GREAT THINKERS ON ISLAM, Part - I

Date: 01 Jul 2008

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GREAT THINKERS ON ISLAM, Part - I
Author: Capt. Ranapratap Roy on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 01:10 AM Printable page   Email to a friend 

By Capt. Ranapratap Roy*
.
PREFACE

Islam is a fourteen hundred years old doctrine. Most of the people of the world consider it as a religion; and not just a religion, but a religion of peace and equality! It is the state-religion of 50 odd countries and 1.3 billion people lives according to its guidance.

The Koran is the scripture of Islam. The Muslims believe that Allah had sent His messenger Gabrief to the prophet Muhammad with His messages, which had been revealed to Muhammad through twenty three years, in different phase, and in different situations. The Koran is the collection of all these messages of Allah. Nobody is allowed to alter even a single letter of this scripture. Each and every Muslim is religiously bound to abide by these messages word by word in every sphere of his life. 

It is really unfortunate that Very few non-Muslims have ever cared to read the entire text of the Koran. But many famous non-Muslim super personalities did explore Islam and their comments and observations on Islam and the Muslims had been documented in their writings and speeches. Some of these comments on Islam are compiled in this book. But unless the readers themselves read the Koran, they can not possibly understand why these renowned stalwarts made such derogatory comments on Islam. Some important quotations from the Koran are given in the appendix so that the readers themselves can judge the same with an unbiased mind. But still we request every body to go through the whole Koran and the other books mentioned in this text and verify the present quotations to judge its accuracy and authenticity.

 At the very outset, we would like to make it clear that the quotations are compiled not to hurt the religious sentiment of anybody or to disturb communal harmony. We hope the messages expressed in these quotations will open the eyes of the Muslims and they will come forward to find a way out for peaceful coexistence with others despite the teachings of the Koran. All the great personalities in India and abroad including Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Ram Krishna, Rishi Aurobinda, Guru Nanak, Swami Vivekananda, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mr. M K Gandhi, Dr B R Ambedkar and others were not after all communal and they just wanted to address an unsolved world problem, which ultimately can’t be ignored. We also believe that, sooner our leaders address the issue, the more peacefully it could be solved. But the prestige of Islam cannot be protected by violent demonstrations or attacking the critics. This kind of irresponsible and criminal behavior will only increase the awareness on the negative sides of Islam and will prove the critics are right. 

 An obvious truth like ‘the earth moves round the sun’ couldn’t be throttled by violent demonstrations or even by killing Galileo. The Muslims surely know ‘the obvious truth about Islam.’ But how many Muslims really believe that they will get 72 Houries and 28 Gelemans in Jannah as rewards for killing innocent non-Muslims in Jihad? We also wonder that what the Muslim women will get in Jannah for their participation in Jihad. The political leaders in India should keep in their minds that they are not doing any good to the Muslim population by pampering the violent demonstrators, just like Dhritarashtra of Mahabharata didn’t do any good to his sons Durjyodhan and Duhshashan by tolerating their attempt to rape and assault Draupadi. All his sons faced total damnation when Dharma prevailed but their lives could be spared if they were disciplined in childhood. 

Religious orthodox killed Galileo but could not kill the truth. The ridiculous theory of ‘sun moves round the earth’ had been shattered despite the fact that two religious books are still preaching this theory. Is there any educated Christian or Muslim on earth today, who still believe in this notion? A day will surely come when the Muslim youth will condemn the doctrine of Jihad and will ridicule each other for believing in the theory of getting 72 women and 28 boys in heaven for reward of killing innocent non-Muslims in the way of Allah, if of course, they don’t blow themselves up in suicide bombing before that realization.

We also like to remind our political leaders, who cover up the mass rape committed by the Muslims or pamper the violent Muslim demonstrators in order to gain their votes. It is an important lesson from history that the non-Muslim leaders who pampered the Islamic forces for personal gains or due to mere ignorance, were the first to be slain by them. There is no exception to this Islamic policy in the 1400 hundred years history of Islam. America is the latest example. It pampered Islamism all over the world to fight Communism with Islamic fanaticism. But, as soon as the Communism was defeated, Islamic forces employed their full strength to destroy America and compelled the weak governments like that of India to work as their ally and to recruit enormous number of Muslims in Military, Police and in administrative services (IAS) so that Islamic forces can get full control of India very soon.

In the first installment, we have quoted some world famous great thinkers on Islam and Muslim psyche, both ex-Muslims and non-Muslims, to show how they understood the real Islam and the Muslim psyche. We have started with 4 Nobel Prize winners, followed by some all time great intellectual stalwarts. In the second installment, we would like to present quotations from some very famous Muslim leaders and Islamic scholars about their own perceptions on Islam and the duty and goal of the Muslims, to show what they actually think about the non-Muslims. In the Appendix some important verses from authentic translations of the Koran are given. We retain the original spellings of the authors as far as possible for authenticity, so same word may have different spellings in this book.

 Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

Now we are coming to the observations made by the world famous Nobel laureate Bengali poet and sage Rabindranath Tagore, who is considered to be one of the all time greatest poet, philosopher, thinker and humanist. His secular credentials are established beyond doubt. Furthermore, Tagore is often projected as a messiah of unity between the Muslims and the non-Muslims. So it is extremely important to highlight what Tagore personally thought and felt about the creed of Islam and it’s followers called Muslims.

“There are two religions on the earth, which have distinct enmity against all other religions. These two are Christianity and Islam. They are not satisfied with just observing their own religions, but are determined to destroy all other religions. That’s why the only way to make peace with them is to embrace their religion.”

 

 

[The above is a part of a letter written by Rabindranath Tagore to Sri Kalidas Nag on 7<sup>th</sup> Asar, 1329 Bangabda, compiled in the article ‘Hindu-Muslim’ in the book ‘Kalantar’ and compiled in the Complete Works of Rabindranath (in Bengali), published by Viswabharati University, 1982, Vol – 24, p – 375 (tr – the author)]

 

 

One thing we must keep in mind in this respect. The poets may have different types of emotions at different times and often express contradictory ideas in their different writings. But the above statement was made in a private letter and hence reflects Rabindranath’s personal experience and view point and surely can be considered as his own intrinsic feelings about Islam. Somebody may argue that this feeling may be his momentary or just one time expression of his frustration, evoked by some particular incident at a given time and does not reflect his true or permanent conception about Islam. But please note the dates of his subsequent quotations about Islam, which were made during a wide span of time spreading several years and even decades. This clearly proves the Rabindranath’s above mentioned comments on Islam and Muslim psyche were not the expressions of his momentary frustration but his deep realization and grave concerns about the Islamic menace and security of the Hindu society. 

 

 

Similarly the quotations of Swami Vivekananda, Rishi Aurobinda, Great Ambedkar and other great men, presented in this book were made during several years of their life span and hence are not their temporary or momentary emotions but their core realizations from the bottom of their hearts. These great men tried to warn us about the true nature of Islam but we did not pay heed to them. Now in twenty – first century when Islamic terrorism is being intensified every day to engulf the human civilization, it is high time for mankind to remember the warnings of these great men and also to understand why they said so. 

 

 

After all, these great men were not communal fanatics or politically motivated. On the contrary, they are considered by the whole world as “philanthropists” and “apostles of communal harmony.” So, now, it is our duty to try to understand their concerns and read the Koran itself to corroborate their views. The compilers and editors of this presentation have no intension to spread hatred towards and religious groups but to make people aware of a hard core reality and think about a peaceful solution through reasoning, justification and without unrealistic emotions. Not problem can be solved if the hard core reality is not acknowledged and accepted. The Muslim Community also should think deeply about this problem. They also should realize that riots are not the solutions to suppress the criticism of their theology, but they should present counter-logic, if they have any.

 

 

Another thing we like to mention here that although Rabindranath criticized Christianity for being non-friendly to others but presently the Christians are not conducting any suicide bombing or violent activities any where in the in the world in name of their religion. So, we can safely ignore what Rabindranath had commented on Christianity.

 

 

So please go through the following quotations of those all time great thinkers and famous leaders with a special note to the dates of their comments. Also please understand that their comments are not time-bound or applicable to their time only. The circumstances have not been changed at all and their warnings are still fully valid in the present day situations also. So we can’t afford to ignore them with vain salutes and throwing garland on their statues without paying heed to their warnings (Aaji durdine firanu tader bartho namaskare or in this period of crisis, we should not ignore them through insincere saluting.)

 

 

 

Rabindranath also observed, “A very important factor which is making it almost impossible for Hindu-Muslim unity to become an accomplished fact is that the Muslim can not confine their patriotism to any one country. I had frankly asked the Muslims whether in the event of any Mohammedan power invading India, would they (Muslims) stand side by side with their Hindu neighbors to defend their common land or join the invaders. I was not satisfied with the reply I have obtained from them….. Even such a man as Mr. Mohammed Ali (one of the famous Ali brothers, the leaders of the Khilafat Movement) has declared that under no circumstances is it permissible for any Mohammedan, whatever be his country, to stand against any Mohammedan”.

 

 

[Appeared as Interview of Rabindranath in English daily the ‘Times of India’ April 18, 1924 in the column - “Through Indian Eyes.” It has also been quoted by Ambedkar and others in their writings.]

 

 

While commenting on the post-Khilafat Hindu Muslim riots, Rabindranath said, “Whenever a Muslim calls upon the Muslim society, he never faces any resistance – he calls in the name of one God ‘Allah-hu-Akbar.’ On the other hand, when we (Hindus) call, ‘come on Hindus,’ who will respond? We, the divided in numerous small communities, may barriers – provincialism – who will respond overcoming all these obstacles?”

 

 

“We were endangered by many invasions, but we could never be united. When Muhammad Ghouri brought the first blow from outside, the Hindus could not be united, even in those days of imminent danger. When the Muslims started to demolish the temples one after another, and to break the idols of Gods and Goddesses, the Hindus fought and died in small groups but they could not be united. It has been proved that we the Hindus were killed in different epochs of history due to our internal discord.”

 

 

“Weakness harbors sin. So, if the Muslims beat us and we, the Hindus, tolerate this without resistance – then, we will know that it is made possible only by our weakness. For the sake of ourselves and our neighbour Muslims also, we have to discard our weakness. We can appeal to our neighbour Muslims, ‘Please don’t be cruel to us. No religion should be based on genocide’ – but this kind of appeal is nothing but the weeping of the weak persons. When the low pressure is created in the air, storm comes spontaneously’ nobody can stop it for sake of religion. Similarly, if weakness is cherished and is allowed to exit, torture comes automatically – nobody can stop it. Possible, the Hindus and the Muslims can make a fake friendship to each other for a while, but that can not last for ever. As long as you don’t purify the soil, which grows only thorny shrubs, you can not expect any fruit.”

 

 

[“Letter to Swami Shraddhananda, ‘by Rabindranath, Magh, 1333 Bangabda’ complied in the book “Kalantar”]

 

 

Rabindranath Elaborated further in the context of the extremely brutal Hindu massacre and mass rape of the Hindu women by the Mopla Muslims in Kerala as given below:

 

 

“Dr. Munje said in another part of his report that, eight hundred years ago, the Hindu king of Malabar (now Kerala) on the advice of his Brahmin ministers, made big favor to the Arab Muslim to settle in his kingdom. Even he appeased the Arab Muslims by converting the Hindus to Islam to an extent to making law for compulsory conversion of a member of each Hindu fisherman family in to Islam. Those, whose nature is to practice idiocy rather than common sense, never can enjoy freedom even if they are in the throne. They turn the hour of action in to a night of merriment. That’s why they are always struck by the ghost at the middle of the day.” 

 

 

Rabindranath continues, “The king of Malabar once gave away his throne to idiocy. That idiocy is still ruling Malabar from a Hindu throne. That’s why the Hindus are still being beaten and saying that God is there, turning the faces towards the sky. Throughout India we allowed idiocy to rule and surrender ourselves to it. That kingdom of idiocy – the fatal lack of commonsense – was continuously invaded by the Pathans, sometimes by the Mughols and sometimes by the British. From outside we can only see the torture done by them, but they are only the tools of torture, not really the cause. The real reason of the torture is our lack of common sense and our idiocy, which is responsible for our sufferings. So we have to fight this idiocy that divided the Hindus and imposed slavery on us……..If we only think about the torture we will not find any solution. But if we can get rid of our idiocy, the tyrants will surrender to us.”

 

[’Samasya,’ (The Problem), Agrahayan, 1330 Bangabda, in “Kalantar”.]

 
 
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