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Forgiving Gujarat | |||
| Published on December 1st, 2007 In Uncategorized, Politics | Views 333 | ||||
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Forgiving Gujarat Indeed Mahatma Gandhi, Prophet Muhammad, Jesus Christ and several spiritual teachers have believed in the power of forgiveness. Jesus and Gandhi are quoted often; let me give the example of Prophet Muhammad. When the Prophet was traveling from Mecca to Taif, he was pelted with stones to a point of excessive bleeding, it is said that he could not even remove his blood solidified shoes. His associates and Angel Gabriel were anxious to go out and punish the miscreants. The prophet stopped them and said something to this effect. Let"s not punish them, it is not the answer; instead let"s pray that God give them guidance and goodwill. The wisdom is simple: there is hope that people will do better if we give them a break and appeal to their goodwill. Give them a chance to recognize their mistakes without demanding a pound of flesh. In the tradition of the Prophet, I genuinely ask the People of Gujarat to forgive the perpetrators of the Crimes, it takes a big heart to do it, but when they do it, there is peace in it and hopefully an opportunity for the criminals do their Praischit (repentance) in their own way. We need to help them release from their pain, so all of us can work on living with good will. Let" not dig in our heels, let"s step out and reach. Goodwill gives birth to goodwill. This appeal goes out to both Hindu"s and Muslims of Gujarat. The few, who are burning with revenge to go back and destroy each other, really don"t care about themselves, Gujarat or India. The people of Gujarat are one family; no one can step on other"s dead body and achieve personal, spiritual, business and moral success. Why does it make sense to forgive? Hate and revenge is binding, when you hate the other person, you cannot be good to yourselves as you are loaded with the poison called hate, then you cannot be good to your family, your community or your state. Useless you are tied down to the Khooti (anchor bolt for tying animals) called hate, every moment and at every turn, you are occupied with revenge. Why load yourselves with it? Not only that, you are also worried about being attacked by the other or the law reaching out to you someday, and without any doubt, the guilt that you carry around your neck, which makes you do weird things. You simply cannot be happy with hate and anger eating you alive. Put that energy in forgiveness, it is liberating. Both the religions in this instance; Sanatana Dharma and Islam incessantly preach to achieve liberation. One speaks about the ultimate freedom human beings achieve with the stoppage of the cycle of birth in lower forms, the other talks about God sending you in to a state of eternal bliss. Both systems assure entrance to the kingdom of God, if you do good things to the others. How would Justice be served? Those who have committed the crimes must be given the chance to do their praischit and atonement. Put them to work for making the lives of others better for a period of five years or put them in the jail for a similar period of time. If Jai Prakash Narayan or Mahatma Gandhi were alive, they probably would have suggested the same. Better yet, let it be open to the criminals to step forward and volunteer, let them have the chance to achieve the inner peace. Hate breeds hate, love breeds love. In hate no one will live in peace, in the other option they will. Mahatma Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” And the Qur’aan states,” the one who forgives is dearest to God”. I appeal to the Muslims of Gujarat in particular to take that first step; there is a beautiful universal prayer that Muslims say after every prayer. To paraphrase it: Time for the healing process must begin and it is time now. The Hindus will follow it up. There is no way goodness does not produce results, you must have the patience, peace will come and every one will be better off in Gujarat, forgive we must. May God bring peace to all. Mike Ghouse |
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Posted on December 1st, 2007
I see Gujarat riots as very much a tit-for-tat. Kar-sevaks were killed by burning the train, which agitated the VHP guys and possibly Modi. They decided to take revenge on muslims as a result. I was hoping that Modi will lose and the BJP will learn a lesson but somehow he managed to get re-elected.
Now the chapter is over and it seems like Modi wants to clear his image to prepare for a PM position in the future. I guess he has an uphill battle and he seems to be doing something good from what I hear. I do not know how much of it is true but I find him to be a lesser evil than a leaderless congress party. The congress party will have a street fight to elect their leader and invariably they will be looking to fill up their coffers right away, since they haven’t been in power for a long time. Let’s see what the people of Gujarat have to say.
Posted on December 2nd, 2007
Mr. Mike Ghouse,
1. Your attempt of frequent drawing our attention Mohammed has been interesting, but you have to clarify why such compassion or forgiveness was / is not shown by his followers in India?
2. Even today, why Mohammedans, who wants to be called as Muslims now, treat Hindus as kafirs?
3. Why the co-called spiritual leader Gandhi could not have achieved Muslim-Hindu unity as we do not believe in Hindu-Muslim unity?
4. Why the Mohammedan do not sing “Raghupati Raghava Rajaram”, though the Kafiri Hindus go on singing “Ishwara Allah tero nam”? Why can’t you advise them?
5. Coming to Gujarat, Mr. Ghouse do not forget history - why the Somnat - the Al-lat or one of the “LATS” was supposedly there was demolished? Why the temple was destroyed many times?
6. Even in contemporary context, who is to forgive whom? Why such enmity was created? By Allah or Jesus Christ? Do you justify the Quranic ayats to justify or forget the past? Or would you declare like Jesus Christ, “Do no think that I have come here to bring peace but sword”?
7. The naive, gullible and innocent Hindus have been fed up with this type f philosophy. Now they expect mutual respect. If they want respect Allah, Allah’s believers have to respect Hindu Gods ad Goddesses so also the Christians and others. If they want to claim that their Gods and Goddesses are superior, or super and so on with religious arrogance, then there is no meaning in talking your type of forgiveness.
8. When Hindus are tortured, raped and sent out to life as refugees in their own country, where has gone such philosophy and spirituality?
9. How even in “spirituality” you can go on colonize and advise Hindus, in the guise of such theologized philosophy?
10. Junagadh has history, Kashmir has history, Pakistan has history, Hindukush has history - do not forget. Gujarat should not be racked up even spiritually, theologically or any other means. Tehelka-type technicality or your-type spirituality would not bring peace, as it would add salt to the wounds. Your interpretation is rosy as your spirituality, but the spirit i it is different as it is arrogant, colonial and claiming superiority.
Posted on December 2nd, 2007
Its good to get into rhetoric about how peaceful Prophet Mohammed was. His followers certainly aren’t peace loving. Islam is the easiest religion that can lead to extremism and misguide its followers on a warparth with the non-believers and Kafirs. Reason being that there is no life without Koran for Muslims and honestly Koran is a confused book with contradicting ideas preaching love in some places and hatred in other places.
Jesus preached nothing but love but his followers got into a killing spree and even burnt non-believers and protestants. Even Hindus had their share of Evils but Hindus have had some excellent reformers like Rajaram Mohan Roy, Bharathiar,Vivekanadar, etc.
As we speak women are stoned to death in the name of religion, women are raped and are punished for not showing 5 witnesses to punish the guilty. Even take the case of SaudiArabia, being a rich and disciplined country it should veer towards modernity but nobody seems to be interested. 2 weeks back a Saudi women was sentenced to 6 months for meeting a man who is not her husband or relative. She was raped but the rapists were spared.
Its so hypocritical of muslims to seek rights in other countries that they go to but can’t seem to think of freedom of religion when they are in majority. To my knowledge Turkey is the only country among muslim nations that is progressive and gives freedom to all religions. Malaysia certainly doesn’t make that list.
Posted on December 3rd, 2007
I wii be surprised if M Ghouse responds to any of the questions. Easy way out would be a non response. Guys, do’t hold your breath!
Posted on December 3rd, 2007
Mr. laadlabakdaas (why you such queer name?) has raised some important points:
1.
Posted on December 2nd, 2007
1. Islam is the easiest religion that can lead to extremism and misguide its followers on a warparth with the non-believers and Kafirs. Reason being that there is no life without Koran for Muslims and honestly Koran is a confused book with contradicting ideas preaching love in some places and hatred in other places - this has to be explained.
2. Jesus preached nothing but love but his followers got into a killing spree and even burnt non-believers and protestants - whether Bible is also like that of Quran so that their believers to do so?
3. Even Hindus had their share of Evils but Hindus have had some excellent reformers like Rajaram Mohan Roy, Bharathiar,Vivekanadar, etc. - why then such reformers are not there in Islam and Christianity?
4. The punishment to women in Muslim countries raise the question of Uniform Civil Code as has been prescribed under Art.44 of the Ambedkar Constitution - why it is not respected or cared for?
5. Its so hypocritical of muslims to seek rights in other countries that they go to but can’t seem to think of freedom of religion when they are in majority. To my knowledge Turkey is the only country among muslim nations that is progressive and gives freedom to all religions. Malaysia certainly doesn’t make that lis - this what the amiguity of Islam in following Quran, Hadis and shariat.
Anyway, Mike Ghouse has to clarify!
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