“Terror and Religion cannot live side by side”

By S. Karmakar

Terror is the easiest means to force a despised philosophy on others. The cowards succumb quickly but others take a longer time. Only a strong mentality can discharge resistance to terror and win over evil philosophy. America is a greatest nation on earth, and has never succumbed to terror; neither in the Second World War nor after 9/11/2001. Offence is the best form of defense, according to military minds universally, and only a few nations have that mental strength and courage to implement it.

Dick Cheney, Vice President of USA at the time of the 9/11/2001 terror attack, is one of the greatest military strategy policy makers of present time. The policy speech he made to the armed forces soon after 9/11/2001 attack is very significant; take the war in the heart land of terror from where it has generated. USA under leadership of President Bush immediately launched a counter attack on Taliban safe haven Afghanistan and forced them go on back foot. Due to this defense policy, USA has avoided another Taliban surprise attack on its territory.

America never gave up its commitment to peace against terror even under huge domestic and overseas pressure. They persuaded Osama Bin Laden nearly a decade to the remote mountains of Afghanistan and killed him in the safe haven of Pakistan. The wars against terror have cost many lives and weakened the US economy. Yet, the USA has prevailed as a super power. The success which Arabs achieved with sword and blade in middle ages, proved to be unsuccessful in front of superior science & technology (Drone attack) in 21^st century. Many Arab countries joined hand with west to fight back terror in the region, because they are now realizing the consequences in pain and suffered it brings their own people.

Some Arab countries even today pursue a policy to despise other faiths so vigorously that non-Muslims have almost disappeared from the Arab holy land which they claim. Lebanon was the only Christian majority country in the Middle East two decades ago, but clever Arabs (OIC) aided large migrations of Palestinians from Jordan to make it a Muslim majority country. In the name of secularism and in pursuit of petro dollars, the west kept their eyes closed to these demographic changes until the period following 9/11/2001. Now it’s too late to return the “Paris of Asia,” Beirut to its former glory.

After the occupation of India in 712 AD by Mohammad Bin Qashim, Arabs first came in touch with the great and tolerant Indian culture and developed Sufism here. Sufism is a tolerant Muslim culture practiced in many parts of India but not in Saudi Arabia. In middle ages, Arabs launched many military missions in Africa and Asia to conquer lands and force converts to Islam. They also helped Arabs to interact with different culture/faiths, enriching culture and intellect, Sufism. Today that movement of people is one way for Arabs; they hardly interact with other cultures. The most peaceful region of all, claimed by Islam doesn’t allow other faiths to practice their culture in the holy land of Saudi Arabia. This is very contrary to the verses of Quran where it allows others to practice their faiths.

Intolerant Arab culture has produced deadly terrorist organizations like Al-Qaida, Ansarul Islam, Jais-e-Mohammad, Al-Shba, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Hezbullah, Hamas, Jaysee Mohammad, and many more. In the Arab cultural and education system, secularism has no place. The primary concern is whether someone is Muslim or non-Muslim. Non-Muslims are forbidden in state activities and looked upon as subhuman beings.

In the secular Indian society, many faiths and cultures have flourished including Buddhism, Sufism, Sheikhs and Baishnabs. All faiths have lived side by side in India for centuries without any bloodshed, but due to intolerant philosophy of Arabs, the sub-continent was divided on a sectarian basis. Arabs have a psychological problem of coexistence with other religions. The Indian sub continent was broken into pieces on a sectarian basis in 1947 and again in 1971. Lebanon is heading toward the same fate as India and will be in Christian and Muslim pieces soon. The intolerant Arab doctrine of peace is so vibrant that they first fight against non-Muslims and then against themselves. They always need a shadow enemy to keep their doctrine moving. Jihad is a vibrant word used to identify non-Muslims and drive the people to despise them in all ways possible. The West is now victim of their secular views from Arab Jihadists. Destroying western secular values is the secret duty of all Arab doctrine believers.

Although Jihad has costs more Muslim than non-Muslim lives, the doctrine of jihad shows no sign of tiredness. The world is now divided between Muslims and non-Muslims. In every ritual and prayer, Muslims pray for Muslims only; which they call Muslim Ummah and—despite the meaning of that word—did not become universal. Indians didn’t understand the long term consequences of the 1947 partition. India retains Kashmir still to-day (at a very high cost), but tomorrow could be different; Kashmir could be like MORO land of the Philippines. Cultural unity was never emphasized by Indian politicians, as it was by Muslim rulers. All Muslim rulers new the consequences of minority rule in occupied territory and concentrated on conversion to Islam as state responsibility. Today all Muslim countries treat their non-Muslim population as second class, unwanted elements and deprive them of equal rights to encourage migration or conversion to Islam.

In the short term, the Arab doctrine of despising other faiths will work and give them the upper hand. But in long term the Arab doctrine will lose its acceptability even to its own people. Pakistan and Bangladesh is already paying the cost of intolerance. Every year dozens of Bangladesh citizens are beheaded in Arab countries for murder and rape charges. In their own territory the same offences go unpunished through bribing the police and using social influence to negotiate with victims’ families. If the victim is non-Muslim, eluding justice is much easier. After the creation of Pakistan, the first victims were the non-Muslims; but after their ethnic cleansing, the “moderate Muslims” became the target of radicals. Every day hundreds die In Pakistan and hundred in Iraq; they are all Muslims, and they are killed by Muslims.

Like different religious, terror is a vibrant religion that will endure as a doctrine for some time. Eliminating terror from the planet requires reforms in the Arab education system. Abrupt changes in their doctrine are necessary to prevent a wide scale war, like the Second World War, from deciding our fate. Terror and secularism cannot live side by side. Like fascism, terror must be uprooted at any cost.

“JOY HOK MANUSHER”