It would have been good if the author had explained by Indian Muslims are disillusioned by both Muslim and non-Muslim leadership in India. Failure to do so raises the inevitable question: are Muslims ever anything but out or sorts with everybody else? After all, most people become disillusioned with governments at some time. Do the Hindus etc. feel the same? Or, is it just Muslims?

At the time the author asks, ‘No wonder Muslims, especially the youth, are confused’, he still hasn’t given any reason why we should not wonder. Except, perhaps, for the reference to India’s taking an Israeli approach to terrorists. Is that it? Do they want to be terrorists?

Further on, there is mention of discrimination and intolerance. But surely, that’s nothing new in India – from all of its fragmented groups.

Police have been ‘picking up Muslims everywhere’. Why? Are we supposed to believe that innocent Muslims are being picked up on a whim?

All reason goes right out the door, though, with the theory that Israel bombed Mumbai to embarrass the Muslims.

Well, here’s another conspiracy theory – this author and many others are dreaming up anti-Muslim stories to work up fundamentalist into a rage ready for an all out push against the non-Muslim world. If enough people believe in the woes of being a Muslim, they will even start giving them excuses when it starts.

Indian muslims turning to violence. It will never happen. Islam is a religion of peace.

QUOTE “Wherever I go, people, especially the youth, come to me ask what shall we do in face of discrimination and growing intolerance for Muslims. Men whose sisters were raped in front of them and the perpetrators are roaming scot free feel maddened by rage. And I can say nothing,” Madni says. UNQUOTE

Gee, it seems to me that this is exactly what Muslims want. Do any of these cases satisfy the requirement that four adult Muslim men, 'all of a pious and trustworthy nature', must have witnessed the attack and be willing to testify. Women and non-Muslim witnesses are unaceptable. So, probably, the rapes never occurred. And if you said in Pakistan, for example, that they had, you'd be the one thrown into gaol, not the rapists.

And, let's face it, in countries where Muslims are a majority, they don't seem to have any problems raping Christian women or burning down Christian churches. Why should they expect better for themselves in a country where they are a minority. Isn't that fair?

I'm a little tired of poor hardly-done-by Muslims who don't like being badly treated and want to reform the law of their adopted countries but aren't at all interested in working for reform of their countries of origin.

"There might be a few wrong elements", Well those few wrong elements can create a world of chaos and bloody death. So I would be looking to root out every single wrong element. Then the innocent persons can escape the stain of suspicion.

Leigh, two points there - firstly, you say he hasn't explained why they're disillusioned with both muslim and non-muslim leaders.

I say he has - non muslim leaders are forcing muslims into a corner, and muslim leaders are unable to help.

In terms of your last comment... I can see where you're coming from, but can I ask this - is there a point where you will believe the muslim people are being unfairly victimised? what has to happen? Or would nothing convince you?

Leigh, let me answer your questions one by one. Indian Muslims are disillusioned by both their Muslim and non-Muslim leadership because most of them feel that their issues were not addressed fully by the leaders they backed in successive elections. Since independence India has seen hundreds of communal riots, mainly between Hindus and Muslim, in which thousands of lives were lost. Of those who died majority were

Although all types of litigations takes years before reaching any logical end in highly overburdened Indian judicial system, criminal cases related to communal riots fare even worse. Hardly there are convictions in cases related to communal violence. Even those political parties and leaders who get bulk of Muslim votes don’t press this issue as they think that by doing this they will risk their support base among majority Hindus. Muslim votes give them edge over their rival in the race of power but it is the Hindu votes form their political base.
On social indices like levels of education, percentage of people below poverty line the community is on much lower pedestal than majority Hindu community or other minority communities like Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists.

Now your second point, “Do Hindus feel the same?” No. Even among Hindus dalits or untouchables who were at the bottom of Hindu caste structure are not disillusioned. The constitution has provided for strict measures against caste base discrimination. The dalits in last few decades have succeeded in politically organising themselves and have succeeded in clawing their way up on the social ladder

The Muslim youths are confused because they don’t know what to do come out of the quagmire. Though, India is a vibrant and transparent democracy, it hasn’t benefited Muslims in a way it benefited other sections of the society. They have lost faith in police, judiciary and political leaders. Their moderate leaders who ask them not to take the recourse of terror don’t have any other alternative to suggest.

I will answer the remaining in my next post including your take on conspiracy theory

I'm just so sick of these endless Muslim sob stories. Wherever Muslims hold power non-Muslim minorities so marginalised and mistreated - for example in Saudi Arabia non-Muslims have no right at all to practise their religion even in private, Iran where for example they may not become military officers (that would mean an infidel commanding Muslims). India now has a Muslim president...when will Pakistan have a Hindu president I wonder? I'm just fed up with Muslim whining about mistreatment all over the world. The incredible double standards and hypocrisy are breathtaking.

I think a good first step would be to FORCE Saudi Arabia to legalise religious freedom. This despiccable dictatorship is the fountainhead of Islam and sets the extremist, paranoid, clannish tone for Islam in the world today.

Muslims must realise that the world will not tolerate double standards of freedom for them in the West, but repression of Christian, Hindu, apostate or atheist minorities in Muslim lands. Reciprocity must be the watchword from now on when dealing with Muslim nations. When I see full religious freedom in Saudi Arabia I will start to have just a little sympathy for Muslims' "plight". Until then, forget it.

Avinash,

Thanks. It seems, then, that Muslims must do as others do to achieve goals.

From a recent ABC Radio National Religion report:

This week I received an email from an Indian listener with an interesting perspective on the Pope's comments about Islam.

'If Muslims around the world are claiming hurt or insult at the Pope's comments about the sword being used to spread religion in mediaeval times, then how should Hindu Indians react to what happened to their culture in the name of true religion?

'This is what the American historian Will Durant wrote in his first volume of The Story of Civilisation: Our Oriental Heritage, published in 1935:'

(And of course this was before the Second World War and Maoist China)

"The Mohammedan Conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilisation is a precarious thing. The Islamic historians and scholars have recorded with great glee and pride, the slaughter of Hindus, forced conversions, abduction of Hindu women and children to slave markets and the destruction of temples carried out by the warriors of Islam between 800 AD and 1700 AD."

'Just imagine putting up with a 9/11-style event every decade for a few hundred years, and you get a sense of why many Hindus are not surprised at all by the latest jihad activities. They have seen it all before.

'When the Hindus made their last big stand at Vijayanagar in the 16th century, local Muslim historians themselves recorded how it took five months to destroy all the kingdom's sculpture and art. They described how, loaded up with loot and slaves, the Muslim armies marched home proclaiming that there was not a breathing creature either man or beast, left in a 50 miles radius of Vijayanagar.'

(And he concludes) 'Perhaps the Hindus also deserve an apology.'