Hindi language has a famous saying : “Naya Mulla jyada pyaz khata hai” meaning “A newly minted Muslim is more eager to show he is a better Muslim(by opposing everything Hindu).” This can be seen in the collective and individual acts of Muslims of Bharatiya subcontinent. In this article, we shall take three such issues where this “naya Mulla complex” has been collectively manifested in recent times. However, instances of this complex can be seen a number of times everyday in online and offline interactions with the Muslim community.
The loud sound
Recently, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs issued an order to turn down the sound of loudspeaker in mosques. It directs the mosques to limit the sound to one third of the full volume of loudspeakers. The reasons given for the order are listed below:-
- That during prayers the sound from loadspeakers affect the vulnerable, the elderly and young children in the vicinity and cause discomfort to those living nearby, both Muslims and non-Muslims.
- It also mentions that loudspeakers interfere with prayers held in nearby mosques.
- The order stresses that it is based on Islamic law, and quotes a saying of Muhammed, prophet of Islam, that even while worshippers are praying, they should not cause any inconvenience to each other through loud recitations during prayer.
Incidentally, in Bharat the issue of mosques using loudspeakers has been made a controversial issue. One remembers how singer Sonu Nigam was hounded by Islamists and their allies for speaking up against noise pollution by mosques. Similarly, a girl from Mumbai was harassed for speaking up on the issue. Local Muslim leaders threatened her to leave the locality and police registered a case against her, just because she had requested the mosque to lower the volume.
In Bharat, one can regularly hear Mosques proclaiming the superiority of their religion to non-Muslim ears, five times a day, in full volume. Often this noise pollution comes for three or more mosques simultaneously from different directions. Courts have given verdicts for reducing this pollution from mosques, however how much these verdicts have been implemented is an open secret. No doubt if such order are implemented by the government, the “naya Mullas” would create a lot of trouble in the country. Incidentally, in many Muslim majority areas of Bharat, loudspeakers are banned for Hindu temples!
The Israel issue
Let us take the Israel – Palestine issue. The Arab countries started making deals with Israel back in 1978, when Egypt recognised Israel in the Camp David accords. Jordan established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1994. Both are neighbours of Israel and have fought multiple wars against Israel. Just last year, Bahrain, UAE, Sudan and Morocco established relations with Israel. Even Turkey, under the Islamist regime of Erdogan and a current favourite of Islamists world over, has full diplomatic relations with Israel since 1950. Sooner or later, even Saudi Arabia is set to sign an agreement with Israel and recently there was news of back channel negotiations
In Bharat, the situation is quite different. We could establish full diplomatic relations only in 1992 and even after that, in a very guarded manner. Our “naya Mullas” are still not in a mood to accept Israel as a country. Many can be seen praying for the destruction of the country and most consider the whole country to be in occupation of Palestinian areas. Many were seen praising Hitler during the recent Palestinian conflict. That is a product of a long history of antisemitism among Muslims, which predates creation of the state of Israel in 1948. In fact, Muslims were eager supporters of Hitler during the Holocaust with the Mufti of Palestine an eager supporter of the genocide of Jews. Amusingly, those supporting Hitler in May were the same people calling Narendra Modi as “Hitler” and “Fascist”, just a few days ago and continue doing so. To come back to the topic,
The “Holy” Mosque
In the 19th and 20th century, the Saudis destroyed and levelled many tombs and other monuments from the times of Muhammmad, which had become an object of veneration. In 21st century, Saudi Arabia destroyed or shifted dozens of mosques, even those built by companions of Muhammad for purely secular reasons. These mosques had a history of about 1400 years when they were destroyed to make way for shopping malls, libraries, footpaths or apartments. The house in which Muhammad was born and other houses in which he lived his life stand destroyed or built over.
Contrast that to the fanaticism over the site of a mosque in Bharat. A perfectly reasonable demand to hand over the sites where mosques had been built over the Hindu temples has been seen as communal in Bharat. Even after the judgement in Ram Temple case, many Muslims can be seen vowing to build Babri again at the same spot, the implication being that they will destroy Ram Temple again when situation is favourable! Their leaders, parties and personal law board have claimed that “Once a mosque always a mosque ” in defence of these execrable idea. Obviously, the “naya Mulla” complex is the reason for this abnormal behaviour. In fact, even recently erected illegal mazars and mosques cannot be shifted in Bharat without trouble due to this behaviour.
A historical problem in search of solutions
The Hindi saying is quite old and naturally, so is the problem of Muslim radicalism in Bharat. All historians agree tat the Turks were more cruel to Hindus than Arabs because Turks were “naya Mullas” at that time. To take an example from modern History, the Khilafat movement of 1919-24 was a case of “naya Mullas” agitating for the “purana Mullas” i.e the restoration of Caliphate to the Ottoman Sultan. During the course of this movement, thousands of Hindus were killed in Kerala by Moplah Muslims. In a cruel irony, the “purana Mullas” of Turkey did not want the Caliphate and abolished it in 1924, leaving the “naya Mullas” frustrated and setting them on the path of creating a “Second Medina” i.e Pakistan.
Conversions to Islam continue in Bharat. From online preachers to love jihad, many strategies lure non-Muslims in and a significant percentage of these are radicalised. We have seen how ISIS operatives in Kerala sent converted women to ISIS controlled areas. In fact, when it comes to Islamist extremism and terrorism, research has suggested that converts are considerably overrepresented.
The solution for this problem was thought to be appeasement by the founding fathers of our republic. Curiously, this was even after the appeasement from 1916 to 1947 had produced only bloodshed and led to partition. Even today, votaries of appeasement dominate our political thought. All evidence points to the fact that appeasement is no solution for “naya Mulla” complex. We need to look at other options and successful models in other countries, including from our neighbourhood.
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