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I wish born Muslims could be far
more sensitive to new converts to the faith. By imposing a
ritualistic brand of Islam on them, they are not doing dawah, but
only driving them away from the religion.
Osama has been eliminated, one
terrorist less in this world. But can someone enlighten me on how
does one tackle people in the community who ‘terrorise’ new
converts to Islam with terrible consequences if they do not follow
their brand of Islam? So much so, that these converts flee from
Islam back to their old faith.
I write this with great pain as I heard the story of Vikram, just
a few days ago. Vikram, a freelance writer and musician, had been
researching Sufism and had acquired a wealth of knowledge about
Islam. He did not affiliate himself to any group, but books were
his guides. Later, he encountered a very well-known organization
that claims itself to be doing dawah work not just in India, but
across the globe. He attended Friday sermons in its mosques, and
the content of these sermons was the usual fiery, anti-Jew, anti-
Christian, anti-all non-Muslims stuff, ending with talks about who
would be in heaven and who in hell! Absolutely nothing on
contemporary social issues or problems facing people today. Vikram
seemed hypnotized and mesmerized by these sermons to which he was
dragged along by his so- called “born” Muslims friends, who
unfortunately wore the “self-righteous” label on their fancy
scented kurtas.
Weeks and weeks of sermons and speeches later, Vikram recited the
Shahadah and came into the fold of Islam under the ‘guidance’ of
these kurta-clad self-righteous men.
So Vikram was a now Muslim and there was jubilation among his
circle of born Muslim friends. It would have been nicer if these
friends had left Vikram in solitude to reflect on his faith. They
did not. They became his self-appointed ‘groomers’ and imposed a
long list of do’s and don’t’s which he was supposed to follow now
that he was a Muslim. He could not listen to music. He could not
wear shorts, even at home on Sundays. He had to discard the tiny
earrings he wore. He had to throw all the paintings and pictures
that adorned the walls in his home into the dust-bin. He could not
read books or literature of other religions any longer. He had to
be careful about interacting only with the “pure” Muslims.
Life went on for Vikram like this, till came a day when he
realised how fed up and sick and tired he was getting with all
these impositions. “ I was never given the space, freedom and time
to discover Islam after I came into its fold at my own pace. These
born Muslims put their rules on me and I was following them for
their pleasure. Their robotic and ritualistic form of Islam drove
me away from the faith and now I have gone back to my old faith
formally. I cannot be pleasing these Muslims who never once told
me that I had to please God and not them. Their brand of Islam
which they imposed on me made God into a fearful and cruel creator
who would throw people into hell for every minor error. I felt
burdened by this and have gone back to my old faith. When these
Muslim friends got to know about this, they said I would be thrown
into Jahannam (hell),” he said.
So that is how some Muslims do dawah and treat new converts? I
call this 'mental terrorism'! We have loads of these types
floating in the community who have made it their mission to spread
the word of God by reducing Islam to a ritualistic religion.
Going through my diary from the past, I can never forget a mail
from a young writer belonging to another orthodox organization who
was excited about Yvonne Ridley, who had then converted to Islam,
visiting his city. He wrote, "We are planning to ‘catch’ her for a
talk at one of our sessions, you know she is from the West and has
embraced Islam and she will surely draw crowds”. I wrote to him,
"Respect Ridley--she is not a rock-star to draw crowds for your
session.”
I can never forget the elation when a Muslim friend of mine
married a new convert to Islam. Her relative told her, “You have
taken yourself and seven of your generations straight to heaven.”
My friend still lives in the illusion that she is a pied-piper and
that soon she and seven generations will take the escalator to
heaven.
I wish ‘born’ Muslims could inculcate some sense of sensitivity
towards those who wish to come into Islam or have embraced the
religion, by giving them the freedom to reflect on the spirit,
rather than the rituals of Islam.
Their discovery of God and faith is a personal journey, and when
we throw our own impositions on them, it will only make their
journey rough and tough.
In search of our own heaven, we end up making their lives a hell!
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