Delhi gang-rape Case – a temporary outburst of collective outrage or an opportunity for empathetic social reform and effective deterrents: A Call for the Muslim Ummah to Respond January 1, 2013 A recent gruesome incident of rape and torture of a 23 year old girl in the nation’s capital – New Delhi has agitated the minds of people all over the Indian Sub-continent. Such a ghastly inhuman act has naturally generated a sense of utmost disbelief & dismay throughout the country. My heart trembles with anguish at the very thought of the extreme physical suffering & emotional trauma that she would have suffered. I extend my heartfelt solidarity & empathy towards her family members in this time of overwhelming grief. The cold-hearted justification of the crime, peddled in some sections of the society can never be a plausible excuse to perpetuate such cruelty. Although pervasive immorality & unrestrained intermingling of the genders certainly does contribute towards the degeneration of the society, yet debased acts of leering or assaulting are unequivocally beyond the pale of justification. Moreover, this horrific episode has once again brought to light the widespread moral depravity in the contemporary world. Heinous crimes of this nature invariably trigger public protests – and rightly so – demanding tangible solutions from the powers that be. It is an obvious response from the youth towards the inefficiency of authorities in eliminating the horrific crime and brining the culprits to justice. I support and agree with their expression of dismay, and support their demand of “Death penalty” to the criminals of this incident and who so ever does it again. There is a palpable sense of resentment towards the prevailing system of criminal justice & an ardent desire in the civil society to bring about constructive social reform and implement effective deterrents. I would try to bring an attention to a point that, this demand of death to this crime was prescribed by the Prophet of Mercy 1500 years ago to safe guard the chastity of women folk. The demand of youth is the command of ISLAM. And ISLAM prescribes beyond that, to establish a peaceful atmosphere. However, I am apprehensive that the temporary outbursts of collective outrage will soon peter out with the passage of time. The clichéd press statements from celebrities, politicians and law enforcement agencies will run their usual course. The animated television debates & heated discussions by common people amongst themselves will soon fade from public memory. The candle light marches & the heightened sense of social responsibility will soon dissipate. Until, yet another tragedy of this nature strikes an unsuspecting daughter of ours. How many more of our daughters & sisters need to sacrifice their lives before the Muslim Ummah stands up and responds, on behalf of the beleaguered humanity which is plagued with such problems? If such shocking cases of brutality will not stir from their passive stupor, the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), who was sent as a mercy to mankind – then what will? It is a matter of shame if the flag bearers of his noble message of universal peace do not attempt to disseminate & demonstrate the divinely ordained regulations to eradicate the social evils of rampant promiscuity & intoxication which invariably are the root causes of such wretched perversions. This tragic case is no exception. Every human on this face of earth has a right to live with peace and tranquillity. And the creator has provided with all the possible means & ways to preserve the well being of societies. When the societies face threats, brutality and such incidents are common, it is a sign of a presence of dangerous evils, and effects of which lead to this incident. People of serious concerns should concentrate on the various grounds that lead to this shameful situation. The Book of ALLAH prescribes every detail of these aspects. The compulsion of ISLAM is not commanded by ALLAH, but ALLAH addresses the humanity with utmost love. HE says, “Oh you Human Beings, what has deceived you from your LORD, the most Beneficent”. ALLAH is the creator and the Lord of not only Muslims but also the entire humanity. The Prophet of Love and Mercy was not only sent to Muslims of Arab. But He was a mercy for all the worlds. A few thousand companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.) brought about unprecedented social revolutions, implemented effective deterrents & established equitable societies in distant lands. It is ironic that more than 200 hundred million Muslims cannot, in our own country, appropriately highlight Islam’s humane & effective measures as a credible alternative to safeguard the honour of half of mankind. It is a travesty of gigantic proportions that we are supposedly the upholders of the legacy of our remarkable ancestors who went to the extent of immediately sending an army because one woman was molested thousands of miles away. I hope and pray that the social churning displayed by the demonstrations all across the country translates into tangible reform instead of mere lip service. Besides, I also earnestly implore Allah to give the parents of this daughter of ours, the strength to bear the devastating sorrow. And I also pray that my voice can reach the authoritative people as a call to study and adopt the humanitarian principles prescribed in the Book of humanity & Guidance i.e the Noble Quran. -Moulana Sajjad Nomani
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 07:51:55 +0000