The fears expressed by the writer (“ >A savage new world of terrorism ,” April 15), about Indian Muslims falling into the trap of extremist Islam are not unfounded. In times when even educated people are unable to stay aloof from such issues, it doesn’t require much of an imagination to know how easy it would be to indoctrinate the lesser privileged and uneducated sections. The careless comments made by some political parties will only aid this process. Moreover, with the penetration of social media to almost every level, it becomes even easier for this to happen. One only hopes that the political class continues to exhibit trust and confidence in Indian Muslims.
Shagufta Arshi,
Deoria, Uttar Pradesh
Though the writer has pointed out that the core theology remains the Saudi theologian, Abdul Wahab’s doctrinaire teachings, he appears to have missed a point. Abdul Wahab’s teachings became popular as a reaction to European colonialism. The colonies became independent nations after World War II and Wahhabism went into dormancy. It was the U.S. that awakened the dormant Wahhabism to fight against the Soviet Union under the banners of the Mujaheddin first and the al-Qaeda later. While the “IS is exploiting the tragic circumstances of Syria and Iraq to enlarge the area of its Caliphate”, we cannot ignore that the “tragic circumstances of Syria and Iraq” were created by the U.S. and its Western allies. Another point is relevant here. The IS phenomenon and Islamic terrorism are religious-political problems. Comparing it with a “viral infection” will only create more acrimony in the minds of the innocent and peace-loving believers.
N.M. Mohammed Ali,
Thiruvananthapuram
The writer’s take on terrorism is a blatant example of fear-mongering and wide generalisations in his references to the international Muslim community which is a diverse, heterogenous group. It points, yet again, to the media’s eagerness to tar an entire community. While it is true that the IS and its subsidiaries are a horrible manifestation of Islam and an abhorrence that needs to be quelled, the simplistic allegations of the writer do nothing to analyse the motivations of these movements. Instead, his piece is one more in the long line of articles perpetuating Huntington’s ‘Clash of the Civilizations’ theory. His research is severely compromised if all he has is “reliable western estimates” that suggest that “almost 27 per cent of all Muslims in the West are inclined toward the IS”. Why add to the discrimination against a minority community, which in India, is already battling with a hostile government at the Centre? Most young Muslims in India and the rest of the world want to go about their lives peacefully, devoid of conflict and violence.
Shazia Andaleeb,
Chennai
