AFTER THE MURDER OF AVIJIT

Published on Thursday, 5 March 2015

In response to my very brief post (written in utmost grief) "Chhi Chhi" of 27th February 2015 in this blog following the gruesome murder of Avijit Roy, one Huseyin Rahmi Guner commented " … If anyone slew a person unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land it would be as if he slew the whole humanity: and if anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the whole humanity." (Al-Qur'an 5:32).

In reply I wrote "Hi Guner, We know this verse from Qur'an. But, you have not explained what for you have quoted this verse. The interpretation of the term 'mischief' depends on which side of the table one is. This is not the time to beat around the bush. Please come out openly". Very expectedly the said Guner did not reply anymore.

This is exactly the disease from which a big proportion of Muslims suffers and justifies the religion of Islam through crime and blood bath. If you ask them whether they are Muslims first or humans first, they will certainly choose the former. This group of Muslims gives moral support to violent Islamists bigots but leads a normal life themselves within our society. They are right in the sense that unlike other religions, the Qur'an and Hadith contain many directives to followers for violent actions to save and spread Islam and these directives are prescriptive to this group of Muslims.

Let us look at two cults of recent origin. Bahai faith was founded by Bahaullah in 19 century Persia. Followers of this faith believe in unity of God, religion and humanity. There are probably more than 5 million Bahais around the world in more than 200 countries and territories. The second cult is International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) which was founded in 1966 in New York City by Swami Prabhupada. ISKCON was formed to spread the practice of Bhakti Yago. ISKON has also about 5 million of followers spreading worldwide in about 600 centres. Both these cults, in spite of different valid criticisms, have flourished because Bahai faith is all-inclusive and ISKON is non-violent in approach for its spread. Had Islam been of recent origin, it would have a very poor prospect for spread. Spread of Islam, secondary to imperialistic expansion, would have been impossible and unthinkable in recent time. And its spread through Sufi saints would not have brought dividend even nearer to ISKON and Bahai faith. Of course I don't believe in any cult or religion. The example has been given to emphasize my point.

In Islam, the Iman prevents many Muslims to think rationally. This Iman also kindles their aspiration of going to fictitious 'paradise' after death by even encouraging religio-criminal activities. The Iman is the iron jacket from which there is no escape for this group of Muslims. Ulema, all over the world, never condemn Islamist violence unequivocally. This is because either they support the violence on the basis of Islamic references or they avoid condemning Islamist violence for fear of being called apostates. This has only helped the Islamist bigots to use Islam as a tool for practicing and propagating a male dominated power game with aggressive and violent 'I am o'k, you are not o'k' mind set.

The murderers of Avijit are surely Islamist bigots but they never felt threatened and isolated in the planning and execution of the murder. Muslim society is too crippled to condemn and outcast these Islamist bigots. We must understand this fact after the murder of Avijit and address the problem accordingly.

Religions are unreasoning of early and medieval human society and I condemn all religions from the core of my heart.

A blood thirsty religion with 24 x 7 praise-seeking Allah is a product of weird imagination only.