From: ag3l+@andrew.cmu.edu (Arun K. Gupta)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Muslim Intolerance
Date: 19 Aug 92 12:39:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.EeYf6=W00VB=A7S0Mv
Organization: Physics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA


Quoting DebChat:

 Nossir ! That's not what Agarwal and Bhat are trying to point out. That's
 again an egalitarian attitude. What I have noticed is that finally it HAS
 to be an *idolatorous* timid low-life Hindu to be penitent before such acts
 of intolerance. This does not mean that very reasonable Muslims like Naveed
 Sherwani, Naveed Memon, Nadeem Jamali, Syed Hyder, Syed Ayon Mujtaba, Kazi,
 Anisul Haque cannot exist. However, these people are minority. That's why
 we see a lot of intolerance primarily from the Moslem side. This is exactly
 what I am trying to say. If GOI now sends protests, then most Moslems in
 India will say: " Islam is in Danger ". Hindus are insulting the Al-Qur'an.
 When we (idol-worshipping Hindus) feel that we should protest, we are
 confronted by the strong opposition of Moslems and their leaders. Really I am
 extremely disgusted with such a fundamentalist attitude. I (Deb Chatterjee)
 can be abusive, hot-headed, idiot, a religious bigot and a fool, but everyone
 is not. Initially I thought, in the recent wake of the hate-mails I get, that
 I am over-reacting. But, then someone like yourself showed the way ......:-)
 I am also waiting for obfuscating remarks from everyone on the SCI. Go ahead
 make your day .....

My reply:

 I do not want to deflect any anger that arises from incidents like the
actors in trouble in the UAE for allegedly insulting Islam. Or from
Pakistani support for Khalistani terrorism and terrorism in Kashmir.
(I just read an article from the Hindustan Times, which was summarizing
an article in the (Indian) Defense Review. In it, retd. general Asif
Karim, who is an anti-terrorism expert, warns that Pakistan is increasing
the tempo of support to terrorists, warns of impending attacks by Pak.
regulars on remote outposts in Kashmir, increased clashes on Siachen,
and wants India to act first, boldly and promptly to end the menace.
(This article appeared around Aug. 3). ) There is a lot of cause for
anger.

The point is: direct it at the correct source. I'm reading more about
the recent communal riots in Kerala, and while one version is that
the Islamic Sevak Sangh (ISS) was protesting the Babri Masjid mess,
the other story is that the head of the ISS was hit by a bomb,
supposedly an RSS bomb), in the district of Kollam (Quilon) that
is next to Trivandrum. He was rushed to a Trivandrum hospital where
he had one leg amputated. This bombing was the immediate cause of the
riots in Trivandrum.

My point is: that much of the danger of "Muslim intolerance" in India
is that which we cause ourselves: neither the cause of the riot nor the
riot should have happened in a sane country. Yes, we do face *external*
threats. Direct the emotions accordingly. If an Indian (Muslim or Hindu)
moron arises, do announce it from the rooftops, loud and clear.
But don't brand the entire community with the moron.

-arun gupta
ag3L@andrew.cmu.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.pakistan