the valley.
It is this version of Islam where Jihad equals killing the non believers; the Kafirs. This version was picked up from Saudi Arabia, intensified and implemented in few Pakistani madrassas. The result was there for all to see. The real meaning of word Kafir is one who hides truth. This was distorted to mean non believer. Jihad, which stands for utmost striving for betterment, became synonym for killing the kafir.
All this is summed up in this 1.35 Minutes video clip of Hillary Clinton (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY-BWScpdZw). It shows the deeper American planning in funding these Jihadi groups, who have vitiated the whole atmosphere in West Asia.
Interestingly this Jihadi terrorism is concentrated in West Asia and not in Muslim majority country like Indonesia. It is true that India has suffered abysmally due to this terrorism, particularly 26/11 2008. It is also true that this Jihadi terrorism is like a Frankenstein’s monster. Pakistani is also a major victim of this terrorism, with nearly 75000 of its citizens having lost their lives due to this. It is here in Pakistan that one of her ex Prime ministers Benzeer Bhutto was also killed in such an attack.
There is no case to uphold the type of curriculum-syllabus of Indian Madrassas. Still these madrassas are not the breeding ground of this terrorism. Today while a large section of Muslim community is living in intimidation and fear, at the same time there are elements like Riyaz Ansari and Ghouse Mohammad, whose insanity is not only a blot on Muslims of India but also is totally contrary to the saying in Koran, even if you kill a single innocent person, that is like killing the whole Humanity (Koran 5.32).
Shambhulal Regar and these two Muslim youth belong to the same category of criminals, who are indulging in heinous crimes in the name of their religion.
