Islam - Some Facts

People in today's Afghanistan, Turkey, Baluchistan, the Frontier
Province, West Panjab, Bengal and in the whole of South Asia were
Vedic Hindus only 1500 years ago. Kashmir was totally a Hindu area
700 years ago. These very people later became Muslims, Christians.

So long they remained Hindus they were nationalists. The sound of
peace and tranquillity echoed from temples and Maths. Despite having
different faiths they remained together and helpful to one another.
Their roots were in the Indian culture. Under the centralised rule
of the Indian kings people in all these states lived a happy life.
Politically, geographically, socially and culturally the region
remained united in the shape of India.


Advent of Islam

But the tables were turned with the advent of Islam. It marked an
end of unity, humanity, culture and nationalism. Freedom of worship,
religious unity, local deiities and religious rites and capacity to
think were all sacrificed on the altar of Islamic brotherhood.
Forcible religious conversion, that too under the threat of the sword,
rocked the nation. Refusal to accept Islam resulted in the massacre of
people, destruction of temples and shrines, in burning of libraries,
rape of women and sale of enslaved men belonging to the conquered
society, in looting of property of non-Muslims and in encasing children
in walls. These were done in the name of Islam to "please" God.

Wherever Islam spread in the world these acts of destruction took
place. After all what is there in Islam ?


Islam Divides the World

Islamic social science divides the world in two parts.

1. Darul Harb: The nation of infidals (kafirs), area of war, is that
place where people have not yet accepted Islam.

2. Darul Islam: Meaning that nation where people have adopted Islam.
To convert the entire world into Darul Islam (area of peace) is the
declared aim of Islam. Instructions have been issued for carrying out
relentless struggle for achieving the establishment of the Islamic
rule wherever it has not been set up yet. It means that Muslims living
in non-Muslim countries will not settle in peace by cooperating with
the local basic society, its culture and traditions. They will remain
active in their search for establishing Darul Islam. The basic tenets
of Islam do not accept any other religion. Therefore, it is considered
religious to annex non-Muslim countries and then join them in the
"Milat" (Muslim world).


Islam, either Death or Tax

Islam has created yet another religious division in the world -
faithful (those who have faith in the Book) and faithless
(those who have no faith in the Book). Christians and the Jews have
been placed in the first group. Those who belonged to this group were
given the right to live after paying the tax. But those who belonged
to the other group (faithless) were given only two options - adoption
of Islam or death.

It was necessary for non-Muslims in Egypt to wear a glass insignia
round their neck after paying the tax so that it could be known that
they had not accepted Islam yet. For the first time in India Feroz
Shah Tuglak imposed tax on Brahmins. Thus there were two laws in the
same country and at the same time, Islamic and non-Islamic. An example
of this ignoble and shameless affair was witnessed during the time of
Sikander, an iconoclast, when he prohibited Hindus to ride horses,
wear clothes and possess arms like the Muslims.


Jehad (Religious War)

The concept of Jehad (armed struggle) is an essential part of Islam.
Encouragement for struggle and fight against nonMuslims for the
protection of Islam remain its aim. And the slogan like "Islam is in
danger, be ready for Jehad" reverberate whenever Muslims face any
political, social or geographical problem in any corner of the world.
Recently Saddam Hussain of Iraq raised the slogan of Jehad against the
United States in the Gulf war when he knew it well that four Muslim
countries were in the battlefield against him (Saddam).

If Darul Islam (area of peace) and Jehad (call for sacrifice) are
limited to the area of pure religious affairs, they can prove
beneficial for humanity. But these expressions lose their sanctity
when they are used as political weapons. Side by side the concept of
Darul Harb (area of struggle) gives birth to religious fanaticism and
destroys the sanctity of "Darul Islam" and Jehad.

A former President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, also a renowned
philosopher, had carried out a detailed study of Islam. In his book
"Ancient Religion and Western Thought" he has given brief but
comprehensive definition of Islam. According to him Hindu religion
is a uniting force which took centuries to understand and realise it.
The religion of Islam is only a product of brain which has been
expressed in one sentence - "God is one and Mohammad is His prophet."
Prophet Mohammad claims that the chain from Adam to Noah to Moses and
to Jesus is its last ring. The ideology of Prophet Mohammad is simple.
It supports brotherhood and expresses hatred for idol worship.
In the implementation of its principles Islam has left only two options
either adopt Islam or accept surrender before Islam. Before his death
Prophet Mohammad had become master of Arab and had started invading
his neighbour.

Dr. Radhakrishnan has said that history is a witness to the fact that
Prohphet Mohammad's followers followed their Prophet's footsteps and
continued the trend of invasions. In the Middle period these invasions
had three segments - 1. Caliphs, 2. Islamic Chieftain, 3. Mulla.
With the blessings of Mullas the Muslim Army would first occupy any
area and later under the shadow of their swords Mullas and Molvis
would teach "Kalima" to the residents of those areas. This trend
continued till there was peoples' awakening against such religious
wars and Jehads. But by the time this materialised the work of
conversion had dyed in Islamic green western and central Asia,
north and central Africa and south-east region of Europe. And Islam
established its foothold in some areas from India to Indonesia, from
Philippines to China. For a long period Muslim Chieftains and Mulla,
Molvis played a lead role in completing the process. After conquering
any area the chieftain would present the residents of that area before
a Mulla for effecting their religious conversion. Following their
baptism to Islam the Mulla would make them obedient people of the
Chieftain and the Chieftain would try to install local sardars.
By and large this story has been repeated till date in many
influential countries.


Sacred feeling of brotherhood and extreme fanaticism

There should be no objection in accepting that as per the God's plan,
messengers of God, prophets and Lords are born, from time to time,
for the betterment of the world. Those who have no faith in the power
of God could interpret the same in a different way; some influential
leader among the people tries to improve the deteriorating condition
of the people, alleviate their difficulties and administer justice to
them. This section of the people falls in the category of greatmen
and prophets. Thus Prophet Mohammad too was a saint and a greatman
who took the responsibility of preaching brotherhood in the world.
He had been sent by God to the world as a prophet. He sacrificed
everything for ending the evils of disputes, conflicts among the
rulers, oppression of people by the rulers, communalism and idol
worship in the world. He deserves honour for this work. It is a duty
of all civilised people to bow their head before such a greatman,
salute him.

But the Prophet's followers and supporters gave a political veneer
to his teachings and message regarding humanity, amity and Islamic
brotherhood. This was done to set up Islamic empire for which the
bloodshed was not even remotely connected with humanity and
civilisation. The pages of the holy Koran are full of the duties of
humanity and humanism. But the followers of Prophet Mohammad failed
to see those verses in the holy Koran which carry the message on
human brotherhood, help to the poor, assistance to the helpless,
improving the lot of the exploited, equal rights for all and the
spiritual value of Namaz. They saw only those pages of the holy Koran
which would satiate their imperialistic desires through which they
could quench their thirst for wars. They saw only those pages which
would lend religious legitimacy to their barbaric tendencies and
through which they would derive strength for their ego, passion and
greed for power. Everyone has a different style of understanding and
interpreting scriptures. The righteous and the wicked imbibe the
spirit of these scriptures according to their mental capacity. The
righteous see virtue everywhere and the wicked always sees the vice.
Prof. Balraj Madhok has written on page 190 of his book "Hindu Rajya"
that for understanding the Muslim mind and its intolerance towards
other religions it is necessary to understand those Koranic verses
which give direction to the Muslims regarding their behaviour with
other people.


Sura (chapter) 8 Verse 12
Terrorise the mind of infidals (kafirs), Behead them and break their
limbs.

Sura (chapter) 8 Verse 37
Fight them so long idol worship does not end and Allah's religion not
loved by all.

Sura (chapter) 9 Verse 4
When the holy month ends, gherao (surround) the idol worshippers,
wherever found, and attack them.

(from translation of 315, 317, 321 pages of Koran by N. J. Dawood)

Under these very instructions they killed Guru Teg Bahadur.
Guru Arjun Dev was burnt alive to death when hot sand was thrown on
him. Sambhaji's limbs were cut into pieces and in our lifetime
Swami Shradanand and other lakhs of Hindus and Sikhs were massacred.
Despite these facts it would be like living in a fool's paradise and
an indication of lack of understanding of the Muslim mind if it is
believed that today's Muslim generation is different from its
ancestors. Muslims have religiously followed the above mentioned
directions. And we have been, according to Prof. Madhok, behaving
like the proverbial monkey "do not see evil, do not hear the evil,
do not speak ill".

Prof Madhok in the same book says that Islam is not a religion but
a political strength because its activities are not limited only to
the worship of God. Its aim is to grab political power and to
establish Islamic state. Beyond it Islam does not believe in the
co-existence with people of different faiths. It cannot be expected
of any true Muslim to be loyal to any non- Muslim nation. They have
been told to fight till they establish an Islamic state.

Mr. B.N. Jog has the same thing to say on page 51 of his book
"Hindu-Muslim Unity." According to him the Koran has said that he who
is not a Muslim is an infidal (kafir). How to deal with these infidals
? Koran has made a mention of it in clear and measured words.

"Kill an infidel wherever he is found. Evil practices and miseries
spread because of them. It is better to kill them than have anarchy.
Therefore, kill kafirs, but those who supplicate and seek protection
and pledge to obey the dictates of Allah be spared. Do not have
enemity with them. Fight infidals around you. Let them understand how
merciless you are. And keep it in mind that those who fear God and
obey Him Allah resides in them."
(Koran, Sura 9, Verse 25)

He quotes Koran and writes: Those who are diseased, thereby meaning
who do not accept Allah, are the reason for the spread of
faithlessness everywhere. But God wants to punish them through you.
You have to keep the fight against them. They are to be killed.
Fighting them may not be interesting still you have to fight.
It can be that anything that does not interest you may be beneficial
for you. Contrary to this, you may wish for something, or you may be
in possession of something which may not be beneficial for you. You
cannot understand it. Whatever is good or bad for you, only Allah can
know it.
(Thus kill them as you have been directed)
(Koran: Sura 33 Verse 60 to 65)

"Punish the kafirs. Kill them. First tell them to adopt Islam, if
they do not accept Islam, kill them. Slay them wherever they are
found."
(Koran: Sura 4 Verse 90 to 95)

"Slay them or sell them as slaves."
(Koran: Chapter 5, Verse 30 to 35)

Such directions from the Koran are dreadful. At that stage victorious
Khans or Sultans would implement these orders as per their strength
and mental capacity. The Koran carries a dictate which says that he
who, after conversion, has become a Muslim too could be dubbed as a
fraud and punished. Muslims were told to show no mercy to those who
excel in deceit and later will say they have faith in Islam. Do not
show compassion even if he says he has faith in Islam but there is
nothing like this in his mind. How can you show mercy to them if
Allah wants to punish them ? Their fall in the world is certain if
God is not willing to purge them. It is also certain that they will
be punished in heaven.
(Koran Chapter 5,Verse 35 to 40)



Nation's Place in the Context of Islamic Brotherhood

In the concept of Darul Islam (era of peace) and Islamic brotherhood
there could be no room for country and nation. Nation and society are
small in front of the Islamic world. Love and loyalty to any one
country is an obstacle in the goal of Islamic brotherhood. Removing
it or its removal is necessary. The ideas and expressions like
obedience towards the motherland, patriotism and national deity
are considered idol worship as per the Islamic thought. And idol
worshipper is an infidal (kafir). Thus without the elimination of
infidals there can be no Darul Islam (region of peace). That is why
nationalism and patriotism lag behind and religion marches ahead.
This is the reason that those who get converted to Islam do not
take time in changing their loyalty to the nation they belonged to.
Their outlook, their faith, their ancestral culture, tradition,
style of linng and even their names change.

Mohd. Arif Beg has written on page 25 of his book "Muslim Dilemma
in India" that as per the principle, Muslims should have no nation
of their's; they campensate this deficiency through community feeling.
This special feature does not allow them to adjust with the life and
living in non-Muslim countries and does not allow a devoted Muslim to
become a cosmopolitan, nor a nationalist nor a humanitarian. Islam
makes Muslims communalists who can experience fellow feeling in only
Muslim majority countries.

Believers of Islam have ruled areas from Spain to Albania and from
Atlantic ocean to the Pacific ocean. But they never recognised the
ancestors, their culture and their socio-religious traditions in any
of these countries. Kaba was the sacred place for Muslims of this
entire region. Islamic brotherhood was the field of action and the
holy Koran the field of thought. There was no place for other ideas
and opinions in this strictly disciplined unity. More surprising than
it was the way the converted people in these countries got delinked
from the religion of their origin, culture and nationalism. This
activity is still on.

"Kuwait Times" is a famous newspaper in the gulf countries. In its
edition of September 6, 1973 a news item, under the caption
"Raid on Idol" gives an account of the behaviour and policies of the
Government towards different religious doctrines. Mr. Jog in his
book "Hindu-Muslim Unity" has made a reference to it. He has written
that the newspaper wrote that "there is danger of rise in the interest
in idol worship because of the display of idols of Hindu deities in
number of shops in Dubai. In this connection Dubai Municipal Council
will carry out the probe. The Government has issued orders under
which idols of Hindu deities will be seized and those Hindus who
will violate the prohibition on preaching Hindu religion and sale of
idols were to be jailed besides paying fines".

The above mentioned instance should make it clear that there is no
room for basic ideas and concepts of democracy, nationalism and
secularism in Islamic and Muslim states. Attempts are being made to
finish such ideals and conventions in these countries. Mohd. Arif Beg
writes clearly on page 11 of his book "Muslim Dilemma in India" that
despite these contradictions final analysis reveals that neither the
Koran nor Prophet Mohammad advocate humanity nor encourage it.
In this situation it is natural to feel that Islam was born to end
all other religions. This cannot make supporters of Islam likeable in
India and in any other country where they are in minority. This also
makes it clear as to why there is no secular constitution in any
Muslim majority country and why a devoted Muslim cannot become a
nationalist.


Who is Guilty ?

Nobody laid emphasis on the need for linking afresh the Muslim society
in India with the culture and nationalism of its ancestors. Rulers
exploited them as "vote banks" and allowed them to remain separate
from the national mainstream by recognising their different political
existence. Rulers treated them "votes" but not "citizens". This
politics of self-interest prevented Muslims from being nationalists.
If anyone tried to explain and make them understand patriotism and
nationalism he was dubbed as a communalist. Sardar Patel, Purshotam
Das Tandon, Acharya Kriplani, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, Deendayal
Upadhyay, M.S. Golewalker, Balasahab Deoras, L. K Advani,
everyone of them, have been bracketted in this group. The Congress
rulers, in particular, neither thought of the welfare of Muslims nor
allowed anyone to do so.

The misfortune of the Indian Muslims has been that their leadership
remained in the hands of Mullas and Molvis. Strong, solid, liberal
and nationalist Muslim leadership could not emerge. Whenever some
patriotic and nationalist, educated Muslim scholars were seen emerging
on the horizon they were declared degenerated enemies of Islam and
infidals (kafirs) by the Mullas and the Molvis. Maulana Azad,
Dr. Zakir Hussain, M.C. Chagla, Ham-id-Dehlvi, Arif Beg and
Muzaffar Hussain like nationalists were never supported by the
Mullas and Molvis. When Maulana Azad became the Union Minister for
Education he was dubbed as a stooge of the Hindus by the Muslim world.
A Muslim poet dedicated a couplet to him:

tere buland manasif kee khair ho yarab,
jis ke liye kiya toone khud hee ko halaal

(you sacrificed your soul for your aggrandisement, greetings to you)

When Dr. Zakir Hussain became the first Muslim President of India the
situation took a strange turn. He was a philosopher and poet. He
expressed the sentiments of both Hindus and Muslims as below:

Jahide tang nazar ney mujhe kaafir jaanaa,
aur kaafir samajta hai musalmaan hoon mein.

The co-existence of nationalism and brotherhood and mutual distance
can be presented through an interesting example.

Mohd. Iqbal was considered a scholar of Urdu and Islam. He was a
great poet. In the beginning he wrote many poems on nationalism.
He wrote a poem on India:

saare jahaan se achha hindustan hamaara,
hum bulbulein hein iskey yeh gulistan hamara ....

This type of poem Mohd. Iqbal wrote and took pride in the culture of
India. India's culture was described as immortal and declared India
as his country. He wrote poems on Himalayan mountains and rivers of
India. While treating Lord Rama a greatman he wrote a poem:

is desh mein huey hain hazaaron maalik sarisht,
mashhoor jinke dum sey duniya mein naam-e-hind.
hai raam key wajood par hindustan ko naaz,
ahle nazar samajte hein unko imaame hind.

Iqbal changed his mood and attitude when Mullas and Molvis together
raised objections against such poems and when the Khilafat Movement
was at its peak. He wrote one more poem under the title
"Tarana-i-Milat". He wrote:

muslim hein hum, watan hai saaraa jahaan hamaara,
hindustan hamaaraa, chino-arab hamaaraa.
tegon key saaye mein hum palkar jawaan hue hain,
khanjar hilaal kaa hai komee nishaan hamaaraa.

From "we are Hindis, Hindustan is our land" it became
"we are Muslims, the entire world is our land".
The entire dealings changed. When the question of choosing between
religion and nation arose Iqbal held the apron of religion and
sidelined the nation. Vir Sarvarkar had described it "from religious
conversion to change in loyalty to nation".


Indian Muslims are also Children of Mother India

There are many sects and beliefs in India. All, while worshipping
God through different ways, have maintained their religious identity.
Parsis, Jews etc. while enjoying freedom have preserved their
identity. People of India have welcomed and honoured everyone. The
author of "Oxford History of India," Vincet Smith has given a
thought-provoking and lovely description of the broad and liberal
side of the Indian culture.

According to him there exists, in India, a deep spiritual unity
which is deeper than the unity that is the result of geographical
unity and political greatness. This unity has been forged after
crossing the multi-dimensional facet of blood, colour, language,
style of living, traditions and faiths. This prominent and basic
unity is the result of the fact that in India different type of
people gave birth to a peculiar civilisation and culture which are
totally different from the one that exist in the world.

In an interview Mr. M.S. Golewalker had told Dr. Saifuddin Jeelani
"Is it not strange that the Indisn Muslims adopt the names from the
Arabian history, do not hesitate owning historical figures of
Iran like Rustam and Sohrab, adopt the names of greatmen of Turkey
but maintain hatred against names of their Indian ancestors including
Ram, Krishan, Chandragupt, Samudragupt and Vikramaditya?" After all
Indonesia is also a big Muslim country but there the Muslims have
not severed their links with their historical traditions, culture and
language. Even being Muslims they have names like Sukaran and Ratana
Devi. Their airlines is named as "Garud" corsidered to be
Lord Vishnu's chariot. "Haven't they remained Muslims by doing so?"
According to Golewalker if the Indian Muslims try to understand
thoroughly and deeply the teachings of Prophet Mohammad in their
historical perspective, they will not become only his true followers
but also good nationalists and great Indians.

Different flowers can bloom in the sprawling garden of Indian culture.
Under its greatness different opinions, sects, faiths can co-exist.
All these can protect their identity while linking themselves with
Indian nationalism. "If it is so, what is then the danger in linking
Islam with Indian nationalism?"

It is worth remembering those words of Mr. Arif Beg which he has
written on page one of his book "Muslim Dilemma in India". According
to him the conflict among the Muslims is that whether it is good for
the Indian Muslims to lose their identity by merging with the people
in India or they are bound by Islam to maintain their separate
existence and keep on tolerating the physical, mental, social and
economic consequences which are the result of separatism.
Muslims have to decide whether they belong to that Muslim society
which is a branch of Indian Muslims whose heart is in West Asia, or
they are Indian Muslims of the Indian gociety whose roots are in the
soil of India?

The answer to this question can be found in the words of the
RSS leader, Mr. M.S. Golewalker who has said that "uniformity is a
signal of destruction for a nation. Nature does not accept uniformity.
I support different ways of life. Still care should be taken that
these diversities should assist national unity and not create
hurdles in the way of unity of nation".

When two brothers separate, what get divided are shops, house,
ornaments, land etc., but not the division of parents. Ancestors do
not change. The brother who has separated does not search for a new
father. Similarly when the way of worship changes, what will then
change ? Place of worship, way of worship and deity of worship change
but ancestry, national great figures, national culture, history,
ancient centres of national pride and nationality do not alter.
If culture, history, ancestry and blood are one, why then there is
difference in faith in country and nation? When all religions are
different ways of worshipping the only God, then why religious
conversion ? And why change in loyalty to the nation after religious
conversion ?