This is with reference to the article, “Attempt to divide Muslims on quota decried” (Radiance, 1-7 July) informing your readers that all Muslim organisations of AP are criticising rather severely the AP government’s move to provide reservations for Muslims on the basis of castes saying this was unacceptable to them because, according to Islam, there was no distinction among Muslims (or among human beings, for that matter) on the basis of caste.
While it is true that there is no caste system sanctioned by Islam, it is also true that there are Muslims and there are non-Muslims. All Muslims (and non-Muslims) are equal as ‘human beings’ before God but they are certainly not equal in myriad other aspects of life such as God-fearfulness (taqwa), education, culture and civilisation, wealth, intellect, etc.
Instead of being grateful to (God and then to) the AP Government that it is trying to keep an electoral promise in spite of having been thwarted by the judiciary twice, we are issuing such harsh statements as, ‘…it is an attempt to create divisions among Muslim community’ or ‘…the government’s move is nothing but an attempt to divide Muslims…’.or ‘…that the government was deliberately creating castes while there is no caste system in Islam’
One wonders if this might not be an instance where observers may be forming an opinion of the leaders of the AP Muslim community that none of them / us would like to hear.
And all this when? the article also informs the readers that the? AP Backward Classes Commission has put the Krishnan report on the state government’s web site for inviting views and suggestions from Muslims!
The AP Muslims will be well advised to engage their government in a cool, elegant dialogue, mindful of the good that it is trying to do and reach an amicable settlement to what is clearly ‘a well intentioned initiative’.
It will certainly serve us Muslims well if we recognise it as such when justice is done! And if we can find a way of ‘returning this good’ in one way or another, there could be nothing better!
Chaudhari Fariduddin
Safat, Kuwait
[email protected]