This morning I came across a letter that was written by Bollywood Actor and Producer Saif Ali Khan. The letter was in response to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Before i go on I would like to make the disclaimer that I am not a supporter or apologist for any kind of violent movements around the world. I however have a bone to pick with Mr Khan’s letter. He begins the letter with how as an Indian he feels the need to be the voice of liberal Islam and how he is afraid that the religion would be blamed for the attacks. He then urges on Indians to stick together as citizens and come together as one people to help fight terrorism through peaceful means. Surprisingly enough his sister Soha Ali Khan sent a similar letter to the media and her friends. What bothers me is the fact that Muslims in India despite having a stake in the country (privileged ones at least) feel the need to appease people and apologize on behalf of Muslims worldwide. Why should Mr Khan and his sister bear the brunt of the Mumbai attacks? I have come across countless media organizations labeling the attacks as India’s 9/11 though they coincidently share the same last two digits. Why are politicians cashing in on the Terrorism Industry? The answer is simple! its to find support for waging war on other nations. One of the gunmen found on the scene admitted that his motifs for attacking the hotels was that he was brainwashed into committing the act for money in return. Hailing from an impoverished background he was an attractive candidate for the Jihad brigade. History has proven that if members of a society have no stake in it, they resort to all forms of rebellion. Sabiha Sumar’s movie Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) touched on this subject by telling the story of how young men from impoverished backgrounds in Punjab, Pakistan became constituents for General Zia Ul Haq’s fundamentalist campaigns. Ajmal Kassab the noted attacker then told the Indian authorities that if India had offered him a large amount of cash he would have the done the same for them. This reaffirms the notion that though religion was used to recruit young men like Kassab, the terrorists are only successful in recruiting the ones who are not fond of societal hierarchies.
The Terrorism Industry has pierced its way into the hearts of Indians who see Americans as kindred spirits in the fight against the global terrorist movement. Obama’s visit to India late last year reeked of rumors that he wanted to place an Indian peace keeping force in Afghanistan. Has India become captive to the West’s intentions of Neo-imperialism in the sub continent? It bothers me that the 2002 attacks in Gujrat have not garnered the same attention. Three thousand people mostly Muslims were killed by communal riots and the government chose to turn a blind eye against the atrocities. The Chief Minister of Gujrat Narendra Modi was said to have ordered many of the attacks and even refuses to acknowledge any involvement despite hard evidence against him. I hope that Indian government given its recent induction on to the world stage would not fall under the thumb of the West and can hopefully emerge from this tragedy by acknowledging the root causes of the problem and by not resorting to fear-mongering tactics. The Pakistani Indian conflict should be solved by both parties without the influence of outsiders. Cashing in on this Terrorism Industry would only make people more defiant, because citizens like Mr Khan who is supposed to be a respected member of society feels the need to apologize for the attacks despite not having any part in it.
No comments:
Post a Comment