Adil Najam
I, too, am a Mumbaikar today.
I wish I could reach out and for just one moment hold the hands of the woman in this AP photograph. Maybe shed some tears on her shoulder. But I do not know what I would say to her. I do not think she would want me to say much. The expression on her face matches the feeling I have at the pit of my stomach and in the depth of my heart. I think – I hope – that she would understand how I feel. I can only imagine what she is going through.
And so, in prayer and in solidarity, I stand today with Mumbaikars everywhere. In shock at what has happened. In fear of what might happen yet. In anger at those who would be so calculated in their inhuman massacre. In sympathy with those whose pain so hurts my own heart but whose tears I cannot touch, whose wounds I cannot heal, and whose grief I cannot relieve.
The solidarity I feel with Mumbaikars is deep and personal.
The first time I ever visited the Taj Mahal Hotel was with my wife. We had been married just weeks and were not staying at the Taj but went to the historic “Sea Lounge” at the hotel for tea and snacks during a short visit to Mumbai. We went to the Oberoi Hotel the same visit in the naive and mistaken belief that we would find Bollywood bigwigs hanging out there. In later years I would come back and stay at the old wing of the Taj – down the corridor from where Ruttie Bai Jinnah and stayed – I would even present in the grand ballroom whose pillars, supposedly, had been brought from her father’s estate. Each time I passed through Victoria Terminus I stood in awe of the pace as well as its presence. In awe of the architectural structure, but also of the sea of humanity around me. I cannot hear of terrorists attacking these places without my own muscles twitching in anger.
But my feeling of solidarity with Mumbaikars is much much more personal than these few fleeting visits over many years. Deeply etched into me are the horrific echoes of 9/11 in New York and the string of terrorist attacks on Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and all over Pakistan whose reports have become all too familiar – but never bearable – on this blog. I know what living with terror feels like. I have thought too much and too deeply about what it feels like to be the target of violence propelled by hatred. I know the pain of helplessness one feels as one stands stunned in grief, wanting so desperately to do something – anything – but not knowing what to do. This is why I identify with the expression on the face of the woman in this picture. This is why, like so many others in the world, today I too am a Mumbaikar.
This is why I stand with Mumbaikars everywhere, in prayer and in solidarity. At a loss for words but with an urge to speak out. My words of condemnation will not change the actions of those who have committed such heinous murder and mayhem. Nor will my words of sympathy diminish the agony of the victims. But speak out I must. In condemnation as well as in sympathy. To speak against the inhumanity of hatred and violence. To speak for the humanity in all of us that we all must hold on to; especially in the testing moments of grave stress.
But, today, I have no words of analysis. What words can make sense of the patently senseless? I do not know who did this. Nor can I imagine any cause that would justify this. But this I know: No matter who did this, no matter why, the terror that has been wrought in Mumbai is vile and inhuman and unjustifiable. And, for the sake of our own humanness, we must speak out against it.
And, so, to any Mumbaikar who might be listening, I say: “I stand with you today. In prayer and in solidarity.”
Bunty: I am also a Pakistani but frankly I am not too sure of innocence of our people. Let us face it. It is not just current attack in Mumbai, but several other terrorist attacks carried out in other countries including those in Pakistan have shown linkage to Pakistan. Such elements are scourge of any civilized society and need to be flushed out without regard to their nationality. Pakistan government should give full cooperation into Mumbai investigations and if any Pakistani is found involved in this, he should be punished as any criminal.
Muslims ruled India for centuries. If islam had been spread by the sword (force) than 80% of people would be Muslims and not hindus. The Sword of Islam was the Intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world especially in the West and no one is forcing them to convert. I have relatives who have converted and they are not just american but chinese as well including former sikhs.
Rambo,
Most initial conquests of Islam were based on the ultimatum sent out by Mohammed: Convert or prepare for war. Islam isn’t the only religion that spread this way, but it is ridiculous to claim that it was spread just due to the goodness of Muslims. You’re the one in need of a history lesson.
I weep for Pakistan, my country is being physically AND psychologically destroyed by fundamentalism and violence.
Nopcthoughts: I did not justify the acts of killing because someone else is also doing it. You are just putting words in my mouth. Infact, I do not justify them at all. Killing of innocent civilians is completely abhorable. Leaving aside the arguments if the terrorism is morally better or worse than state killings, the current phenomenon of terrorism by non-state actors is very dangerous in itself. I very strongly beleive that Pakistan has to uproot it completely as it takes away the states monopoly of controlling its dealings with other nations and it has no place in a democratic functioning of state.
However, what I did say is that you can not blame Muslims only, for the acts of terrorism. Muslims are no better or worse than other groups and what makes me unhappy is when people single out muslims as if they are some other branch of animal kingdom and preach them about peaceful living. You obviously have no understanding of indian situation. You think this way because you have been interested in this phenomenon only after 9/11 and only from the perspective of the west. Do you know that in year 2002 more than 3000 Muslims were killed in three days at the hands of terrorists in indian state of Gujrat? Do you know how many muslims were killed in riots after Babri Masjid? Do you know just a year ago a dozens of Pakistanis returning from india were killed in terrorist attacks by hindus? Do you know about what happened in the mosques of Malegaoon about a year ago? Did you condemn any of those personally? Then why do you expect muslims to condemn each act of terrorism on demand?Going to the Muslim side of voilance you must not know how the kashmiri mujahideen had made life hell for kashmiri hindu pandits in 1990’s. But ofcourse that was before 9/11 when the world (western) was a peaceful place.
India has many many more voilant problems apart from hindu muslim issue. My only contention is that one should perhaps try to find solutions for the problem one is facing rather than painting a very large group of people as evil.
I think it would be impossible to discuss the nature and impact of christian reformation here. But according to my understanding, the peace and harmony in west is because of marginalization of religion from political life and as a source of social organization rather than some “reform” in the religion itself. Religion, no matter how much reformed, has always great potential of bringing bad to the society when used as a basis for organization of society One should look for modernization of muslim societies rather than the religion.
No muslim army ever set foot in south east asia but Indonesia has got the biggest population of muslims. This same goest for south India, maldives, comoros island, East Africa or for that matter most of the middle east. Islam being spread by the sword is propaganda. This does not however mean there not have incidents where people have been forced to convert. But majority of the cases Islam has not been spread by sword as it is said in the Quran that there is no compulsion in religion. It was during the dark ages of the europeans that christians and jews both took refuge in Muslim ruled areas. I wouldn’t go any further cause I could give you a whole history lesson on this.