Author: Irfan Husain
Publication: Dawn
Date: September 3, 2005
URL: http://www.dawn.com/weekly/mazdak/20050903.htm
Although 13 years have passed since
the destruction of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the desecration still reverberates
in both Muslim and secular Indian minds.
At the time, protestors rioted across
the subcontinent; furious editorials and op-ed articles were written; and
Muslim countries formally registered their protests with the Indian government.
But now, a far worse act of disrespect and desecration is about to take
place, and there has not been a single mention or objection from anybody
that I know of, at least here in Pakistan.
It took an article in the Toronto
Star, e-mailed to me by a reader, to alert me to the fact that the Saudi
government plans to demolish the Prophet Mohammad's [PBUH] 1,400-years
old home in Makkah. According to the article, written by Tarek Fatah, a
founding member of the Muslim Canadian Council, the house is being destroyed
to make way for "a parking lot, two 50-storey hotel towers and seven 35-storey
apartment blocks" as part of the Jabal Omar Scheme, just around the corner
from the Grand Mosque.
I must confess that I have not made
the pilgrimage to Makkah, but the idea of the religious cradle and centre
of the Muslim world being dominated by a crassly commercial project is
repugnant. The Saudi royal family claims to be guardians of the holy places
of Islam, and profit hugely from the centuries-old traffic of believers
to Makkah and Madina. And yet, they are party to this barbaric desecration
of the holiest sites in the Islamic world.
In the 1920s, the Saudis levelled
the graveyard in Madina that contained the graves of the family and companions
of the Prophet. A few years ago, they demolished an old Ottoman fort in
Makkah, in spite of the protests of the Turkish government. This disrespect
for ancient monuments is a hallmark of Wahabi thought, but one would have
thought the Prophet's home would have been exempt. Clearly, the interests
of property developers outweigh religious or historical considerations.
Why has there not been a single
significant protest from anywhere in the Muslim world? Or, as Tarek Fatah
asks, "Why is it that when the Babri mosque was demolished, hundreds of
thousands of Muslims worldwide took to the streets to protest, but when
Saudi authorities plan to demolish the home of our beloved Prophet, not
a whisper is heard?"
The writer speculates on the reason
for this silence: "Is it because Muslims have become so overwhelmed by
the power of the Saudi riyal currency that we have lost all courage and
self-respect? Or is it because we feel a need to cover up Muslim-on-Muslim
violence; Muslim-on-Muslim terror; Muslim-on-Muslim oppression?"
I suspect 'all of the above' is
the right answer. We constantly rail against any wrongs inflicted on fellow-Muslims
by non-believers, but hold our peace when Muslims kill, exploit and terrorize
other Muslims. Thus, when the Americans kill Iraqis, or the Russians persecute
Chechens, we are rightly indignant. But when Saddam Hussein slaughtered
Kurds and Shias for years, Muslims around the world maintained a discreet
silence. Ditto for other dictators in most of the Muslim world.
In his article, Fatah quotes Niaz
Salimi, president of the MCC, from a letter she wrote to the Saudi envoy
in Canada: "The sacred places of Islam, regardless of where they are located,
belong to the Muslim community worldwide. The countries where they are
located are simply trustees and have no right to destroy them."
A Google search on the internet
led me to an article by Mirza Beg, posted on the Web on August 21. Writes
Beg:
"...destroying our precious heritage
because of less than perfect understanding of some Muslims [read Wahabis],
would be a great loss to the Islamic civilization, ethos, history and the
future generations of Muslims. Destruction of the most precious sites of
Islam for fear of idolatry by some, is akin to killing a child for fear
that he may grow up to be less than pious..."
Now obviously, the Saudis are free
to fill their cities with tasteless buildings. But considering the size
of the country, one would expect them to show some respect for our collective
heritage and build their new, ostentatious plazas, hotels and shopping
malls on the outskirts of ancient cities like Makkah and Madina.
But we all know the Saudi mindset,
and given their recent windfall in the shape of unprecedented oil prices,
it is unlikely that they will listen to reason. What concerns me more is
our reluctance to criticize this uncouth behaviour. Our Islamic parties,
for instance, are so eager to take up real and imaginary Muslim causes,
but have not uttered a squeak in the face of this flagrant contempt for
our history and the Prophet's memory.
What explains this blatant hypocrisy?
While many of our major religious politicians have long been recipients
of Saudi largesse (allegedly often in the shape of visas and work permits
that they sell), what explains the silence of people and parties who are
not influenced by petro-dollars?
Fortunately for us, Pakistan has
a (relatively) free media, but I have yet to come across any news or commentary
relating to this impending horror in either the newspapers, or the private
TV channels. So why this conspiracy of silence? This question brings us
back to our reluctance to criticize other Muslims, while screaming threats
at non-Muslims.
Thousands demonstrated against the
alleged desecration of the Holy Book at Guantanamo a few months ago. Several
people were killed in the accompanying violence. Where are those zealots
now? Why aren't preachers at mosques demanding that the Saudi government
halt their destructive plans?
Alas, these double standards are
what now define the ummah. We have become completely neutered when it comes
to criticizing other Muslims. I have often received e-mails from readers,
accusing me of washing our dirty linen in public when I have written of
the many problems afflicting the Islamic world. But these things need to
be said out loud and often.
According to Mirza Beg, if you want
to protest against the destruction of historical sites in Makkah, you can
log on to the following website: www.petitiononline.com/rasul/petition.html
But while I am going to do my bit,
I do not plan to hold my breath...
