Having said all this, I would think New Delhi’s biggest asset against the Islamists is its secular, democratic and pluralist character. India has been witness to relative social harmony since time immemorial . Muslims have been part of its great heterogeneous, pluralist tradition . They know India is the best model for their multi-faceted development.
The Indian Muslims know Islamist terrorism New Delhi is faced with is rather un-Islamic and are determined not to allow a few Islamists in their midst to distort their religion and play havoc with the Republic. Recently, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has reportedly taken a dig at al-Zawahiri’s announcement of his terror plans. The Deoband has asserted that Indian Muslims would never be convinced by un-Islamic and false arguments of organisations such as the al-Qaeda. Its director Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani has said, “Indian Muslims are non-violent and they love their country. They will never be persuaded by a terrorist group.” Mufti Nomani adds , “Islam is a non-violent religion which talks about propagating peace across the world. Followers of this peaceful religion would never buy arguments of the terrorist groups.”
Muslim groups such as the All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, an apex body of over 12 Muslim sects, too, are said to have condemned al-Qaeda. AIMMM chief Zafarul Islam Khan has warned the al-Qaeda must keep off Indian Muslims as the community is fully capable of handling its own affairs. Earlier, Maulana Mahmood Daryabadi of All-India Ulema Council, the umbrella organization of clerics, disapproved of the approach of Maulana Nadvi . Many other eminent Sunni Muslims had also distanced themselves from the Nadvi letter .
Why not rope in all such moderate social elements in its fight against the militant Islamists ?
