In reply to Muneer's Valentine's Day blog - a Shiva Ratri blog.

Thursday, February 15, 2007
In reply to Muneer's Valentine's Day blog - a Shiva Ratri blog.

Dear Muneerka,

You have accused me of maligning Islam. Can you give me a single specific instance where I have maligned Islam, quoting my words?

You claim yourself to be a moderate and even secular Muslim because you have served mutton biriyani to Brahmins clandestinely on Eid. Now we have one more definition of pseudo-secularism! Our politicians do the same sort of thing by attending Iftar parties and getting a secular tag.

Naturally you saw a dark side to emergency because your co-religionists were the targets of “neutering”. If others only were targeted, would emergency have been perfect for you?

About skewed man-women ratio due to aborted female-foetus, are you saying it is skewed vis-a-vis the 1 man 4 wives formula of Islam?

Your view that India was a “shining” example of religious intolerance during the BJP rule is not matched by facts. The over-6 years BJP rule was the period with the least religious riots in independent India’s history, except what happened due to Godhra. And Godhra was caused not by the BJP but by fanatic Muslims. The days of the ‘meek-Hindu’ are gone, my friend. Hindus have learnt the lessons of partition caused by Islamic intolerance, though it took them some time.

In your article you seem to be swearing by “secular India” (why did you put it in inverted commas?). Can you tell me whether Islam believes in secularism?

You quote Staines murder as a great crime by Hindus when the unfortunate incident happened in the backdrop of on-going conversion attempts. You seem to grudge the Hindus the right to save their flock from depletion when Islam has given a blank cheque to kill any Muslim leaving the flock. Have a sense of proportion, Muneerka.

The raping of Christian nuns in Madhya Pradesh was later on discovered to be done by Christians themselves, according to both official and independent reports. Talking of rapes of nuns, when Pakistani army entered Kashmir immediately after partition, it was unexpected and India was not prepared. By the time India assembled the troops and landed in Kashmir (where the runway was cleared by RSS cadres), the Pakistani soldiers had taken control of much of Kashmir. It is said that the Pakistanis would even have reached Srinagar by then had not their soldiers stopped by at a monastery to rape all the nuns there.

Hindus do not forcibly convert anyone, which is why Hindu sanyasis are welcomed in all societies all over the world.

You have conceded that a convert remains a convert through help given. It is the material temptation that is the magic wand of conversion.

We have no worry about Hindus accepting any or all religions or no religion. That is what Hinduism teaches - Truth is one and is expressed variously. But conversion is not acceptance. Conversion says, my religion is true, yours is false. This is against the Hindu grain and the Hindu will naturally organize against conversions.

I agree with you that Parzania should not be banned. Since you were a movie going fan of Rajesh Khanna days, you might remember in those days a film called “Death of a Princess” was made on the story of 19-year old Princess Mish'al, a great niece of the Saudi King and her 20-year-old lover, the son of a senior Saudi general, who were both publicly executed, all because they took a Valentine’s Day break! Well, I was in Muscat when the film was released and I saw the film, which was banned in the Gulf, on VCR. So, likewise, half of Gujarat must have already seen Parzania, thanks to the ban. I say there should be no bans of any kind, including ban on depiction of Mohammad. But you are questioning even my right to write on Mohammad. So who’s for freedom?

About the Parsis, do not forget that when they were persecuted in Islamic lands, it was a Hindu King of India who gave them refuge and to this day they are pleased with the Hindus. They are India’s most exemplary citizens. Hindus simply love Parsis and the Parsis know it. They have enhanced India as sugar enhances milk. The irony is that people who came from abroad have merged into the Indian culture whereas people who were always in India have taken to foreign ways upon a change in the mode of worship.

In Malegaon, can you please tell me why Muslims themselves put bombs in the mosque? Understand that it is not RSS who is your enemy but your masters in Pakistan. All bombs will cease in India when Indian Muslims cut off their umbilical cord to Pakistan.

Bharath is for all children of Bharath Mata, irrespective of religion. If Vande Mataram is presently too difficult to digest due to too much indoctrination of the Wahaibi school of thought in Islam, then at least start with “Maa Tujhe Salaam” of A.R. Rehman or “Sare Jahan Se Accha Hindusthan” of Mohd. Iqbal.

It is funny you should blame the Hindu leaders for the Kashmir problem. The Kashmir problem has been caused by Pakistan exploiting the inherent intolerance of other religions by Islam. Remove intolerance in Islam and you will have no Kashmir problem. But since you are not supposed to change a single comma in the Quran, India will have no choice but to keep its Army in full measure there.

And how convoluted your logic is. You blame Hindu leaders for even the creation of Bangladesh when Bangladesh was created because Islam could not retain both wings of the country and West Pakistan wanted to force Urdu on East Pakistan.

Since your mind is rooted in the 7th century history, you have probably missed the historical fact that it was the great Atal Behari Vajpayee who initiated the peace process. So why should Hindutva forces derail it? Hinduism’s greatest strength is its ability to syncretize. We welcome the prospect of Akhand Bharath!

You call for “peaceful co-existence with Muslims”. Whom are you calling? The Hindus? Other communities? Are you talking of a pact or a friendship agreement? You have this concept of peaceful co-existence because you think that Muslims are a separate nation residing in India, without being able to digest the fact that Muslims or whoever are children of Bharath Mata and therefore it is not peaceful co-existence we should be talking about (as if we are two separate nations seeking to have friendly relations) but recognition of our nationhood as children of Bharath Mata.

We do not have problems with Muslims as citizens of India or human beings. They are as good or bad as any other citizen of India. We also have absolutely no problems with that Arab who lived in the 7th century and founded Islam. We have problems only with Islam saying that it alone is the true religion and all other religions are false - this stand is the root cause of terrorism.

Hinduism encourages the questioning of all scriptures and gives freedom to an individual to accept it only if he or she is comfortable with it. But it does not give any one the freedom to suggest that there is only one way to God. If someone believes that Quran was the work of Mohammad and not Allah, it is his right to believe so. If you want such a person to change his mind, you can try convincing him in a civilized way. The final choice is his. You should not have any problems with it.

You need not change anything to suit anyone requirements. But you should equally accept that you cannot call for someone to change his opinion to suit your comfort.

By saying that Quranic verses should be looked at in proper context (which context again, I suppose, should be looked at from a bigger context), you are also admitting that none of the verses of the Quran can stand alone. With the same logic I say, the Quran and Mohammed should be looked at in the proper context, the context of man striving towards his destiny of divinity and scriptures, religions and its founders being expressions of that striving.
However, you say that you have all along been reading the Quran without understanding the context. I wonder what they taught you in the Madrassas?

I congratulate you on taking a deeper interest in Islam but warn you against the pitfalls of terrorism, as happened to the Taliban. I suggest you study Islam in the context of Advaita – the broadest of possible contexts.

You say only you, as a Muslim, stand by what you wrote. I, as a Hindu, also stand by what I wrote. I challenge you to prove, by contacting NDTV and finding out the source from where the comment in my name about blowing up mosques and killing 1000 Muslims originated. I challenge you to prove it. If you are unable to prove it, you should accept my denial that I wrote, which denial you yourself have published in your blog. I stand by every word I write and I have a record of every word I have written. You also allege that I have insulted your Prophet. How have I? Do clarify. So go through my blogs, most of which indeed have to do with Islam and pinpoint where I have insulted your prophet. You should particularly read my many blogs of conversation with Ruzan Ali and note the colourful language he used against me and my restrained replies at all times. Remember, blogs cannot be written in another’s name, only comments can.

Sainiks have no right to go berserk and on rampage. But they have a right to protest against Valantine’s Day or any other day. This is a democratic country. Not an Islamic country where during Ramzan you are forced to fast along with Muslims (if you depend on the hotels for food) even though you are not a Muslim.

About mixing religion with politics, Hinduism only mixes it, but for Islam, politics is the very goal of its existence – to create the Um of Islam with Shariat as its constitution. Can you deny this?

About sex and religion, the Tantrics connect it. But what has that got to with one-night stands at the BPOs?, as if only Hindus work in BPOs.

You say “Islam creates a barrier between men and women”. Well said.

Please tell me the circumstances of your meeting Jack Straw. I think you are just name-dropping!

You claim that you are a moderate Muslim and yet you support the Australian Imam who suggested anyone not “covered-up” is inviting rape.

If a London school is objecting to anyone wearing Hijaab, what should be your problem? Don’t you already have the freedom to dress as you like in India, thanks to the broad minded Hindu culture? Therefore propagate the Hindu culture.

I am glad you said that RSS is pushing moderate Muslims to study Islam better, though even without the RSS you should study Islam better. Alhamdu Lillah, all RSS swayamsevaks will go to Paradise on the day of Allah’s judgement because they made many Muslims study Islam better!

You say Islam preaches tolerance only till a certain point. According to me it does not preach tolerance at all. If you are appearing tolerant now, it is only because Islam is a minority in India and the rest of the world.

You say even your family comes only next to your religion. This is not a surprise. After all, Allah has created you for you to obey Him and for no other purpose, right? Being a slave and all that. And Allah has given ample directions in the Quran for you to kill the Kafirs. So find any excuse and execute Allah’s will.

You say no human force can stop the spread of Islam. Don’t forget that a greater force than Islam exists and that is Christianity. You tickle them the wrong way and you’ve had it. And then there is Hinduism, the longest running culture in human history. My prediction is that before long Hinduism will swallow Islam. They will repeat what Shiva did long ago. But that’s another story for another day.

About questioning the Muslims’ faith or patriotism, I assure you that I would never question the Muslims’ faith nor have I ever done so, for I believe that faith moves mountains (you got the meaning of the proverb wrong the last time and talked about moving Himalayas to Japan and Mount Fuji to India!) About patriotism, it is my national right to question the activities of Pakistani agents in India. I hope you are not one of them, though you have indirectly let out that you have NDF connections (in case readers do not know, NDF is a rabid Muslim terrorist organization in Kerala who are responsible for the murder of 8 poor Hindu fishermen in Marad in Kerala).

You say religion should be a personal affair. Thanks for saying it. I think after blogging all these weeks with Hindus, you are unconsciously coming around to the Hindu point of view, for Islam does not believe that religion should be a personal affair.

As I told Ruzan Shah in an earlier blog, the state in India has never sponsored any religious attacks. Because if it did, as the state apparatus in India is overwhelming in the hands of Hindus, Muslims would have become a micro-minority community in India.

I do not know of any Swami-Mullah nexus. Please enlighten with facts.

Please remember that India is a model secular democracy because India is a Hindu majority country. The day it becomes a Muslim majority country, secularism will cease. Can you deny this?

If Islamic banking means no interest on deposits but a share in the profits or loss of the bank, then it is upto the Reserve Bank of India to say if it would be ideal banking. I understand there are Swiss Banks which not only do not give interest, but require you to pay them to put your money in their banks, which a lot of crooks do and it gives the banks huge profits.

About Infidel spitting venom on Mohammad or Islam, everyone knows that he was having a decent debate with Learner and Human and even you appreciated it. Suddenly it was you, being unable to answer his questions, though it was not asked to you directly, who turned nasty. And when you used foul language, he did not want to lag behind. Obviously he does not subscribe to Jesus view of turning the other cheek. He is more Islamic in fact – an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

You talk of ending meaningless debates. When have you ever debated? You have either evaded issues or used foul language. Anyway, I accept your call to move on to more enlightened thoughts. I suggest, for a beginning, we debate on whether we are separate from God or we are actually God!

If you are talking about Islam bashing, you better define what is Islam bashing. Because you seem to have limited views on freedom of expression and we, as Hindus, are unlikely to give up our right to freedom.

You warn of the great curse of religious intolerance. Islam introduced religious intolerance.
9:44:32 AM
Posted By Venu Gopal Comments (0) Uncategorized

syeedunsyd Thursday, February 15, 2007 10:01:50 AM
I dont think you even understand what you are writing. your reply is just a story, a story which is based on your own created ideas and not on facts. what you are writing is altogether different from facts. Do not blame any person or any religion. try to learn a good part of it if you can. if you cant, then do not write anything without knowing the facts.
Infidel Thursday, February 15, 2007 10:06:19 AM
Dear venu, Again you proved that you are a gem of this blogsphere. I am thankful that you explained muneer in a way he deserves

K.Venugopal Thursday, February 15, 2007 10:37:20 PM
Dear Syeedunsyd, In order to sincerely learn from my mistakes, I request you to please point out where my writing is not based on facts.
K.Venugopal Thursday, February 15, 2007 10:59:08 PM
Dear Infidel, You have proved that infidels are no pushover the believers think infidels are. In fact if the believers are not blinded by fury due to the temerity of an infidel to question their dogma, they would see you as a partner in their understanding of Islam.

sage Friday, February 16, 2007 3:21:35 PM
hey muslim syeed- read the above blog, comment in a logical way , if you differ form what is written by venu, write about what you differ, not what you have written. do be deaf dumb and blind.
dumbo Friday, February 16, 2007 6:01:53 PM
Venu,You quoted "My prediction is that before long Hinduism will swallow Islam. They will repeat what Shiva did long ago. But that’s another story for another day."Among the signs of the end of the world or Judgement Day...There will be no muslims on the earth and all will be non muslims when the HOUR comes!So your wish of Hinduism swallowing Islam will happen one day! SO keep cool.

K.Venugopal Friday, February 16, 2007 10:45:12 PM
Dear Dumbo, By swallowing Islam I meant that Hinduism's famed syncretic powers will transform Islam from a dogmatic religion to a spiritual religion like Sufism. Please inform me where in the Quran it is said there will be no Muslims on earth when the hour comes?