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| A new territory falls to radical Islam |
| Bhupesh Bhandari / New Delhi Nov 26, 2009, 00:41 IST |
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At one time in history, there existed in the Far East a tolerant Islam. Unlike India, the word of the Prophet came here not with the conquests of Afghan, Arab and Turk invaders. It was never the only hope of the vanquished to become one with the conquerors. Islam grew from within to supplant Hinduism, Budhism and animist beliefs in the 15th and 16th centuries. Perhaps people found it easy to comprehend. Perhaps Hinduism paid the price of being too other-worldly. Still, these people retained the liberal character of their earlier faith.
Indonesia houses the world’s largest population of Muslims — more than India, more than Pakistan. As much as 90 per cent of the country’s population is made up of Muslims. Many of them still keep Hindu names. Folklores from the Mahabharat are popular. Nobody represents the middle path between traditional belief and Islam better than the people of Java. A Javanese does not even offer a firm handshake — it’s aggressive. A limp handshake is good enough. Stanford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, once remarked that the difference between Javanese and Sumatrans is a thousand years of civilisation.
Yet, all of this is changing. That all is not well first came to light with the Bali bombings, which killed over 200, and then there were the Jakarta hotel blasts. The news is that radical Islam has taken roots in the country. Osama bin Laden is a popular hero. People identify with the Chechen and Afghan wars. Into this hardening of society walks journalist Sadanand Dhume. The result is a deft mix of history, travelogue and reportage. He draws a picture of Indonesia with competence. And honesty — there is no attempt to soft-pedal the issue. Dhume tells the whole story, warts and all. He meets people from all walks of life — dancers, teachers, young boys, religious leaders. He does not melt in the background but doesn’t obstruct the narrative with his own judgments.
In the company of Herry Nurdi, a Javanese Muslim with strong religious beliefs, Dhume travels to several corners of Indonesia. What he finds is a society in transition. Gentle Islam has begun to make way for the hardliner. Sharia laws have gained ground. Tolerance is down. Democratic values are questioned. Can they be any good because they are not Sharia-compliant? Onion domes of mosques can be found all over the landscape. The liberal education system faces serious threat from the madrasas. Artists are under attack. Popular music is frowned upon because it is not Islamic. Women, and even little girls, have taken to the jilbab to veil their faces.
Deep down in their heart, the hardliners know it doesn’t fit with their traditional way of life. There is a particular incident when the diehard Nurdi laments about the ban on playing the guitar. “It shouldn’t happen,” he remarks. In that moment, he gives away the alien way of life that has gathered over the society like dark clouds. Indeed, says Dhume, the Islam now on display in Indonesia is of the West Asian variety — women should be stoned to death for adultery and thieves need to have their hands cut off. Jehad, or religious war, is a recurring theme.
The world of the believer, of course, is split into two: Us and them, the believers and the non-believers. That the rest of the world — Christians, Zionists and Hindus — is out to tarnish the image of Muslims is a constant refrain. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were, of course, a Zionist conspiracy to discredit the Muslim world. After all, did not thousands of Jews conspicuously fail to turn up for work at the World Trade Towers on that fateful day? You can hear echoes of the claim that the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai were carried out by Indian intelligence agencies. One would wonder how does a country that is 90 per cent Muslim feel persecuted by others.
As one flips through the pages of the book, one can’t help comparing the situation with India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assertion that there are no traces of the dreaded Al Qaeda in the country, the large population of Muslims notwithstanding, still holds true. There is still some sectarian violence — it cannot be brushed under the carpet. But there is a broad consensus amongst communities that the democratic system still works the best. Also, financial betterment is the goal most Indians chase now. The electronic media has proved a great leveller of aspirations. India can count its blessings.
Travel writing is a fading genre of literature. That’s because the world has become a dangerous place to live and travel. Societies have become suspicious of wandering strangers. Full marks should go to Dhume for the book. It is a must read for anybody who wants to know how radical Islam has taken roots in a new territory. The question that needs to be asked is, has the situation reached the point of no return?
MY FRIEND THE FANATIC
TRAVELS WITH A RADICAL ISLAMIST
Sadanand Dhume
Tranquebar Press
273 pages; Rs 395
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