What Else If Not Reservation

Muslims are in news mostly for wrong reasons. Even their pathetic conditions hardly arouse compassion in people’s hearts and souls. To find out reasons behind or factors responsible for it would not be easy, for the issue at hand is quite complex.

But being in news even for wrong reasons may be converted into an opportunity. Those who do not understand us would never stop or desist from saying and writing bad things about us. But, as it is rightly said, no society is free from fair-minded people. There are large numbers of Indians who are objective in their approach. Such men of insight and foresight ought to be approached and briefed about what may be the right perspective to understand the Muslim problems. Media’s huge negative influence on masses, specially regarding Muslim matters can not be ignored or under-estimated. But we have, then, no option except to reach out to the people and tell the truth about Islam and Muslims in India.

Reservation for Muslims is a hot topic today. The common non-affirmative argument is that the Constitution of India, does not provide reservation to any section of the society on religious ground. The argument is further extended saying why this late clamour for reservation when government services and jobs are fast reducing in size and number.

Both the arguments are unappealing if not faulty. True, reservation on the basis of religion is not possible. But the constitutional provisions dealing with minority rights have been subjected to interpretations which have further complicated the matter at hand. Both interpretations and lack of clarity are doubled-edged swords which may be used negatively as well as positively. If one looks at the all round Muslim decline, he/she would surely become inclined to use his/her sword in a positive manner. It all depends on the people’s bent of mind who occupy the seat of judgement.

Government jobs, specially the ones of high profile nature, may be few and far between, but these would never lose their importance. The capital may transfer from Government’s coffer to private hands but bureaucrats and technocrats, along with political leaders will always be the drivers. And it does not require the ken of a prophet to understand how drivers matter in any sphere of activity. Muslims, therefore, need reservation to obtain their due representation in economic and political spheres of the country. Without economic, educational and political empowerment, the Muslim community may be further marginalized, hence solutions, reservation included, must be found to properly address and remedy the Muslim plight.

There are some people who argue that instead of demanding reservation, Muslims should try to excell through open competitions. Fair enough! But the million dollar question is how to achieve this goal? The present Muslim condition is that they are backward both educationally and economically, and can match their Hindu brethren who are far more advanced and strong. Moreover, Hindus are over 80 percent whereas Muslims number just over 13 percent. It would be unjust to ask this numerically small group, which also happens to be economically and educationally weak, to compete with the 85 percent majority which is more educated and advanced.

The Court’s annulment of AMU’s minority status is surely disturbing, to say the least. But it deserves to be treated as a blessing in disguise. We are not living in 1950s and 1960s when one party dominated India’s political scene. Ours is the era of coalition governance, and today people, Muslims included, are more aware and awakened than before. A message has to be sent across the political class that continuous neglect of Muslims would not be tolerated any longer. The Muslims must use their electoral importance to their educational and economic advantage.

With regard to the AMU case, the encouraging thing is that the biggest partner of the coalition government at the centre, has committed itself to restoring the minority character of the university. Well meaning people must come forward and tell the men at the helm of affairs that now no longer they can be taken for granted.

Not only the Congress, but other parties, also in fact, the country’s whole political class, must be told that after 1947 the Indian Muslims had decided to forego the special economic and political rights granted to them in the draft constitution in order to maintain and strengthen communal harmony and national integrity. Great leaders like Nehru and Patel had then given solemn assurances that their interests would always be taken care of. The political class and leadership has to think about it and now must give to the Muslims what they have been denied since independence. Yes, they have to be given reservation unless another workable alternative is thrown up.

[January, 2006]

See the Method in Madness

The cartoon blasphemy is raging unabated. The global Muslim community has reacted strongly to the uncalled for provocation. Many have sacrificed their lives while protesting against blasphemous cartoons. Here and there the protesters became violent and in some countries people have lunched a boycott of Danish products.

Not only westerners but some so called moderate Muslims, too, have voiced concern over what they call Muslim overreaction. However, what they have failed to realize is that the provocation, too, was unforgivable. It is easy to lecture that the Muslims should observe restraint or may even forgive the cartoonist who blasphemed against the Prophet (Pbuh). Forgiving is the excellent quality that God likes and, therefore, Muslims too are enjoined to observe it. but the case here does not concern an individual; instead it has hurt the sentiments of the entire global Muslim community. Moreover, the one who forgives is usually strong and powerful whereas the Muslim community has been at the receiving end in its confrontation with the West. The victim’s psychology is one of protest and reaction which hardly leaves scope for forgiveness.

There is a method in Western madness which ought to be understood properly. The author of the blasphemous caricatures and those who are defending him in the name of freedom of expression are clever people. They surely believe in clash of civilization, and this they have sought to achieve through their latest provocation. An academic rebuttal of Huntington’s theory of clash of civilizations is one thing and its practical espousal is another. A large number of Western scholars have criticized and rejected Huntington’s idea of civilizational clash but there are many who seem to have embraced it. There is strong evidence to suggest that a good number of Western intellectuals as well as politicians have already got engaged in the so called civiliztional clash. Here it must be borne in mind that the civilizational confrontation that Huntington and others have talked about would not necessarily take place in a military battlefield but also it may occur in other forms. Disfiguring the shining image of Islam through various means may be one such method.

The West, and their followers among us, jealously want to protect their freedom of expression. We also cherish it as a fundamental right but we do not want it slip into the realms of slander and blasphemy. It is slander and blasphemy against which the Muslims have reacted strongly, even violently, hence their behaviour can not be questioned by employing the right to freedom of expression.

The Muslim community has always tolerated intellectual criticism of our religion, even of our religious personalities. Western and Christian writers have a long tradition of criticising Islam, the Holy Quran and the personality of the Prophet. For them Islam is a “false” religion, Quran a “blasphemy” and the Prophet an ‘imposter”. We concede that if they would not do so, they will cease to be Christians. We also concede that surely they have a right to remain Christians and reject or criticise Islam in an academic manner. Over the centuries the Muslims have tolerated such critical writings and responded to them in purely academic manner. The Muslims have also used their right to criticism to object upon some Christian beliefs. But in so doing no sincere and devout Muslim ever crossed the limit. After all we respect Jesus and Mary as much if not more than today’s Western Christians do.

What Muslims need to realize that they are faced with a real civilizational clash which is multidimensional. Emotions matter in human life but a proper and effective use of our intelligence is what we require the most right now. The enemy in front of us is clever, educated, subtle and sophisticated, and has tremendous technological and financial resources that we can only imagine of. Therefore we need to realize where we lag behind and make our preparations accordingly. The battle ahead is difficult and long one which we can win by “weapons” of mind and not by mere outpouring of emotions. As said earlier, emotions are important, but along with these, the Muslims must also make progress in every walk of life.

[February, 2006]