It has almost become evident with the Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement in the Parliament that the Bangaluru software engineer Mehdi Masroor Biswas did not recruit for IS and his activities were ‘limited to expressing support’ to the organisation. The Muslim youth should take cognizance of the episode and must be on their guard in using the social network media like Twitter and Facebook.
The organisations like ISIS and Taliban have done colossal damage to Islam and its preaching of peace. Any sensible Muslim cannot express sympathy to such outfits. Having said that, hasn’t the electronic media jumped the gun once again in proclaiming a person as an offender even before the investigation is incomplete? Doesn’t the stigma haunt the whole family of the youth, which may even afflict his professional career?
Syed Sultan Mohiddin
Kadapa, A.P.
Communal Statements to Be Famous!
In political gimmick, making communal statements is as common as politics itself in India. Election campaign is the high time when politicians generally utilise this tactic for polarisation. But, during and after the last Lok Sabha elections communal forces have crossed all the limitations and boundaries. If one wants to be famous, he or she makes communal statements. And the media helps them in being famous and highlighting his or her communal trick. If the media wanted, it could have crushed these hate mongers and their statements. These hate mongers were almost unknown. But, now they hit headlines and make breaking news. Mainstream media always wants to sensationalise these issues to draw readers’ attention. Communalism is feeding both media and politicians along with religious extremism.
Yasir Alam
Araria, Bihar
Minority Rights Days A Ritualistic Affair
This refers to the article, “Minorities Rights Day…” by Syyed Mansoor Agha, published in Radiance (21-27 December). It is true that we observe Human Rights Day and Minority Rights Day every year. The nature and meaning of these days have become rather symbolic and ritualistic. It is hardly supported with renewed spirit or pledge. No concrete measures are announced to make it more effective and meaningful rather than posturing self-acclaimed rhetoric of addressing concern of minorities. Every year, we observe these days and on many occasions the rights of minorities are encroached upon without any thought of safeguarding their rights. Such days are meaningless, if the government cannot guarantee constitutional safeguard to minorities. Instead, their sentiments are provoked to gain political dividends.
Akmal Hussain
New Delhi
A Heinous Crime
The massacre of about 150 students and teachers in an army school in Peshawar by Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan is a heinous crime which must be condemned outright by all the humanity. While Pakistan must be blamed for soft-peddling the terrorist outfit, the United States was actually responsible to create the Frankenstein called ‘Taliban’ about two decades ago in the Af-Pak region, to serve its imperial agenda of dislocating the erstwhile U.S.S.R from Afghanistan.
But as the irony would have it, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said over Pakistan’s flawed policy: “It’s like that old story – you can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours. Eventually those snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard.” Ms. Hillary wants the world to conveniently forget that the so-called “snakes” were created by her nation as a part of its foreign policy.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin
Kadapa, A.P.