The last article I wrote on a subject like this was based on the Mumbai Attacks detailing the situation at Ground Zero as well as attempting to make very strong deductions on what steps the government must take going forward. And then I thought, screw it... what’s the point, really!

I just completely lost interest because we still have the same raggedy-ass government trying to hold bilateral talks [the same one-trick pony method used for years now to no avail] in order to solve an issue that has raged on since our parents were children.

I also have this habit of haunting a Muslim tea-stall at night with a [yes, with a Muslim friend] and talking about the events that have taken center stage recently.

Hence the term, Nightcrawler Sessions as it’s like a jam session to me, only where we put our mental skills to the task...

Well enough said, let’s dive right in...

I watched CNN this evening while I was working on a couple of files at my current work-at-home job. There was extensive coverage of the attacks by Israel on Gaza Strip. As I flipped the channel to Times Now, I also watched the unfolding drama of Pakistan denying the fact that they had anything to do with the Mumbai Attacks.

You can somehow relate to that picture of the first instance [in this case, Israel Vs. Hamas extremists] as a situation where a teacher in school punishes a student for doing something deemed wrong.

The second instance [India Vs. Pak] reminds me of two scenarios...

The first scenario, a doting mother asking that very student, her son, to admit his wrongdoing as she found evidence of the same.

The second scenario, a circus that has the attention of the media with no definite resolution. In other words, one big diplomatic circus act.

Both situations have certain elements that bear a unique resemblance to each other. There’s no doubt about it.

Acts of terrorism by Muslim extremists is what you might say. No doubt about it.

I’m in favor of Israel taking stringent action... in India’s case... well, that’s a topic for another day...and another debate when I have the energy to waste my breath and my valuable time.

Personally, I’ve gotten sick and tired of all this religious prejudice. People don’t necessarily talk about it, but you can see it in their eyes and in the polite manner in which they so arrogantly treat the Muslim community in our own country.

Let me give you an example:
I recently tried to get a young Muslim boy who lives in the neighborhood, an internship as an aircraft maintenance engineer. The person who I requested to do me the favor said that she would have helped if he wasn’t a Muslim. I was enraged by such narrow-minded thinking from such an elderly person.

This is one reason why I think these days, religion is manipulated in order to divide us rather than bring us together. We’re always shown how different and better we are than some other caste, sex, age-group, economy class and so on and so forth. Divide and rule... same story... different era.

BOTTOM LINE: I’m sorry to say this but terrorism whether you like it or not is the ’scourge of Islam’.

Moin Khan.

I’ve known this chap for a long time, and since we’ve met, we have shared our deepest dreams, hopes, sorrows, desires and the like... like one brother to another.

So I just wanted to demystify these misconceptions about Islam and its involvement with ‘terrorism’ per se.

If we study the setup of a terrorist attack, one common feature is that it’s all about killing people at random and then committing suicide!

Islam actually states very clearly that anyone who commits suicide will spend eternity in hell... and if violence has to be used... it should be ONLY directed towards the person who has taken away your right, your family and your land. Not people at random or least of all, to spread ‘terror’.

Another term sorely misinterpreted: Jihad.

Jihad, to the non-Muslim, is ‘religious’ or ‘holy’ war.

Or that’s what we’re led to believe, which leads to an immediate assumption that Muslims are violent people!

If we go back to the time of Mohammed, when he wrote the Quran... that was a time when people were indeed fighting a holy war... where one’s religion decided whether one lived or died. It hardly seems to be the case now, does it?

So let me clarify what ‘jihad’ means in its true form: Self-defense [by use of force] to inoculate oneself from religious conversion... and in this context... protect their right to live the Islamic way. Nothing more, nothing less. And I think our nation, India is very clear on that law.

And Islam, in its purest form, has and wants nothing to do with ‘terrorism’. And if it did, then why I haven’t been shot yet by my neighbor [the Muslim boy, I mean].

I call it the art of disinformation which is present in all walks of life... the politicians indulge in it... the law-enforcement personnel... the government clerks... religious leaders from other religions... we, as law-abiding citizens as well...

So, to me, it all comes down to one point: We’re all human! We all have killed, have cheated, have skeletons in the closet and so on and so forth... and we have no right to judge someone else! Period!

Muslims are human too... they desire to be loved, to be respected... to live a healthy and long life. They want to be educated, want to be prosperous and yes, have the freedom to strive in the way of Islam too! Just like we do...

Most of all, who in their right frame of mind would want to kill themselves?

As far as my conversation with Moin went, to him, it is nothing but young people who have been brainwashed by unsavory power-mongering elements who motivate them [in most cases, kids who have nothing to live for] to perform these heinous acts in the name of God. Another easy target for these elements to ‘work their magic’ is among the same age group of people who aren’t educated .

And I agree. The evidence justifies the generalization!

So, to recap what was discussed here...
1) All Muslims aren’t saints [they’re human too, you know] but they certainly aren’t CRAZY! That’s for sure.
2) If you are truly an Islamic Fundamentalist, you wouldn’t be dabbling with ammo or guns... much less, indulging in these despicable acts or killing yourself for that matter!
3) Most of all, they’re just like any of us, HUMAN... who are susceptible to all the evil and good that we have to live through.

So, if these recent events have made you feel animosity towards the Muslim community, kindly revisit your thoughts and adopt a more humane approach. Most of them, are much like us, just bound by their own set of rules and regulations like we do.

They’re just different!

DISCLAIMER: I’m not pro-Muslim nor do I justify ‘terrorist’ attacks by certain Muslim extremists. What I’m trying to say here is that the ’saner’ part of the Muslim community are much like us. Only misunderstood because of recent events and the prejudice these events create in our minds. And it’s time to BREAK FREE!!! Remember, we can’t let the terrorists WIN...