Q. A strong reaction in the shape of ‘Bhartia Janata Party’ has emerged in India, against the tide of Muslim fundamentalism gaining strength over the past few years. That is, "if other religions insist on their centuries-old laws, then why not we should do the same?" Because of this action and reaction, not only the Hindu but also the enlightened Muslim leadership in India, considers secularism as a means of religious harmony. Under the circumstances, is it not appropriate if front-line leaders of all religions get together and work for the secular culture, popularize peaceful co-existence from religious perspective, and thus restrict themselves only to general preaching and propagating their religions alongwith general social work?

My dear brother! If we were to do only that, then there was no need to struggle for and create Pakistan. The ‘sympathetic suggestion’ inherent in your question, negates the whole basic approach of the Pakistan movement. It is also gross mis-understanding that the ‘birth date’ of what you call ‘Hindu fundamentalism’ in India, is probably linked to the demand for Islamic system in Pakistan or the Islamic renaissance movement. I humbly submit, that those who so expound, know little about the history of the sub-continent, where the ‘Shudhi’ movement started towards the end of the 19th century. Movements like ‘Sanghtan’ were also a call to ‘Ram Raj’ (Hindu rule).

To counter the ‘Jihadi’ movement of Sayyed Ahmad Shaheed, which was the biggest force against the Western imperialism and the ‘Sikha Shahi’, numerous mischievous plans were designed, including the planting of the naughty ‘Qadiani’ group. The mischief of religious sectarianism was there and the revival of ‘hinduism’ was only its continuation. You will find all this properly grown and established after the freedom struggle of 1857 and more particularly after the ‘mujahideen’ movement and their last court trial in 1884. Love to the motherland and ‘Dharam’ (religion) became Hindi slogans under the English guidance and patronage. From that time on and towards the end of the first world war, the violent movement dead-drunk with Hindu fundamentalism and pure Hindu nationalism, reached to its zenith. This was the background in which the Hindu-Muslim disturbances erupted and Hindus used violence against Muslims. This was the period when the true ‘Brahman’ hidden in Gandhi got exposed. Remember, that prior to 1924, during the 900 years of Muslim rule and the 100 years of English occupation, Hindu-Muslim violent disturbances never occurred.

The ‘Bhartia Janata Party’ was then not yet born. Then it was the ‘Rashtria Sawami Sewak Sangh’ (RSS), which was their military arm. Pandit Madan Mohan Malvia was one of its think-tank leadership, who earlier (pretended to be) admirer of our Indian Muslim leaders like Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, Abdul Bari Farangi Mahal , Quaid-e-Azam and the rest and supported the ‘Khilafat Movement’. Yet, the magnanimity and open-mindedness of the Muslim leaders could not help transform the ‘Brahmani’ prejudices and narrow-thinking of Gandhi Jee and Mohan Malvia Jee. This party (RSS) was founded on Hindu religious extremism and Hindu nationalism. It then gave birth to ‘Jan Sangh’. Lastly we see the face of ‘Bhartia Janata Party’. If now they legitimize their Hindu bias and the evolution of hatred for the Muslims, as a reaction to the movement of Islamic system in Pakistan, then it is a clear proof of their intellectual dishonesty. But those Muslims, who in accord with them, attempt to impeach the movement of Islamic revival, in fact, nullify their study of the history.

Consider the whole matter in the given background and it will become clear that the present tide of Hindu bigotry and vengeance is not at all to oppose Islamic movement in Pakistan. In fact, it is an anti-Muslim movement, which was deeply rooted and strengthened during the 19th century.

There is yet another aspect worth consideration. All eminent analysts agree that the growth of the current wave of Hindu chauvinism is greatly attributed to Indra Gandhi herself and Rajiv Gandhi. When as a result of the Muslim preaching efforts the low caste Hindus in southern India were attracted to Islam, then Indra Gandhi and the Brahman establishment in India instigated and encouraged the Hindu extremism. Particularly, in the Hindu belt of northern India a violent wave erupted aimed at Muslim killing. The issue of ‘Babri’ mosque was lossed up. Controversy was created concerning Muslim Family Laws and an environment of religious bias was created only for political expediency. This is, however, the irony of history, that Congress could not profit from what was its own creation. The real dividend went to Bhartia Janata Party.

When Bangladesh was carved, the Hindus felt that the Indian Muslims were getting more and more self-relying and they were using the political pressure of vote. Particularly, when Indra Gandhi, the then Prime Minister declared emergency in 1975, during which ‘emasculation’ of the Muslim youth was made a central issue, the Muslims struggled against it and the Muslim vote played a pivotal role in the first ever defeat faced by Congress. In reality, this is the point in history when Hindu extremism tried to make a specific political gain. Yet its ideological foundations were laid since the 19th century. It did not happen all of a sudden.

Also, this situation will not prevail for very long, because Hinduism provides no clear way of life in social matters. With respect to society and social justice, they do not have any reasonable guidance. I recall a statement by Maulana Mawdudi from "Rasa’el-o-Masa’el’ ( ), in which he told a Hindu that if you have a real Divine Guidance, so that you settle your matters according to that and truly follow some path of obedience to Allah, it will certainly be better for you. But you do not have such a thing, so do no get biased and accept the religion which provides a life system based on Divine revelation. That is what was good for the humanity. In fact, this was the awareness and understanding that gave birth to the whole movement of Pakistan.

If our aim was to build a system of ‘religious toleration’ under the shadow of the proposed good-looking secularism, then we needed not this Pakistan for the purpose. Then it is also an objective reality that the concepts of human-being, of society, of state and of nation, which the Western civilization gave, are falling to pieces, one by one. Communism made an attempt to build some check wall but that has also vanished, blown like a straw.. Under the circumstances, the Guidance, the Principles and the System which provide solution to human problems rest only with Islam. Islam is not the proprietary religion of Pakistanis, nor the racial Muslims enjoy monopoly over it. Islam is a message, providing model of living, sustenance and civilized manner for all humanity. This is our claim. This is our message.

The solution that you proposed in your question for the Hindu extremism, amounts to killing the whole system of the Muslims. That is why we are in open revolt against such "systematic and intellectual" pieces of advice. No doubt, the men today have learnt how to fly like birds and swim like fish, but unfortunately they are yet not able to live and walk on earth like the human being. It is only Islam which tells how to live on earth like noble human being. We are working to establish such a society. If and when we succeed, its positive impact will be felt in the lives of the Indian Hindus, as well as the poor oppressed Muslims and the down-trodden ‘Harijans’, because these people have not so far seen the religious tolerance and liberty that Islam gives. Even now, when Pakistan does not have an Islamic system, its treatment with the minorities is better, rather far better, than any other Asian state.