Dt: 29/9/22
Reconciliation with Muslim Community
( Para- 1 is the letter I wrote to the Indian Express as comment for its editorial on the above subject on 26/9/22)
Dr T.H.Chowdary*
“The saintly Mahatma Gandhi’s 30- year long efforts to bring about Hindu Muslim understanding and unity , even his involving the secular national Congress in the Muslim community’s khilafat movement and even the offer of Prime Ministership of United India to Muslim League’s Md. Ali Jinnah could not lead to unity and the avoidance of the vivisection of India in 1947 ,although Gandhiji said that it would be done only over his dead body it is indeed a great and daring effort of Sri Mohan Bhagawat, the RSS Chief to hope that he could bring about reconciliation with the Muslim community and keep the nation without strife. Let all people fondly and hopefully pray to gods that Mohan Bhagawat ji may succeed where Mahatma failed and despaired to the extent that he did not wish to live any longer” .
2. The well- intentioned Bhagawat ji often mentions that Hindus and Muslims have the same DNA and so Hindu-Muslim reconciliation and unity and brother-hood should be possible. Don’t we witness sons of the same parents fighting murderously over property and other affairs ? Did the same DNA and even the same religion prevent the war between Bengali people of East Pakistan and Pakistan in 1971.
3. The roots of strife between Muslims and non-Muslims are in the theology of Islam which divides humanity into momins (believers) and kafirs (non-Muslims) and calls upon believers to strive (jihad) to covert non-Muslims to Islam. Discerning persons cannot but recall the famous pronouncement of England’s Prime Minister, William Edward Gladstone in the House of
Commons ; waving the Holy Koran he said, “so long as there is this book , there will be no peace in the world” ( quote from page 51 of Dr Rafiq Zakaria’s book, “Mohammad and the Koran”, Penguin books 1991 ) . Gladstone was Prime Minister of England for 12 years in 4 consecutive terms between 1861 & 1894.
4. To know about the theological basis that there could be no friendship, no brotherhood or no peace between Muslims and non-Muslims, especially Hindu dharmis , one can read the book, “Calcutta Koran Case” by Sri Sitaram Goel , a Voice of India Publication in which about 80 Ayats which incite and promote intolerance , hatred, and violence against non-Muslims are listed.
5. Unless Hindus and other non-Muslims , especially their intellectuals and leaders read these Ayats ( as well as Hadiths) there could be no worthwhile defences against Hindu-Muslim strife or for Hindu-Muslim unity. The activities of Popular Front of India (PFI) , All India Majlis Ittehad Muslameen (AIMIM), All Indian United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Socialist Democratic Party (SDP), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) etc., are all inspired by the theology of Islam. Of these the PFI has been clandestinely indoctrinating the Muslim youth and training them for unleashing violence on Hindus.
Maulana Md.Ali a leader of the khilafat movement called Mahatma Gandhi a brother when Indian National Congress became a partner of the khilafat movement in the hope that it would lead to Hindu-Muslim unity in the fight for freedom of India. When khilafat movement came to naught as the Sultan of Turkey was deposed and expelled, speaking at Aligarh and Ajmere (1924) Maulana Md. Ali said:
“However pure Mr. Gandhi’s character may be, he must appear to be from the point of view of religion inferior to any Musalaman, even though he be without character”.
The Statement created a great stir. Many did not believe that Mr. Mohamed Ali, who testified to so much veneration for Mr. Gandhi was capable of entertaining such ungenerous and contemptuous sentiments about him. When Mr. Mohamed Ali was speaking in a meeting held at Amina Baug Park in Lucknow, he was asked whether the sentiments attributed to him were true. Mr. Mohamed Ali without any hesitation or compunction replied.
Yes! According to my religion and creed, I do hold an adulterous and a fallen Musalman to be better than Mr. Gandhi”
(660 words)
END