Eid reflections

WHILE the essence and spirit of Eid-ul-Fitr remains unchanged, the ambience around the country, the happenings in its neighbourhood, and the atmosphere of terror and violence enveloping a large part of the world in the wake of Sept 11, have given a sombre touch to this year’s festival. Islam’s message of peace, justice and moderation has been brought home most tellingly in the light of recent events. Today, at the end of the holy month of Ramazan, this is a moment of serious reflection for all Muslims. As they celebrate the occasion all over the world, they must resolve to emerge out of a long nurtured state of self-pity and inaction and meet the many challenges confronting them today. Their plight is mainly rooted in factors that have remained unattended. First and foremost, the cause of their backwardness is their powerlessness. Many Muslim states are abundantly rich in resources and manpower, but poor in utilizing these. Every conceivable element essential for progress is within their grasp but is being exploited by others. Though nominally free and sovereign, they are virtually enslaved by their rulers, who are driven by selfish motives rather than larger interests. People, mostly poor and ignorant, have little say in their affairs. Apathy and lack of awareness have contributed to their misery. Autocratic rulers decide their fate in most cases. The principle of consultation and consent (Shoora) — the ground norm of an Islamic polity — is twisted to suit vested designs.

Enlightenment is another casualty, so that its absence allows the status quo to continue. Thinking sections helplessly watch this situation. If they do not rise even at this juncture to play their due role as a dynamic force and come up with a vision and motivate the masses to change the existing order, they will share the blame for an unpardonable lapse. Another segment that wields considerable influence on Muslim societies consists of clerics, who unfortunately are creating divisions among Muslims instead of bringing them closer to one another. Their sectarian approach has made many of the mosques and madrassahs breeding grounds for hatred and schism. Our ritualistic approach to the tenets and practices of Islam is self-defeating and our prayers have a hollow ring in the absence of matching actions.

The rigorous regimen of Ramazan meant to inculcate piety, charity, restraint and discipline should find expression in our deeds. Shunning extremism and choosing the middle path as good Muslims must be the badge of our distinction. The true image of Islam that has unfortunately been tarnished more by its own votaries than by its detractors needs to be restored, specially now that it is being linked with terrorism by interested quarters to suit their designs and their perverse political aims. The best way to dispel this sort of canard about Islam and its followers is to cite the teachings of the Quran in the light of Sunnah. This final revelation, which wrought a revolution in the contemporary world, was gifted to mankind during the month of Ramazan. This Book is a perfect guide and of binding charter for the believers. For the Muslims, it is the touchstone to determine right and wrong. Its teachings are crystal clear and all-embracing. Going by its words, respecting the worth of human life is an integral element of faith. Those who disregard this Quranic edict and indulge in killing innocent people anywhere cease to be believers. They are not only terrorists, but also heretics.

Besides the Quranic exhortations, the history of early Islam emphasizes the importance of ascendancy and the way to achieve it. That a small band of devotees unfurled the flag of Islam and held it high in the face of two superpowers of that era, the Roman and Persian empires, offers an inspiring example of courage and devotion. When combined, material and moral strengths can help overcome seemingly invincible odds, provided a sincere and constructive effort is made. Today, as we offer congregational prayers we should ponder the present situation earnestly and pray that this Eid marks a turning point in the life of the Muslim people everywhere

Denial of justice in US

THE US Justice Department’s refusal to allow Human Rights Watch access to people arrested in connection with the Sept 11 attacks is highly regrettable. By doing so and by denying those in detention their basic human rights, the Bush administration seems to be making a complete mockery of the very principles that America itself was founded upon. The US-based rights group had written to the US Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) asking permission to visit four detention centres and interview those arrested. It had also asked for information regarding the case of Mohammed Butt, a Pakistani, who died while in custody on Oct 23 in circumstances that continue to be shrouded in mystery.

Permission to visit three of the detention facilities has so far been denied by the INS while a decision on the fourth is awaited. The reason for the denial, in the case of one such centre, in the words of a senior INS official, is that such interviews would not be feasible given the “extraordinary” circumstances. Yes, the circumstances might indeed be extraordinary in that America has never experienced terrorist attacks on this scale on its own soil. But should that justify a suspension of fundamental law — something that the INS reply seems to be implying. Officials at another centre in their denial of HRW’s request also referred to the situation after Sept 11, saying “activities not related to its day-to-day operations were being minimized”. By this, are we to presume that the rights of a person under detention are to be sacrificed at the altar of expediency, simply because they somehow clash with the ‘day-to-day’ working of the prison they are housed in? As for the case of Mr Butt, the INS response has been equally disappointing, not to mention quite illogical. It has said that the information on the dead man cannot be released unless Human Rights Watch produces a document with his signature indicating his consent to the release of information. Apparently, the INS has not seen the absurdity in its reply to what seems a perfectly normal request by the rights group about a man who is dead.

By continuing to deny access to those arrested in connection with the Sept 11 attacks, the US will only end up undermining public confidence in the “due process.” After all, what does the Justice Department have to hide? Why cannot Human Rights Watch, America’s largest human rights organization, be allowed access to these people? Surely, the Bush administration should see that actions like these, apart from restricting civil liberties at home, end up damaging its own credibility with the rest of the world, especially with its partners in the world coalition. US Attorney General John Ashcroft recently said at a Senate hearing: “[T]o those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: your tactics only aid terrorists.” Hopefully, Mr Ashcroft will see that his own government’s actions might be doing just that. To prove that this is not the case, he should at the very least order an independent inquiry into the death of Mr Mohammed Butt.