Dangerous levels of blasphemy
The last link, or the first victims, is the ‘believing community’ that grows up listening to violent interpretations. Among them are the relatively innocent ones who think that Islam should be protected by killing all dissident voices like Rushdie, and if necessary, they should eliminate themselves. They are the biggest fuel for Islamophobia.
Hamid Dabashi’s observations on Shiism and the Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979 are noteworthy. Dabashi, who finds the roots of the Islamic revolution in the fighting spirit inherent in Shiism, later explains how the priesthood, which is part of the same Shiism, overthrew the revolution.
The Islamic Revolution was led by legendary struggles and protests by people with different political slogans against foreign interference and brutal oppression by the Shahs. But For the Islamists to hijack it and gain dominance in the critical closing stages.
Once in power, they gave way to a tainted priesthood. Later, Dabashi opines that strategic interventions in certain developments such as the Iran-Iraq war, the Rushdie affair, and the American sanctions have dramatically increased the power of the priesthood.
Hamid Dabashi
Of the three things mentioned above by Dabashi, Rushdie is arguably the most profitable with the least investment. The return on investment was much higher than the other two events.
The war with Iraq and US sanctions have greatly consolidated the power of the clerical and Islamist polities, but at a heavy economic and political cost.
But politics is not like that, which stirs emotions against any book or cartoon. There is no obligation to confront terrorist regimes like the US or Saddam’s Iraq. A relatively weak writer or publisher. No war, blockade, aggression or military threats.
Iran’s clerical-Islamist regime is not the only one that has used emotional campaigns using propaganda and conspiracy theories to put weak opponents in the position. Behind the blasphemy riots that rocked Pakistan ‘Tahreek e Labbaik Pakistan’ (TLP) is another example.
Asia BibiThe political history of the TLP was nothing but violent struggles against the most vulnerable women in Pakistan, belonging to the Christian minority community. The TLP has ‘grown’ to the point where it can hold the Pakistani government in a short period of time.
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan
This is not a phenomenon confined to the political party TLP or Pakistan alone. Al Jazeera says that since 1990, more than 80 people have lost their lives in Pakistan on blasphemy ‘charges’..
Mob lynching on mere accusations is common practice, in the same manner and style as the beef killings here. Al Jazeera adds that often the relatives of accused persons, lawyers or the judge who gave the verdict are killed.
A textile factory manager in Sri Lanka was recently brutally lynched on charges of blasphemy. After killing him, this Muslim criminal group carried out the crime by publicly burning his dead body.
In European countries such as Sweden, where Muslims enjoy the most advanced civil rights and a peaceful atmosphere, there are many incidents in which writers or publishers are attacked on charges of blasphemy.
RushdieIt is a controversial book ‘Satanic Vs.’ Since its descent, many people have been subjected to violence or lost their lives because of it in many countries and in many eras. The terrorist attack on Rushdie is only the latest.
Salman Rushdie
Rushdie, through his writings and interactions during these periods, showed himself not to be a person of Islamophobia, but to be opposed to radical ideas including Hindutva.
But none of this satisfied the fanatical criminals. That’s why a young man named Hadi Matar, who was born only after all the controversies related to the novel, took up this brutal act.
If the reports are true, Hadi was a man who strictly followed the Islamic faith and practices and did not engage in any other acts of violence. Has not caused any problem with neighbors and fellow students of other religions. All this needs to be confirmed.
Salman Rushdie
But providing available information The same pattern is repeated. What could be the factors that motivated Hadi, who lives a peaceful life, to commit such an atrocity? These things need to be analyzed thoroughly and deeply.
The violence on charges of ‘blasphemy’ and ‘blasphemy’ is a combination of many overlapping elements and interests. These are not some crazy ideas popping up in the head of some lone individual. The first of these is the priestlyization of religion and religious interpretations that suit its interests.
The first mentioned Iran experience is the biggest example of this. The seed of Rushdie’s controversy lies in the continuation of the overthrow of the pluralistic nature of the Iranian Revolution, which was initiated by people from various walks of life, drawing energy from Islamic and non-Islamic values, and turning it into an Islamist revolution.
For this, religious interpretation and political policy are formed according to priestly interests. Iran is still suffering the consequences today. In Pakistan, the political party TLP survives on the politicization of ‘sectarian’ agitations and violence.
It would be foolish to think that they are all cowards and naive. They are, at least in large part, the beneficiaries of precise clerical and political interests.
This Religious interpretations are shaped or controlled by clerical and political interests The second element.
Islam is not presented here as a liberating ideology. Instead of an organic and dynamic Islam, a decaying and mechanistic Islam is being taught and propagated.
They are cultivating a community of believers who don’t understand the social revolution that the Prophet made by creatively facing all kinds of insults and criticisms throughout his life. In it, women are second-class citizens who have to sit in the back row and cannot go on stage.
An apostate is a person who should be killed or be confined and denied all freedom of expression. Democracy, individual freedom and representation are only weapons to gain rights from the general society.
It is not to be implemented and modeled in every unit of the community. Far from the tolerance, pluralism and mercy that the Qur’an and the Prophet put forward, there is room for violent interpretations, or degenerate interpretations, based on false hadiths that are out of context or green lies, with hair tied in the name of the Prophet’s hair.
Ayatollah Khomeini
A crucial link in these interpretations is the tainted xenophobia presented under the label of love for religion and the Prophet.
This The final link, or the first victims, is the ‘believing community’ that thrives on violent interpretations.. Among them are the relatively innocent ones who think that Islam should be protected by killing all dissident voices like Rushdie, and if necessary, they should eliminate themselves. They are the biggest fuel for Islamophobia.
These dangerous interpretations and the priestly system that is at the root of it are mines lying dormant in the mainstream of the community. It doesn’t matter if these mines are taken to the hospital when they detonate without removing them. The absence of priesthood in Islam has effectively become mere theology.
The priesthood came in through the back door and controlled all the affairs of the community. Since the priesthood leadership does not even acknowledge the existence of such a problem, we cannot expect any change from them in the near future.
But the common believers who are victims of their interests, especially women and the new generation, need to be stopped by the energetic action of the new age. There is only hope in that.
Content Highlight: Nasirudeen about Salman Rushdie and dangerous levels of blasphemy