Waging Peace

• To counter a growing belief that Indian Muslims are taking to terrorism
  
• To stop political parties from hurling charges of clerics fomenting terror ahead of the 2009 general elections
  
• To save the image of their faith. And take the heat off the madrassas.
  
• To leave no scope for a Quranic sanction of violence for the radical elements

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Even Delhi's Jama Masjid United Forum got into the act and organised a global seminar in the capital on terrorism. Syed Yahya Bukhari, president of the forum, even came out with a statement: "We all have to, by whatsoever means, fight against terrorist ideology and its implementation." The seminar had an impressive gathering—besides Union minister Kapil Sibal, Muslim intellectuals and participants from countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya and Uzbekistan were present. And no less a figure than the Dalai Lama delivered the keynote address. An interesting sidelight was an Afghan professor accusing Pakistan of "exporting terror to all its neighbouring countries". But then, as contemporary events have shown, the terror monster once let out proceeds to consume its own.

In India, most thinkers and public commentators engaged with the issue know the problem is not really that Muslims are turning terrorists. Of course, there's frustration, there's alienation among the large numbers of unemployed Muslim youth in the ghettos. But there is no empirical evidence to support the charge that they are becoming terrorists in any organised manner. The real problem in India is the politicisation of the so-called "Muslim/terrorist" issue. It's about the largest minority, predominantly poor and backward, being used like a political football, both by their self-proclaimed protectors and even by those who would "like to see Muslims put in their place". The discourse is patently dishonest. Yet it's one faultline of the nation that is exposed again and again.

Shahid Siddiqui, editor of Nai Duniya weekly, says, "There is so much false propaganda. If a lie is repeated a hundred times, then people start believing it is the truth. First, when this terrorism problem started, people were silent and hurt that they were being labelled so easily. Now everyone wants to speak up. In fact, I believe the Muslim elite and intellectuals have not been vocal enough. It is actually the same ulema we have all criticised so many times who have come forward to defend the image of the faith and community."

That is why Muslims gathering in large numbers to take a pledge against terror should be seen as more than a massive public relations exercise. What it should not be seen as is a sort of public confession. Indeed, it's tragic that in a democracy that claims to be gearing up for the status of a great nation, the largest minority is far too often viewed as fifth columnists or the enemy in our midst. They have had to publicly proclaim their innocence again and again.