By TCN Special Correspondent,
Chennai: “No one can stop West Asia from marching towards democracy and the power of Israel in the region will soon diminish,” said Dr Asghar Ali Engineer, chairman, Center for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai. He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Where is West Asia heading?’ organised by the Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought among Muslims here on 25th Feb.
He said that “some sections of Western media are propagating the falsehood that democracy is not compatible with Islam and that only Shariah will dominate in an Islamic country. But this has been proved wrong in the recent uprising in Egypt. There was nothing religious about the democratic demonstrations that took place in Tahrir Square. Mubarak thought there will be no one to rule if he leaves except the fanatics. But the point is even the members of Muslim Brotherhood participated in the demonstration. They did not demand anything but removal of Mubarak.”
Dr Asghar Ali Engineer also pointed out the double standards adopted by the US in dealing with the regimes in West Asia. “The US opposed Hamas when it was elected democratically saying it was a fanatic group. But it refuses to condemn Israel when it unleashes violence against the Palestinians. America is interested in controlling West Asia for its oil resources with the help of Israel.”
“The present uprising will change the whole scenario in West Asia. The Shias may become powerful much to the dislike of Saudi Arabia. And, it will become difficult for Israel to attack Iran now. Israeli domination will soon become history and no one can stop democracy marching in West Asia,” he added.
P M Belliappa, former UN expert on environment, said the present uprising in the West Asia shows the complete failure of the governments to understand the ground realities. The rulers should understand the change is inevitable, he added.
Mr. Moosa Raza, Chairman, Southern India Education Trust and former Chief Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir, speaking on the occasion gave an analysis of the ferment taking place in the countries of West Asia, extending from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east to Morocco and Algeria in the West. He pointed out that the upsurge taking place today has been smoldering for several decades – it has manifested itself sometimes openly and sometimes remained an intellectual revolt.
His argument was that for the last five centuries, the West has been consistently trying to dominate Asia, and especially West Asia. The atrocities of the first two Crusades, the sack of Constantinople by the fourth Crusade, the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire by the combined armies of Europe, the atrocities of Italy in Libya, the 23 year rule by Lord Cromer in Egypt, the French rule in Syria and Algeria and the Spanish rule in Morocco and the long list of colonial and imperial repressions in West Asia continue to rankle in the collective sub-conscious of Middle East. Any rule or ruler supported by the West in Middle East today is perceived by the people as a continuance of colonialism and imperialism through different means. Hence, a desire to remove all such rulers and secure a government of their choice.
He pointed out that West Asia has three choices before it today.”So far the religious leadership has played no direct part in the upsurge but no one knows how long it will remain quiet. The Iranian Revolution and the Rule of the Ayathollahs is one choice. Turkey, with a secular democracy but an Islamic base, in its most liberal form, is a second choice. A long period of chaos with further interventions by the West, a la Iraq is the third choice.”
“Therefore” he said, “a great responsibility rests on the UN, more especially the USA & West to help the people of West Asia make the right choice. India, with its strong democratic tradition should certainly help the Middle East in choosing and strengthening democracy.”
A. Faizur Rahman, secretary general of the Forum, was of the opinion that the Islamic society established by the Prophet was democratic in the truest sense of the word. He said, “The Quran, under the concept of shoora, encourages government by parliament asking Muslims to conduct their affairs by mutual consultation and to make over positions of trust to those worthy of them, meaning only trustworthy persons are to be elected as heads of state. This is the kind of democracy the people of West Asia want and they will get it.”
“Such a democracy” he pointed out, “would have been possible in many Muslims countries but for the neo-con agenda which seeks to establish global American domination by controlling the oil reserves in the Gulf. And the only way of achieving this is to prop up corrupt, undemocratic dictators or monarchs who, for a few pieces of silver, would allow the natural resources of their country to be looted by American corporations.”
“If the US really wants peace in West Asia it must change its Middle East policy in favour of the people of West Asia and abandon its dictators and scheming monarchs” he added.
The seminar was attended by several prominent personalities including DGP Mr R. Nataraj and the US Vice Consul Mr. Peter C. Lohman. Earlier Zackriah Badsha, president of the Forum, welcomed the gathering.