May 19, 2007 05:13 PM
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(Updated May 19, 2007 06:32 PM)
It's sad to hear of another attack on our brothers at Hyderabad and Guwahati. At the Mecca Masjid?
When the Crusades started, it was with an intention of recapturing Jerusalem and other places considered holy. As a side effect, even religious sects like the Gauls and other minorities were subjugated. The Pope, a previous WW2 Nazi participant condemned the Muslims on their Jihad, while not mentioning any evils of Christianity.
The Crusades began with a religious intent. Everyone wanted to be a crusader for pretty obvious reasons -adventure and the romance associated with it. Some regions forcefully took small boys to fight their cause. They subjugated other minorities even Gauls and others in the regions all in the name of a cause. It was twisted beyond doubt when they burnt women as witches. They did have their extreme moments, and India would have been wiped out if it had been in that region.
If anyone could challenge Christianity, it was Islam. Islam only since the religion appealed to a broader sect. Of course Islam had its quirks, but it also had Jihad. No other community had a Jihad which could withstand a crusade.
Jihad(e Akbar) means- moral cleansing by you for the community. You dedicate your life for the greater good of the community. It meant sacrifice oneself for a good cause. With the advent of the crusades, the meaning was translated to Holy war. Meaning the same as the Crusades. At that time Islam twisted the meaning to serve a purpose against Crusaders. Simply put a Jihad meant a Crusade for a Muslim as a Crusade to a Christian.
A good cause may vary for a Christian, a Muslim or a Hindu. Define a good cause for a Christian - A Crusade was a good cause. If so, then Jihad also runs on similar lines for a Muslim.
Christianity has gained momentum economically and socially. And countries like the USA, UK had a major say in World politics. However they misused their social powers in most cases and in others put their wrong foot in. Israel has been a major flashpoint for them. Also their biggest ally, not the British. They armed the Pathans and others to fight the Russians at the height of the cold war. The various armament manufacturing units in Europe also made major progress by supplying arms to the region to fight the Russians. Russia simply washed its hands unable to withstand Glasnost at home. Major political changes occurred making them most susceptible. That left a little more than 50000 armed men in the hilly regions of Afghanistan jobless. The West in the meantime walked from one blunder to another -Iraq.
When you make a scapegoat of a pro western ally, and denounce him on a lie ‘possesses nuclear weapons’ even your deepest other religious ally would not thrust you(, forget the same religion bigots - the UK).
A new purpose had to be found. And that was cross country crusades against the Christians. Finally the Crusades are calling for Muslims against Christians. Entire districts in Afghan grow Poppy under the Taliban. While the puppet government tries its best to reduce the Taliban influence, the areas bordering Pakistan are a no show since that is a safe haven offering free entry to a neighboring country - a country where terrorism is a legal activity. With the ISI funding more than imaginable on terrorism including the recent train blasts and mosque attacks using another nation Bangladesh, as proven, the ultimate victims would be themselves. Today they might have killed a few Indians, tomorrow a few more, in the end, they would be facing the armed men on their own. How will they be able to fend them off?
The point I want to make is - Jihad continues to hold more relevance today to the Muslim community than the Crusades to the Christian community. The definition of Jihad is getting narrower when looking at it in a global perspective. The recent attacks on the mosques raised a question by a Hyderabadi MP, 'why just in Congress ruled states?' while articulating the need for a common unity between Hyderabad and Secunderabad. What you should also be asking is why today? when they have passed judgement on the Mumbai blasts(Where Sanjay Dutt is one of the accused)
If you are a Muslim, consider Jihad as an integral duty to yourself, your community and your nation, not bloodthirsty brethren in another country. Or better dedicate yourself to humanity, not just your region. For me being an Indian counts more than belonging to another state. We have a religious holiday for all major festivals. Also a significant representation of most major communities, no other nation can boast of. Let us continue to live as we have been living. Let the other countries continue what they will, at the end, the only things they earn - A tag of a ‘Terrorist state’ and another set of idle armed, bloodthirsty idiots.
We love you guys, stick together and peace be with you.
