The Dilemma of Liberal Muslims
By
Moin Qazi, New Age Islam
29 August
2023
When a man is denied the right to live the life
he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.
-Nelson
Mandela
An
educated, secular and liberal Indian Muslim is today in a bind; he is
confronted with the dilemma of finding the right balance between loyalty to his
faith and adherence to the new tests of patriotism. The high-voltage saffronisation
wave demonizing Muslims has broken the resistance of even strong neutral and
secular groups now inclined to go with the official tide. The centuries-old
worldly souls are slowly being ruptured. India has suddenly become deaf to its
minorities, who are shuddering with muteness at the growing intolerance of the
saffron hordes. Mocking and ridiculing Muslims is now rife in public spaces. As
always, whipping up communal strife has been a critical strategy in the Hindu
nationalist playbook.
Sectarianism
versus Secularism
Since the
ruling Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, led
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, incidents of sectarian violence targeting the
Muslim minority, who comprise about 14% of the population, have become
increasingly frequent.
Hardline
vigilante Hindu right-wing groups, encouraged under the Modi regime, have
carried out sustained persecution and lynchings of Muslims and held many
rallies and marches platforming anti-Muslim hate speech and genocidal calls to
violence. In BJP-controlled states, Muslims have been labelled as
"intruders, " facing discriminatory policies and having their homes
bulldozed.
Yet, as
India heads towards an election next year with Modi expected to win a third
term, many fear such flares-ups of violence will worsen as the pursuit of
electoral victories splinters society further down religious lines.
The Indian
secular fabric is increasingly becoming fragile. Many on either side don't
believe in either tolerance or moderation and are determined to follow the
age-old adage "paying them in their coin" too literally. The official
machinery that had earlier been very subtle in its communal agenda is now
baring its fangs brazenly.
India's
once cherished and internationally lauded secular values have been desecrated
in primitive majoritarian politics driven more by uncontrollable rage than by
sensible reason. Not just Hindutva foot soldiers but democratic institutions
and spaces are being used to suppress religious freedom. We are fast seeing a
potential breakdown of what was a flourishing multicultural society. Muslims
have to routinely confront a culture of fear that sees everything Muslim as
pure evil.
Muslims in
cities will tell you how difficult it is to rent a house if you are a Muslim. A
sense of despair runs through the entire Muslim community, and they are passing
through the most horrific phase post-partition.
Confusing
Morality with Something Else?
Continuing
political popularity has encouraged the intolerant elements, who are now openly
imposing their moral benchmarks about diet, dress, faith and patriotism,
totally overlooking the cultural sentiments of others. This rhetoric injects
anti-Muslim sentiments into a climate where Muslims feel alienated and marginalized.
The political and social environment has never been so hostile. An ordinary
Muslim is hissed and snarled with vileness by all and sundry in the full glare
of the law.
Several
questions keep agitating a Muslim's mind. I am a patriotic and secular Indian,
and then.
1. Why was I slaughtered in Gujarat?
2. Why was I butchered in
Muzaffarnagar? Why are governments banning the hijab?
3. Why do people stare at me when I
wear my skull cap or hijab?
4. Why does my name force people to
doubt my love for my nation?
5. Why do I hear comments like
"you will support Pakistan during a match"?
6. Why do I not get a suitable
apartment for rent in a posh locality?
7. Why do people call me staunch if I
pray five times daily?
8. Why am I called an orthodox Muslim
if I follow my religion to the best of my capacities?
9. Why are the boys of my community
under constant surveillance?
10. Why am I not an Indian as much as
you are?
11. Why should we not wear the hijab?
India must
not forget that it has an entire generation of young Muslims born into a
turbulent era. Their mindset and identity are nurtured in an environment where
they apprehend being suspected as the 'disloyal others'. Some are highly
talented and in the vanguard of the nation's new development revolution.
Harming The
Fraternity Itself
The
negative profiling of Muslims can cause alienation among the Muslim community.
As a result of this alienation, there will be enough space for fissiparous
tendencies, leading to long-term fissures. Studies have shown that one of the
factors underpinning radicalization is a sense of loss of belonging and
identity.
Religion is
often portrayed simply as a social or political construct. However, religion is
a daily practice for millions and the simple framework of an understanding that
connects human lives to a spiritual reality. For the laity, faith is the prism
through which they view the world, and their religious communities are their
central environments. For them, it is a benign force, shorn of the political
sentiments manipulated into an ideological construct by ideological groups for
their election algorithms. It isn't easy
to overstate the importance of faith in the lives of people for whom it is a
creed of peace and love. Most people prefer to live in peace rather than
conflict. At their very core, all religions espouse peace, tolerance and
compassion. Yet, often, the only religious voices on the front pages are those
speaking the language of hatred or violence, especially in stories about
conflict or social tensions. One of the best ways of breaking down barriers
between faiths is by building relationships and getting to know each other.
It's not just a platitude, but a verse from the Qur'an where the lord says,
"he made us different so we can get to know each other."
Breaking
The Boundaries
There is
ample scope for reconciliation if only we are willing to avail ourselves of the
myriad opportunities staring at us. Despite the many superficial differences,
all our more profound and permanent values are similar. The respect for
knowledge, justice, truth, compassion towards the less privileged, commitment
to healthy family life, and the striving to improve our world and make it a
better place for everyone are commonalities to people of all faiths. A more
sobering reflection can help us smoothen the ridges straining our
relationships.
It is worth
quoting Dr S Radhakrishnan, the philosopher president of India, "What counts
is not creed but conduct. by their fruits ye shall know them and not by their
beliefs. Religion is not a correct belief but righteous living. the Hindu view
that every method of spiritual growth, every path to the truth is worthy of
reverence has much to commend itself." (The Hindu view of life, 1962).
Muslims are
confronted with a dilemma of dichotomous loyalties. The best inspiration for
them in these trying times was Maulana Azad, the president of the Indian
National Congress during the negotiation of independence. It was a key ally of
Gandhi and Nehru.
One of
India's phenomenal freedom fighters and the first Education Minister of
independent India, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, was incredibly proud of his two
identities: Musalman and Indian. In the age where Narendra Modi's government is
trying to separate Muslim identity from the Indian identity, Azad's words ring
loud and true.'
"I am
a Musalman and am proud of that fact. Islam's glorious traditions of 1,300
years are my inheritance. I am unwilling to lose even the smallest part of this
inheritance. The teaching and history of Islam, its arts, letters, and
civilization are my wealth and fortune. I have to protect them.
As a Musalman,
I am interested in Islamic religion and culture and cannot tolerate interference.
But in addition to these sentiments, I have others that the realities and
conditions of my life have forced upon me. The spirit of Islam does not come in
the way of these sentiments; it guides and helps me forward.
I am proud
of being an Indian. I am part of the indivisible unity that is Indian
nationality. I am indispensable to this noble edifice; without me, this
magnificent structure of India is incomplete. I am an essential element that
has gone to build India. I can never surrender this claim."
India of
Yore
India has
been a flag bearer of pluralism and has always held the candle of tolerance,
mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. Muslims have, time again, responded to
the nation's challenges, and facts and history attest to their role in building
this great nation. Alienating one-fifth of its population will not help the
country and will be against the spirit of its centuries-old ethos. People who
demonize Islam to serve their agenda are no better than those who use it to
perpetuate everything it opposes in its proper form.
Hinduism
has always been a pragmatic religion; today's India needs accommodation and
coexistence. It is not just that this idea is an answer for our survival and
prosperity, but it symbolizes the values we inherited from our founding
fathers.
-----
Moin Qazi is the author of the bestselling book,
Village Diary of a Heretic Banker. He has worked in the development finance
sector for almost four decades.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/dilemma-liberal-muslims-/d/130553
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