Problem is Islam not Muslims

Submitted by B N GURURAJ (India), Jan 25, 2009 at 09:37

Almost without exception, Muslims are blamed for being radicals, extremists and intolerant of other religions. It would seem that a close study of Koran would show that the problem is not something intrinsic to Muslims, but to Islam. Even a lay observer of Muslim practices is astounded by the predominence of Arab language and culture in the Islamic practices. Use of Arabic language though it is not understood by most lay muslims outside Saudi Arabia; turning towards Kaba while praying; Haj to Macca rather than to any other Islamic shrine in their own country.

The concept of Ummah itself has imperialistic ring. Loyalty of Muslims should be to the Ummah and not to the country they live in creates conflict of interests. It causes suspicion of extra-territorial loyalties and treachery. Secondly, Islam is not merely a religion. It is State craft. Practice of Islam also requires ruling of the territory as a necessary concomitant. Wherever Islam is not the ruling idealogy, or wherever Muslims are a minority, they are always in conflict with the majoritarian people and the State. While loyalty to Ummah is the imperialistic centre of control, Jihad is its imperialistic weapon.

Another unusual feature is that unlike other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, jainism, and other eastern religions, Islam is not inward looking. There is no concept of meditation, celebacy, control over sense organs. On the other hand, Islam advises men to have four wives and as many women as the right hand can have. This obsession with sensual pleasures is totally foreign to other religions, even to Christianity.

When Islamic invasion of India started in the seventh century, Indian territory was defended by the hardy mountain tribes and desert tribes on the borders of present day Pakistan. Eventually, after 500 years of heroic resistance, these Hindu bastians crumbled. They too became muslims. After a couple of generations, the forced conversion was forgotten. They turned against their parent religion and its followers. This happened solely because Islam requires its followers to put down other unbelievers by all means available and not to make friends with followers of other religions.

In fact, but for belief in the God, Islam could be equated with Communism. Both open doors only for entry and not for exit. Both are promoters of violence as a means of acquiring the State power. In both idealogy, the concept of equality is only notional, both promote unequal treatment of their followers, as the Muslim cast systems in India shows, and the disparity that existed in the erstwhile Soviet Union between Communist Party office bearers and other citizens.

Whether Islam as a religion, which has over one billion followers and has subsisted for over one thousand four hundred years can be banned at all is a moot question. But, the fact remains that as long as Islam remains immutable and not adoptable to changing times, It will remain a problem for others. The problem is Islam, not Muslims.

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