By Abdul Hannan, IDMV
Word “Dalit” for Muslims, is unfamiliar in Muslim society. In Islam, entire Muslims, across the globe, what’s their identity is known only Muslim, nothing else. Cast and creed, poor and rich, black and white, Arab and none-Arab all are is meaningless in Muslim society. Islam dislikes discrimination policy and discourages any effort of building Muslim society into groups.
On the day of Hajjatul-wada (farewell Hajj) Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) razed and torn down all policies and laws are build to call Muslim or any community because of cast and creed.
Prophet Mohammed said “O’ People! Listen to my words, for I do not know whether we shall ever meet again and perform Hajj after this year. O’ Ye people! Allah says, O’ people We created you from one male and one female and made you into tribes and nations, so as to be known to one another. Verily in the sight of Allah, the most honoured amongst you is the one who is most God-fearing. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for the white over the black nor for the black over the white except in God-consciousness.”
This is the clear message of Prophet Mohammed to all mankind, Muslims and to all community of the world that which kind of society Islam seeks to establish.
Holy book of Qura’an says “O mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that who has Al Taqwa. Verily, Allah is all-knowing, all-aware”
This is the society; Islam seeks to build it and hopes from the believers to pay their role in eliminating the discrimination from the society.
In India, the situation is little different. Muslims and who converted into Islam from other religions can’t save themselves from transformation of cultures in multi cultural society. So many districts and villages in India, where ordinary people from Dalits or from untouched society converted to Islam due to the atrocities were being carried out and which is still continue by the upper cast and by Barahmanism, cannot merged themselves into Muslim community completely because of gaps on various levels.
Despite the changes in time and awareness in Muslims, Muslim society has trapped into cast system and no way to come out from it, after differences in religious schools, divisions on social ground also dominates in Muslim community.
The fact is that Muslim community is divided into cast which came from other religions. Here can be seen a large difference in Muslim communities. A group of Muslim community is receiving and is getting the rights; on the other hand, a group of them, is away from education and from all basic needs. On social ground, it seems that they are living in exile. Their mosques, schools, villages and their majority living areas are separate from other Muslim community. They live under poverty line and die in it. Sometimes this community is not believed Muslims.
We as a part of Muslim community can’t ignore this one that we are creating hurdles and dividing communities into cast and creed. In our society and in front of our eyes can be seen a big difference in Muslim communities because of professions, casts, jobs and works.
The door of Mosques is closed for backward Muslims and for those are from other schools. A fear dominates at the time of passing from that area of such communities who are not seen in the society through good eye.
This is very important question for Muslim leaders that Muslim community, which is believed backward or are from other schools, or our un-Islamic action forced them to show themselves as Dalit Muslims, where is going. Turning a blind eye from the truth and faith on divisions are pushing them to change their names, identity and their religion to get a piece of bread for their children and for their families.
Sadly, that we are wasting precious times in blaming BJP and RSS, while our attitude towards backward Muslims, is forcing them to convert their social strata to live in the society with avoiding alienation phenomena.
Tragically, the Muslims, who live in slums where their children search the sign of life in garbage, are believed a different community.
Islam calls unification and seeks from their believers to spread it at any rate. Divided Muslim society into cast and creed, is far away from Islamic teachings.
Majority of Muslims live in slums, their world and their life style is very different. In another words, they are totally chopped from other Muslim community. When Muslim leaders discuss on Muslim’s related issues, this community is being ignored totally, even sometimes seems that it is not among of us. What their children do, what their parents do, how they earn and how they struggle in their daily life and which kind of assistance they need from us is not a matter of concern for all of us.
One thing also I need to say, that Muslim’s example just like a body, as our prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said before 14 hundred years ago, if any part of body passes with difficulties, entire body affects with it, backward Muslims are from our part of body also. What history says, and how cast systems developed in Muslim society, and how this community affected by Hindu culture and the cultures of Arayn Samaj and Barheman, will not leave any effect on their current conditions. Registering the facts into books and saving it for next generation is a good step but if anybody thinks that it will change their life style, so surely he is wrong and failed to judge the situation.
Before us, this is a big challenge that what can be do for them. Which kind of steps can be taken to uplift their condition and how they can be powered to stand in society with other communities without any discrimination?
No doubt, that government is not in hurry to look on their conditions. Before it, political game is only one solution to keep remain in government. How people live, and how they survive and which kind of assistance can be given them, is meaningless for it. In people’s pressure, government, sometimes, takes decisions. Concerning backward Muslims, if Muslim leaders and NGOs not put pressure on government, their condition will continue without any changes.
Awareness program, conferences, petitions in courts and pressuring on government by rallies or by all democratically means may delivers a good result in future.
From long times, we are viewing that Muslim leaders and various groups like to waste their time and potentials in criticizing on each other or blaming others for this situation. Criticism is not the correct answer. The community is in need work and rehabilitation program on ground level. Converting the ground situation will be a good step for them instead to criticize others for the situation governing in Muslim community.
Trying to change ground situation and providing legal assistance with informing them the facilities started by the government for their rehabilitation will provide them a platform to change the social stigma which always reminds them their positions and place in the society.
(Abdul Hannan is a senior journalist and could be contacted at abdul_hannan_hannan@yahoo.co.in)
Word “Dalit” for Muslims, is unfamiliar in Muslim society. In Islam, entire Muslims, across the globe, what’s their identity is known only Muslim, nothing else. Cast and creed, poor and rich, black and white, Arab and none-Arab all are is meaningless in Muslim society. Islam dislikes discrimination policy and discourages any effort of building Muslim society into groups.
On the day of Hajjatul-wada (farewell Hajj) Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) razed and torn down all policies and laws are build to call Muslim or any community because of cast and creed.
Prophet Mohammed said “O’ People! Listen to my words, for I do not know whether we shall ever meet again and perform Hajj after this year. O’ Ye people! Allah says, O’ people We created you from one male and one female and made you into tribes and nations, so as to be known to one another. Verily in the sight of Allah, the most honoured amongst you is the one who is most God-fearing. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for the white over the black nor for the black over the white except in God-consciousness.”
This is the clear message of Prophet Mohammed to all mankind, Muslims and to all community of the world that which kind of society Islam seeks to establish.
Holy book of Qura’an says “O mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that who has Al Taqwa. Verily, Allah is all-knowing, all-aware”
This is the society; Islam seeks to build it and hopes from the believers to pay their role in eliminating the discrimination from the society.
In India, the situation is little different. Muslims and who converted into Islam from other religions can’t save themselves from transformation of cultures in multi cultural society. So many districts and villages in India, where ordinary people from Dalits or from untouched society converted to Islam due to the atrocities were being carried out and which is still continue by the upper cast and by Barahmanism, cannot merged themselves into Muslim community completely because of gaps on various levels.
Despite the changes in time and awareness in Muslims, Muslim society has trapped into cast system and no way to come out from it, after differences in religious schools, divisions on social ground also dominates in Muslim community.
The fact is that Muslim community is divided into cast which came from other religions. Here can be seen a large difference in Muslim communities. A group of Muslim community is receiving and is getting the rights; on the other hand, a group of them, is away from education and from all basic needs. On social ground, it seems that they are living in exile. Their mosques, schools, villages and their majority living areas are separate from other Muslim community. They live under poverty line and die in it. Sometimes this community is not believed Muslims.
We as a part of Muslim community can’t ignore this one that we are creating hurdles and dividing communities into cast and creed. In our society and in front of our eyes can be seen a big difference in Muslim communities because of professions, casts, jobs and works.
The door of Mosques is closed for backward Muslims and for those are from other schools. A fear dominates at the time of passing from that area of such communities who are not seen in the society through good eye.
This is very important question for Muslim leaders that Muslim community, which is believed backward or are from other schools, or our un-Islamic action forced them to show themselves as Dalit Muslims, where is going. Turning a blind eye from the truth and faith on divisions are pushing them to change their names, identity and their religion to get a piece of bread for their children and for their families.
Sadly, that we are wasting precious times in blaming BJP and RSS, while our attitude towards backward Muslims, is forcing them to convert their social strata to live in the society with avoiding alienation phenomena.
Tragically, the Muslims, who live in slums where their children search the sign of life in garbage, are believed a different community.
Islam calls unification and seeks from their believers to spread it at any rate. Divided Muslim society into cast and creed, is far away from Islamic teachings.
Majority of Muslims live in slums, their world and their life style is very different. In another words, they are totally chopped from other Muslim community. When Muslim leaders discuss on Muslim’s related issues, this community is being ignored totally, even sometimes seems that it is not among of us. What their children do, what their parents do, how they earn and how they struggle in their daily life and which kind of assistance they need from us is not a matter of concern for all of us.
One thing also I need to say, that Muslim’s example just like a body, as our prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) said before 14 hundred years ago, if any part of body passes with difficulties, entire body affects with it, backward Muslims are from our part of body also. What history says, and how cast systems developed in Muslim society, and how this community affected by Hindu culture and the cultures of Arayn Samaj and Barheman, will not leave any effect on their current conditions. Registering the facts into books and saving it for next generation is a good step but if anybody thinks that it will change their life style, so surely he is wrong and failed to judge the situation.
Before us, this is a big challenge that what can be do for them. Which kind of steps can be taken to uplift their condition and how they can be powered to stand in society with other communities without any discrimination?
No doubt, that government is not in hurry to look on their conditions. Before it, political game is only one solution to keep remain in government. How people live, and how they survive and which kind of assistance can be given them, is meaningless for it. In people’s pressure, government, sometimes, takes decisions. Concerning backward Muslims, if Muslim leaders and NGOs not put pressure on government, their condition will continue without any changes.
Awareness program, conferences, petitions in courts and pressuring on government by rallies or by all democratically means may delivers a good result in future.
From long times, we are viewing that Muslim leaders and various groups like to waste their time and potentials in criticizing on each other or blaming others for this situation. Criticism is not the correct answer. The community is in need work and rehabilitation program on ground level. Converting the ground situation will be a good step for them instead to criticize others for the situation governing in Muslim community.
Trying to change ground situation and providing legal assistance with informing them the facilities started by the government for their rehabilitation will provide them a platform to change the social stigma which always reminds them their positions and place in the society.
(Abdul Hannan is a senior journalist and could be contacted at abdul_hannan_hannan@yahoo.co.in)
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