Whither the Muslim community?

I read with interest the three articles on Muslims published in Sunday Times dated 21 September 2008.

There is no doubt that the Muslim community is backward educationally and economically and there is an urgent need to work for their upliftment by the government and community welfare associations. Muslims face problems in certain pockets particularly in North India where due to certain hard-core communal parties the people are divided and discriminated on religious grounds. Of course such difficulties are faced by all other communities also somewhere or other in the country perhaps at lesser levels and not so frequently as Muslims do. It is certainly not that the Muslim community is on one side and the rest of the people on the other.

In southern states like Tamil Nadu we see students of different religious communities in educational institutions studying together well without any discrimination. There are government and private organisations where different religious people work together happily. One can see Muslim boys and girls coming out with flying colours in non-Muslim educational institutions and non-Muslim boys and girls in Muslim institutions. Our children studied in Muslim and Christian institutions without any grievances. I feel that every community should try to save itself from problems. It is an art. It should be cultivated.

As a Muslim I feel that unless I make friendship with non-Muslims, I cannot be a good Muslim as my faith teaches me that the entire humanity is one from the same God. I studied in Muslim schools and college mingling with non-Muslim friends closely. We had good Muslim, Christian and Hindu teachers. They taught us well and we respected them very much. Ofcourse in north Indian states the Hindu-Muslim divide is serious as reported in the articles under reference.

It is of course very unfortunate that the Muslim community does not have reformers like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan to show them the right direction in education which is a sine qua non for their betterment. Islamic scholars (ulema) and rich Muslims (umera) who are pillars of the Muslim community should ponder over it and plan an agenda for their reformation, better education, better economic condition, etc. shunning their stereotype demands for Urdu, increase in Haj quota, etc. voiced so far. The holy Quran says that God helps only those who help themselves.

I am of the strong view that my motherland India is the most beautiful country in the world - Saray jahaan say achcha Hindustan hamaara - despite its omissions and commissions. There is no match to it. I love it from the bottom of my heart.