Muslim Law Board, Jamaat Islami condemn Chidambaram for equating Jihad with terrorism

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: India’s leading Muslim organizations All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind have strongly condemned Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram for equating Jihad with terrorism. His statement reveals his ignorance about Islam or his true mind, leaders of the organizations said.

Delivering 22nd Intelligence Bureau Centenary Endowment Lecture in New Delhi on December 23, Chidambaram had equated Jihad with terrorism and said that the objective of Jihad is war against unbelievers. He had also said that Jihad is a kind of war that emerged after the end of Cold War in 1989. Making an interesting distinction between Crusades and Jihad Chidambaram had termed Crusades as “a conventional war” and Jihad terrorism.
Dr Qasim Rasool Ilyas, Executive Committee Member, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, described Chidambaram’s statement as highly deplorable and condemnable.

“A couple of months back he had praised Islam in high terms while addressing the gathering of Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind in Deoband and said that terrorism has been wrongly attached with Islam which preaches peace. But now addressing police and intelligence officials he has equated Jihad with terrorism. It is very unfortunate and uncalled for from a person who is holding very important post of Home Minister,” Ilyas said.

Asked if his statement at Jamiat gathering and very contrary one at Intelligence Bureau gathering can be termed as part of balance politics, Ilyas said: No, it is not balance politics. It shows the real intention of the person. It shows that what you said at Jamiat gathering was just to convince the gathering that your were secular or you were just appeasing the community. But when you are addressing people who are actually responsible for law and order in the country you equate Jihad with terrorism. It means here you are giving out your real mind and your impression about Islam. It is unfortunate that Chidambaram who is supposed to be a clean person so far has given so highly objectionable statement.

On Chidambaram’s view that Jihad emerged after the Cold War in 1989, Ilyas said: It is unfortunate that a person like Chidambaram who is well-read person does not know about Jihad. Actually Jihad is a pious war and it is mentioned in the Quran. Jihad is a struggle against evils and evil forces. It starts from oneself and goes to the struggle with weapon. It does not always mean war.

Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri, Ameer, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, has also condemned Chidambaram for his remarks on Jihad. He said Jihad is not terrorism, rather it is part of the teachings of Islam.

“It is incorrect to say Jihad began from a particular date. Jihad is part of the teachings of Islam. Islam asks its followers to forgive their enemy but also asks them to wage Jihad against them when required. Prophet Muhammad has done both. He forgave his enemies – even those who were his blood thirsty – but at times waged Jihad against them. The Quran has given both instructions.”

Explaining Jihad, the Maulana said: Jihad is related to State, not individuals or groups. It is the right of a State to decide about war against a particular State. If a State has peace treaty with another, it will not fight against it. But if it is in danger of war or attacked by another State, it will also wage war.

If Chidambaram has said Jihad began after 1989, it shows his ignorance about the issue. Jihad is as older as the teachings of Islam. Prophet Muhammad did Jihad. His immediate followers (Sahabis) also did Jihad, the Maulana said.

There are rules and regulations for Jihad. No constitution in the world talks about only peace. If it talks about peace, it also talks about emergency and about war. It talks about rights of a State in time of war. It talks about rights of enemies. So is the case with Quran. The Holy book instructs followers to wage war when necessary and gives rules to be followed in war. It also enjoins upon duties of Muslims. It provides details about the situation when enemies can be forgiven and when peace treaty can be signed. To take Jihad out of this context and describe any wrong in the world Jihad is wrong.

“People should first know about the things whether it is related to religion or other subject and then open mouth,” he urged. To term any wrong as Jihad and Islamic does not suit people like Chidambaram, he added.

On Chidambaram’s view that Crusades were traditional wars but Jihad is terrorism, Maualana said: this shows that he could not understand the meaning, conditions and limitations of Jihad. When Islam allows its followers to wage Jihad it says your enemies are trying to eliminate you, you should respond to them in the same coin. But beware, even during the war you must not commit atrocities. Take precaution that innocents should not be killed by you. Islam says that killing of a single person is like killing of all human being.

“Terrorism in any form is wrong but it should be proved that it is terrorism,” the Ameer said and denounced attachment of terrorism with religion.
“A number of parties and groups in our country have been found involved in terrorism. Their members have been arrested. Should we attach their activities to their religion and say that what they are doing is according to their religion? When we do not say so in the case of other religions, then why in the case of Islam?”

“Chidambaram, and everyone, should first learn about an issue related to Islam and only then talk about it,” the Maulana said.