By Muslim Mirror News,
ALIGARH : Mr Modi’s victory is a welcome development. Now, for the first time in independent India, Muslims are able to see the ‘stark political realities that otherwise have been hidden by the secular hypocrisy of the Congress’, said Prof Rashid Shaz while addressing a group of students on the side-lines of a debate at the Aligarh Muslim University. Prof Shaz, an internationally acclaimed author known for his reform writings on Islam and formerly President of the Milli Parliament, is probably the first Muslim heavy-weight who has openly asked the Muslim Indians to welcome and adjust to the new political reality. According to Shaz, the Nehruvian secularism was a mirage; an unending trail of false hopes and hallow promises. It created a fear psychosis among Muslims. The Congress demonised ‘the political other’, posing itself as protector of Muslims – a promise that it never kept. From communal riots to the illegal ban on Muslim organizations and from arbitrary arrest of Muslim youths to the refusal of their demand for a judicial probe of Batla-House encounter, the Congress displayed a ruthless insensitivity towards Muslims. Now, that dark era of pseudo-secularism is over. The new political reality may look even more depressing to many of us, but at least we are able to see today where we really stand. Those who believe in the protection of the Congress and its ilk should know that they are no more in a position to defend us, but those who believe in Allah Almighty should know that He is all-powerful and hence no need to despair.
One of the most positive aspects of the new political development is the fall of un-Godly Muslim clergy who worked as middle-men between the Muslim masses and the ruling elite. They were the Congress satellites constantly beaming message of fear and false hopes. With long flowing beards and empty rhetoric they made us belief as if without the support of their Congressite masters, Islam had no future in India. They are the criminals of Islam, working for their political masters yet posing to be true to their faith. Now in the new situation the Muslims have got an opportunity to build a direct bridge with a party that has no obfuscating mullas and no middlemen. The BJP does not feel shy of declaring what it stands for. And this is the first pre-requite of a true dialogue. Mr Modi’s recent remarks that in his victory he sees the victory of 1.25 billion Indians and that he wants to create a 21st century India, are all indicative of the fact that he is open to a meaningful dialogue with Muslims. Mr Modi wants to consolidate what he has achieved through hard work and determination. He has been sending feelers for mending, rather improving his relations with India’s 250 million strong Muslims. But are Muslim leaders ready for a meaningful dialogue. Those accustomed to receiving only a patting from the Congress may find it difficult to inter into a bridge-building dialogue on equal footing. But this is the only way to survive and prosper. I believe, it’s a God-sent opportunity, said Dr Shaz. There is no need to be apprehensive. The new rulers too are humans. They have a human heart. There is no reason then, that we cannot reach out to them. Today, we Muslim Indians may find ourselves in a crisis, but never mind, a crisis is always full of new opportunities. It is on us how we make use of the new situation.
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Prof Rashid Shaz teaches at the Aligarh Muslim University. Mail him at: futureislam@gmail.com
He can be contacted at his Delhi mobile: 9818888214
Amazing article
WHAT ARE HIS CONTRIBUIONS BESDES WRITING I(N VAIN DIME DOZEN POINTLESS ARICLES IN LOCAL MUSLIM GAZZETES MAY BE )A.TO BE ADVISER SPOKESMAN JUDGE ANALYST WITHOUT REFERENCE OR QUOTES . WIH DEFENITE BIAS AGAINST EVERY THING HE NONCHANTLY SPEAKS GLIBLY ABOUT WE HAVE BEEN HEARNG SUCH HYPOCRITES AND REASON HE GIVES ARE BASELES WITHOUT RESEARCH OR CREIBILITEY A SELF PATTING PONTIFICATION
I wish I could enthusiastically endorse Prof Shaz’s views, and truly hope that future proves them to be correct. Congress clearly was inadequate in protecting and promoting interests of Muslim community. But, apprehensions are based on past actions and past (and current) ideology of Mr. Modi, BJP and RSS. Nonetheless, one should accept reality, and actively seek to engage them as Indian citizen (not as Muslims) and forthrightly ask them deliver for Muslims as they would do for any other citizen. Only then the we will know what the new government really stands for.
Mr prime minister modi has clearly evolved as a politician,no point in cribbing about him being in power,muslims should try forget the past as early as possible,it will be foolhardy on the part of muslim community not to respond to overtures by modi,very difficult to break the iron shell that has been cast around muslim psyche courtesy anti muslim activities of RSS but somehow an initiative should be taken by pragmatic and right thinking muslims as above to break the barrier.
Mr.Abdul Hafiz can u look into the eyes of the gujrat riot victims and say that to them?’Forget the past as early as possible?’!!!
Riots during congress party’s rule
Steven Wilkinson, Duke University, has authored a paper on Violence and Riots in India. Raw data has been published in the paper “Varshney-Wilkinson Dataset on Hindu-Muslim Violence in India, 1950-1995, Version 2.”:
During NEHRU’s rule – 1950-1964, 263 riots occurred in 16 states .
During INDIRA GANDHI’s rule (1966-1977 and 1980-1984) 337 riots in 15 states have been recorded. And, this is apart from the Khalistani violence and then Sikh Youth cleansing in rural Punjab .
During RAJIV GANDHI’s time 291 riots in 15 states have been documented incl. the Sikh massacres of 1984.
Mr hyder at some stage one has to forgive and forget otherwise one will remain stuck in the past,history is replete with incidents where bitter rivals have sat down and sorted out the disputes,can u explain what muslim community is going to achieve by toeing the same line under changed circumstances.
forgive to whom? a man who shed tears in parliament but does not ready to apologize for what did happen during his rule….without any reconciliation how can you expect the theory of move on…if we,ourself, do not stand for justice,for truth then who else? just wait and watch,how subversion of justice further strenghtned..recently the the officer who was prime accused of ishrat jaha fake encounter re-instated by gujarat govt…
“There is no need to be apprehensive. The new rulers too are humans. They have a human heart”
Really you believe that??
You should go to Juhapura in Ahmedabad & open your eyes.
Muslims will learn to depend on their enterprise and will stop looking at the government .They will be beaten and bruised but are bound to emerge stronger .
If Gujarat is any example of Mr Modi’s policies ,then the future role of this government will be worse than that of the Congress .Muslims are neither going to demand nor beg and they can only go forward from this position
is bringing gujrat really important here ? … if it is then please don’t forget the Kashmir riots also whn hindu’s were thrown to Jammu … forget all this and move onn … cant make future better by thinking abt the past
Kashmir riots?? You need to find out & compare statistics of life/property lost in riots since independence, it might open your eyes. And don’t quote & propagate your half baked knowledge acquired from Panchjanya.
I don’t care abt property loss over here , life is life everywhere …
Even if BJP want to do some thing good for Muslim RSS will not allow them to do so & as we all know BJP cant do anything on there will it have to approved by RSS.
so the hopes are less time will bring the true pictures of future.
but please for the sake of our children & grand children life & security please all Muslim get united.
Even GOD helps those who help themselves…So yes muslims have to start looking within for solutions…First step is to start having two or less children in every single family…Second is to start taking religion less seriously…The day muslims start accepting atheists among them as normal beings and start respecting their view point will be a big day in the history of muslim modernization.
the day when terrorist organisation like RSS will be banned..that day new India will emerge…
Mr Shadab is right, banning these right wing organisations like RSS, Jamiatul ulema e hind, jamat Islami, tableeghi jamaat, all india milli council will help india emerge much stronger and healthier.
first ever secular comment I saw on this site — nice thought Safeen
Modified India must mean Hindu India for you? Anyways you must have heard about Pandavas, Kauravas, Ram & his siblings, I heard they were all more than 2.
Don’t propagate your dirty half baked knowledge here.
BJP has come to max majority just because of MODIJI and not cause of RSS … I think this time they will take every step with precaution . they wont leave this chance to vanish the name Congress from India
mr.SAHIL ; YOUR YOUR PAIN IS EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE. BUT LET US ADD JUHAPURA WITH THOSE AREAS LIKE ASSAM WHERE RIOTS TOOK PLACE IN THOUSANDS. ONLY THE DIFFERENCE IS CONG. WAS IN RULE AND RSS NOT. IN FACT BOTH ARE SAME. BUT THE NAKED TRUTH IS YOU CANNOT DENY THE GROUND REALITY YOU ARE FACING NOW. OF COURSE NOT ON THE COST OF OUR IMAAN BUT AS PATRIOT CITIZENS OF THIS LAND SINCE CENTURIES WE ARE BOUND TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH RSS VIA OUR TRUE LEADERS WHO DO NOT SELL THEMSELVES FOR A FEW DOLLARS.
OFCOURSE THE LEADERS FOR SALE SHOULD BE SORT OUT. OFCOURSE THEY HAVE A BANDWAGON OF PURCHASED COMMODITY. TRUSTWORTHY SHOULD BE SELECTED FOR DIALOGUE..
Let the moderates intellectual amongst the muslim community think objectively and guide us for future welfare of all indian muslims.
Aligarh intellectuals must come out now. Aligarh showed the way in 1857. It taught us how to have a meaningful dialogue with the Britishers. Now, in Modi India, we need to build bridges with those in power. But it must be on equal footing. To consolidate their power, the BJP needs Muslims more than the Muslims need BJP.
Prof Rashid Shaz is a real intellectual. truly these long flowing bearded mullahs did an exemplary job in polarising the babri masjid issue and now we have seen this reverse polarisation. Congress never had any concrete plan of development of the country forget muslims, and as such started indulging in these pseudo secular moves and appeasement of the muslims. Appeasement was the best way they could have the cake and eat it too. It’s quite easy too, the muslim clergy/ulema is there to finish ur unfinished agenda.
Since having the benefit of having all the views of dozen comments after my first sweeping statement like speaking for 250 millions and where does the figure 250 million muslims in India come from? Is it the latest Census ?
Yes i agree its in every way pragmatically politically reasonably logically humanly socially every way advisable to support whole heatedly but not to forget past either Our protagonist remembers thousand years of Indian History and reminds us at every anti Muslim rally how our religion came through Ghourie tortured pritivi Raj Chauhan I never learnt in my school syllabus of Govt Of India secondary Board That does not make me at ease to feel all is well be happy . Yet i am in favour of reconciliation provided no venom of manufactured history of hatred by Arun Shourie Subramania Swamy Francis Gouthier a NON INDIAN kept to spread venom against INDIAN citizen Muslim by this French citizen Islamophobe Francis Gauther who urges Mr Modi to lead like Prithivi raj Singh Chauhan like his manufactured perverted history text… I would follow Romilla Thappar IrfanHabib not the versions the rt wing extremists have agenda basis
last when asked Raj Nath not one ticket of BJP was given in UP to muslim point blank he said Muslim dont vote for us And that is true However reality is 66% of indians also did not vote for bjp
Therefore Mr Modi is our PM one way or other and we have to accommodate admit and bear it .
Pragmatically we Support the new govt not antagonise judiciously remembering the present govt. is not elected by minority votes nor by majority of nonmulims either
I would like to remind incoming days there will be changes in policy or further reenforcement of stand on Kashmir 2. Christian Conversion 3 anti west rhetoric 4 mandir issues
The most naive and dangerous and shallow analysis. The writer has failed to take the fascist roots and nature of RSS into consideration.
I replied to vaibhav, mumbai
May 28, 2014 at 2:10 am
Amazing article
today, May 31, 2014. I don’t see it here. May I have a copy, please?
Thanks,
Mohammad Zahirul Hassan, Portage, Michigan, USA
For starting a dialogue of the equals is there anything that the Muslims
may be able offer Modi and BJP/RSS?
In the last 65+ years the Muslims have contributed little to modern India.
With a few exceptions, the Muslims only whine instead of competing in
the race. Why do they believe somebody will offer them a prosperous
(both worldly, and spiritual) life on a platter.
They forgot long ago that without hard work excellence is elusive, and
the world hates whining losers.
Afzal Sharma, your ideas reek of communism. Anyways you still need to change your name otherwise your ache din nahi aaenge
For starting a dialogue of the equals is there anything that the Muslims
may be able offer Modi and BJP/RSS?
In the last 65+ years the Muslims have contributed little to modern India. With a few exceptions, the Muslims only whine instead of competing in the race.
Why do they believe somebody else will offer them a prosperous
(both worldly, and spiritual) life on a platter?
They forgot long ago that without hard work excellence in life is elusive, and the world hates whining losers.
Just because you are whining from a distant US outback doesn’t make you an expert on Indian Muslims. Come here work for poor Muslims, contribute to the society and then you can whine and people may listen. Till then you are a nobody
This man is trying to defame the Islamic personalities as well as want to disconnect the relation of general people with the Muslim leadership.
One must not be dismayed by such development. Such type of sycophancy and hypocrisy is the inherent feature of Self-professed intellectuals……Rashid Shaz is no more different than his predecessor MJ Akbar. He is echoing the same what MJ Akbar did. They are giving certificate to a nihilist who is no doubt a monster with human face. Now for Rashid Shaz, Modi has become a human blessed with human heart. What’s a development!!! Shame on such deplorable mindset. Never in our wildest dream did I think that he’d stoop to this level.
The present government is grappling with contradictions. Its much hyped agenda of all-round development is ominously over-shadowed by its patron so-called cultural organisation. One is thinking in terms of ‘good governance’ while the other is engaged in polarizing the society with its divisive and anti-minorities policies. The government, though highly enthusiastic about the country’s development, cannot, however, bear the burden of such contradictions for long.
The Muslim community needs primarily to work for unity in their political perception, taking into consideration of the changes taking place in the country. In order to making their voice effective, they will have to work unitedly with the country’s secular parties instead of forming their own. In a country like India, policy of exclusion will not succeed. A willing cooperation and well-visioned coordination with the secular forces is the viable option for the Muslim community to meet the emergent situation most effectively.
There is no question of forgetting the bitter experiences of the past; they will continue to re-invigorate the community’s will to remain ever vigilant while striving for internal reforms wherever necessary.
In the process of seeking a life of dignity in the country, the Muslims must associate their problems with those of other communities of the country, thereby forging a common human destiny to flourish with the goodness common to all. Let the Good prevail over the Evil!