war against terrorism
One of the biggest mistakes we make about global terrorism is to associate it particularly with one religion – Islam – this is nothing but outright racisim. Those who want to argue vehemently that its justified may read
The faith militant and those who feel hurt or angry about this mistake may read The way of the ostrich – both are excellent articles by a wonderful Pakistani writer Irfan Husain.
With a liberal Hindu background and upbringing, I myself have had not much of any prejudice against Islam. Whatever little of it that may have manifested in idle conversation, I came to question even that several years ago, when I watched the movie Bombay. In this movie, a Hindu marries a Muslim, and they have two sons – twins – one of them is a Hindu and one a Muslim. There is a riot – depicted in a truly touching way by the master director Mani Ratnam, and then there’s a scene in the riot where these two identical young brothers are cornered and about to be immolated by a frenzied mob armed with cans of petrol. One brother is a Hindu, and the other is a Muslim – so whom do they want to burn??(this a scene that almost made me cry and one that I can never forget)
The more the people branded as terrorists and imprisoned or killed and countries bombed everyday, the more the number of people who are going to swear to take revenge. I’m not any kind of world leader or all-knower to be in a position to declare who is right and who is wrong, which violence is justified and which is not, but does it really take an IQ of 150 to wonder if we will ever come out of this neverending vicious cycle?
The demon of terrorism is pretty much like the demon of Raktabija. The only way to handle it is to not just spread – but to try and live – the message of love and humanity – in our ordinary everyday life. What we need around the world is not merely a war against terrorists, but a war against terrorism.
Since this is a very touchy topic that I’ve seen lot of people in various public forums expressing strong opinions about, the reader is reminded that this is only a blog entry of my personal opinion, based on my limited personal experiences.
Correct URL for faith militant article:
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/mazdak/20050813.htm
As you have commented elsewhere, controlling terrorism is just a speculation.
Yesterday’s awful rush-hour bombings of trains in Bombay raise an important and ominous question: How far can India be pushed?
Mumbai is no stranger to violence. In August 2003, more than 55 people died in twin bomb blasts in the city’s financial district. And in 1993, some 250 people died and nearly 1,000 were injured in a series of bomb blasts which rocked the city. Both attacks were said to have carried out by Islamic militants allegedly at the behest of Mumbai’s criminal underworld. They were believed to be reprisal attacks in response to religious violence elsewhere (read Godhra) in India in which Muslims had been targeted.
It is still not clear who is behind these latest bombings and certainly investigators will be puzzled over the motive. Earlier on Tuesday, the summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir witnessed a series of grenade attacks carried out by suspected separatist militants. It is unlikely that the two are related although India’s security agencies will certainly look for any links.
But perhaps the closest related event took place last year, when the Indian capital Delhi was also rocked by a series of blasts. As in Mumbai, it was ordinary Indians who were targeted in a series of blasts which took place in congested markets and shopping areas where the impact was the greatest.
Mumbai is India’s commercial capital and its rail network is often described as the city’s lifeline. Two major lines cut through the city, running north to south, bringing in commuters from distant suburbs. An attack on the rail network does not merely affect a large number of people, it is also designed to bring the city to a halt.
Tuesday’s blasts took place on the city’s Western Line which connects the city centre with some of the more affluent suburbs. The victims of the attacks cut across the city’s ethnic, religious and class lines affecting both blue and white collar workers.
Even as investigators piece through the wreckage at the bomb sites, searching for leads, it is quite evident that the explosives used were both sophisticated and powerful. And the co-ordinated nature of the blasts, occurring in near succession, speak of a degree of organisation that few can command.