Islam is the favourite ‘punching bag’ of western civilization and its oriental proponents. It is not an empty rhetoric as some people believe or pretend to believe. It is well articulated, pre-planned, calculated and deliberate onslaught on the world’s fastest growing way of life – Islam. In India some people are busy in what an Urdu proverb better describes as behti ganga mein haath dhona. A perilous tool – Weapon of Mass Deception – yes! The media is exploited exorbitantly nowadays to present Islam as nothing but a monstrous apparition. This thrust of mainstream media is being legitimised and therefore revitalised after 9/11. In this state of affairs Muslims are on their back-foot if absolutely not losing their confidence.
It is crystal clear that for those who loathe Islam (and exhibit in what we have already termed as WMD), it will be as impossible to find a hole in the ozone of Islamic concepts as to pluck the stars from the sky to play marbles. The only way through which they can assail Islam is through gorilla intellectual warfare. That means beating around bush while talking about Islam, never to touch real issues, to draw conclusions from the exceptional events, to alter the contexts of the true teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, etc.
A person conscious enough of current affairs will notice sooner or later that the attacks on Islamic concepts of capital punishment, polygamy, purdah, interest-free economy and even jihad are assuaged though not exterminated over the last few years. The reason is obvious; Muslim scholars and Ulema could easily impregnate into the already decayed structure of such fallacious misconceptions in the people’s minds by explaining to them the logic and true teachings of Islam behind each one of them, as they did it in the past.
What we notice is that anti-Islam forces are too perplexed to come and wage a full fledged ideological debate over the Islamic concepts. Instead what they are trying to do is to foment the Muslim masses through incendiary statements (“Burqa Jalao” Taslima Nasreen), blasphemous caricatures (Danish Cartoons), affronting prophet-Quran-places of worship (Geert Wilders’ Fitna), and arousing other irrational controversies such as ‘Vande Mataram’.
What are we expected to do in such a predicament? Protest, obviously. But what is important is how. To strike the knock-out punch on the face of such connivers, in simpler parlance to turn these malevolent dictions into blessings in disguise we should keep certain things in mind.
It is better not to protest than to protest with vociferous agony, violence, bloodshed and arson. Thereby approving of the charges of Islam’s linkages with terrorism and now fascism (Let’s Worry About Islamofascism, Kanchan Gupta, March 30, 2008, Pioneer). As Allah has made it very clear since the beginning, “Do not mischief on earth after it has been set in order.” (Al-Araf: 56)
The controversy should not transgress its jurisdiction. For example, if a journalist or scholar (even a pseudo-scholar for that matter) portrays Islam in a bad light and the whole issue requires a research, debate or clarification by Islamic exponents, it need not involve masses. But if the provocation is deliberate and inflammatory (as was the case with Fitna or Danish Cartoons), every Muslim be it scholar, researcher, commoner, ruler (Government), shopkeeper, trader, journalist or even a beggar – everybody must protest according to his capability. This includes demonstrations, protests, articles, letters to editors, boycott of goods and so many other things.
Divergence from real issues is lethal. Allama Shibli Nomani has held in a book which dealt with demystification of the myths woven around the pious personality of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb that “dragging us away from the real arguments and trying to argue on petty issues or non-issues is an age-old conspiracy to combat truth.” What he spoke regarding oriental historiographers is 100% applicable even to the crusaders of this gorilla intellectual warfare against Islam. Let’s illustrate it with an example: Swami Shardhanand was outrageously vocal about the Prophet, Qur’an, etc. Maulana Sanaullah Amritsari decided to confront him – ‘live’ – in full public view. On the fateful day when both were on the stage the Swami stood with a mischievous grin on his face and announced, according to so-and-so schools of thought and so-and-so muftis and so-and-so Maulanas, Mr. Amritsari is not a Muslim. Please bring a Muslim to confront me in defence of Islam. As he was afraid of the Maulana’s stature, the ploy was to ensnare him into a futile debate of proving himself Muslim or who dubbed him infidel and thereby demonstrate the infighting in the rows of Muslims before the public eye and winning without an argument. The Maulana knocked down all these castles-in-the-air by standing up only to declare “La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah” and adding, “Everybody knows that reciting this kalmia with knowledge of its meaning is enough to become a Muslim, as I am undoubtedlya Muslim (now), come on let’s begin Swamiji.”
Be optimistic; to excavate 1 K.G. of gold mine workers have to dig thousands of tons of mud. There is a lesson in it. In simple parlance we must deal with every issue in such a perspicacious manner that at the end of the day it will turn the tables on the same conspirators.
Do not be disappointed at all after only a bird’s eye view of the developments in the aftermath of 9/11. Prophet Abraham said, “And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except those who are astray.” (Al-Hijr: 15) We may not grasp but this period of turmoil and commotion, these very baseless allegations and sacrilegious-ness have made millions of souls dedicated to Islam and millions more are on their way to declare overwhelmingly, “There is no God except Allah and Muhammad (may Allah bless and greet him) is His messenger.”This could have been possible predominantly because of the endeavour, hard work and presence of mind of some individuals and organisations in tackling the storm and persistently erecting dams in resistance. If we – more than 1.5 billions i.e. 1/6th of the world’s population – would also wake up from the centuries of shackles of slumber, the earth and sky will again witness the truth of “… that the people enter Allâh’s religion (Islâm) in crowds,” (An-Nasr: 2).
We all know the outcome of the Biblical story of David and Goliath, but the morale of the story lies between the lines, in the outlook of David when facing a problem or crisis. When he decided to wrestle with Goliath; people cautioned him saying, “Goliath is too big to hit!” and David retorted back “No! He is too big to miss.” That’s the attitude – that’s the spirit which is indispensable for the ‘people who are raised up to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil’.
Commitment to the task irrespective of obstacles, dedication to accomplish the goal without any deviation, ardour, enthusiasm, perseverance and patience are essential ingredients of the victor individuals and victor nations. Hope that such serenity and determination which creates confidence, decisiveness and a rationale stance which eventually leads to success – both here and in the hereafter – is graced upon us by Allah. And we shall be counted among those fortunate ones regarding whom Allah has said in his holy book, “And their recompense shall be paradise and silken garments; because they were patient (steadfast in the worldly crisis)”.