The Self-styled Muslim Leaders
By Masoom Moradabadi
Muslim community’s biggest problems are its leaders who are devoid of vision and wisdom both; yet they think to interfere in each and every issue is their divine right. Most of them are fostered by some unseen forces؛ and it is these forces on whose directions they act and work. These are these very self-styled leaders who have left no stone unturned in weakening the Babri Mosque case by attending the courts of ministers and their advisors before and after the Supreme Court’s judgement.
In the 80s when the dispute came to the fore of politics we had in our midst Syed Abdullah Bukhari, Ibrahim Suleiman Sait, Ghulam Mehmood Bannatwala, Syed Shahabuddin, Salahuddin Owaisi, Javed Habib and many other Muslim leaders with righteous and upright characters who did not bargain community interests [for petty benefits] and confronted and talked to those in power with courage and boldness. All of them have left this world.
Those who are now showing overenthusiasm in this issue have neither any respect within the community, nor do they have any political vision. To gain petty favours these lot are always ready to dance to the tune played by their masters. At a time when the community is in deep shock and despair, they are busy in dinning and enjoying with their masters and have been issuing senseless statements.
The irony is that differences between these guys, representing a host of sects, beliefs, shrines and spiritual institutions, are so deep that elsewhere they cannot tolerate even the sight of each other. But one wonders what forces are these that make them sit together with official courtyards under one roof. If only they had gotten together to overcome their petty sectarian differences and work to get the community out of this despair. The situation reminds one of Faraz’s couplet:
تمام
صوفی وسالک سبھی شیوخ وامام
امید لطف پہ ایوان کج کلا ہ میں ہیں
Tamam soofi wa salik sabhi shyookh o Imam
Ummeed-e-lutf pe aiwan kaj kalah meN haiN
(Be they mystics, truth-seekers, or spiritual mentors and guides; lusting for a favourable glance have they all gathered at the foot of the indifferent throne.)
Masoon Moradabadi is editor of Jadid Khabar and has authored several books
Translated by Urdu Media Monitor from Masoom Moradabadi’s FB