CULPABLE SILENCE

Every time a strike is carried out by the Islamic terrorists, I find myself being haunted by the now- familiar feelings of guilt, anger and frustration. I find myself wishing that I were invisible, that I didn't have to face my friends and classmates. Time and again, I hold myself responsible for the atrocities inflicted by these criminals and brainwashed scapegoats in the name of the religion I belong to. Once, I even dared to voice my fears to a close friend of mine who was quick to brush aside these thoughts as unnecessary and wrong. "You are a good person, so are majority of the people who belong to your community. This majority is in no way responsible for the actions of a perverted few", she said.

In spite of her assurances, the question kept popping up in my mind: am I not responsible, though not directly, for the actions of these terrorists? And the answer was always the same, even though I dared not to speak it out in public: I am responsible for their actions, so is every person who claims to be a follower of Islam; for it is the silence of people like me which gives them the courage to keep doing these terrible things.

My friend, in her empathy for me, might have overlooked a few facts, but the truth is that the so called 'moderate' majority among Muslims is also a silent majority and their silence has often been interpreted as the silence of approval, both by the terrorists and the world. Their silence has, in fact, thus become culpable silence.

Except for the occasional 'condemnation' and 'fatwa' against terrorism, the Muslim society has done pretty much nothing to tell the world that they do not support this fanatic minority among them. The implications of this silence are manifold: not only have Muslims lost the trust of their brethrens of other religious faiths, but also have they become targets of sustained suspicion and false accusations. Today, having a Muslim name could seal off your chances to own an apartment in certain neighborhoods, you are looked upon with suspicion if you sport a beard, and many people tend to keep a distance from you once they come to know that you are a Muslim. One of my friends was frank enough to let me know of his parents' displeasure on him being friends with a Muslim, another told me- though embarrassed- that her father wouldn't ever lend his apartment to Muslim families.

And, Muslims have no one to blame but themselves. For, it is their own silence which breeds this distrust.

Why are the Muslims silent?

Why are the Muslims silent at a time when they ought to be shouting at the top of their voices to the world of their innocence? Why does the Muslim community isolate itself from the rest of the world?

The answer to these questions lies in the inherent nature of the Islam. Islam as a religion had to survive extremely hostile conditions during its earlier periods of existence. As such, its followers were taught to look at the world outside with suspicion; they were cautioned of the fact that there were many enemies who wished to delete Islam from the face of earth. These teachings were so very ingrained into the religion that they have been carried forward into even the 21^st century by its followers.

As a result, even the modern Muslim is taught by the clergy to believe that the world is full of enemies of Islam who would wipe it off from earth if they were not to defend it. Unfortunately, the situations in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and the West's notorious 'Islam phobia' all feed to this fire. The disastrous result has been that Muslims have become more of an introvert group, unwilling to let others into their circles or enter into others'. Sadly, Muslims have failed to realize the fact that what was true for the religion in the 7^th century need not be true in the 21^st century.

What needs to be done?

What needs to be done immediately by Muslims is to distance themselves completely from the activities of the terrorists. They need to literally shout to the world that nothing- NOTHING- can ever justify the actions of these criminals. Not even the pathetic condition of Muslims in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world should be cited as a justification. Further, Muslims need to come out of their cocoons of distrust and start interacting positively with the society they live in.

The time has come for the Muslims world over and especially in India to take a long hard look at themselves and sort out a few things. If they don't, the situation will soon get out of hand. The world is becoming more and more impatient about the way Muslims carry themselves about, and there will soon come a day the majority of non Muslims would start holding the entire community responsible for the actions of a few.

It is foolish to expect the Islamic clergy to stand up and make a change in the current scenario. The Islamic society in India is in dire need of a dynamic leadership with a balanced view of the world, a leadership which would be proactive in its actions; a leadership which could lead the community during this time of darkness out into the sunshine.

Such a leadership can be provided only by the educated Muslims who have so far been unwittingly silent. They need to start talking for themselves soon enough, lest it will be too late. Only a spirited fight back with a sound plan of action can bring back peace to Islam and the world.