Islam awaits its true leaders: Choose the path of building, not bombing
The Muslim community in India stands at a powerful inflection point.
A destructive narrative, driven by radical opportunists, attempts to hijack the youth’s energy, channeling their potential into the dead-end of grievance and violence.
Yet, the real, historical, and enduring path of Indian Muslims is one of resilience, excellence, and nation-building.
The time for waiting is over.
The future of Islam in this nation does not lie in the hands of foreign ideologies or cynical fundamentalists. It lies in the hands of aspiring Indian Muslim youth.
Your community is waiting for your leadership to forge a positive, powerful direction for a better future.
The radical lie: A cult of self-defeat
Radical groups preach a persecution complex, telling you that you have been marginalized and your recourse is destruction. This is a cruel deception, if you understand:
- The myth of the martyr: The leaders at the very top who preach you to ‘sacrifice’ do not share the suffering. Look closely at their lives: they are men of immense wealth, often sheltered in luxury, with their own children mostly educated and settled safely abroad in the developed West, the very nations they ask you to fight. They trade your life for their comfort. To fall for this is not piety; it is self-deception.
- The illusion of impact: Violence has achieved nothing but ruin in all our living memory and beyond. It has not won a single political goal; it has only created instability, suspicion, and a terrible backlash that hurts the very people it claims to protect. Terrorism is a failed business model.
- The burden on family: Consider the deepest emotional truth: When you choose any anti-social activity, you hurt the state less; you ruin your own family the most. The security forces will interrogate your parents, your siblings will face shame, and your parents’ life savings may be destroyed. True bravery is protecting your family’s dignity, not sacrificing it for someone else’s fantasy.
The power of resilience: Forge your own destiny
History proves that adversity is the soil from which the world’s most successful leaders grow. Every great figure, from Nelson Mandela to Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, faced marginalization, but they did not choose destruction. They chose resilience. Understand:
- Positive agency: Every society, at every point in time, has people who feel left out. You are not alone. The difference between failure and greatness is how you respond. Instead of succumbing to the self-defeating propaganda of victimhood, you must put in the extra effort, outwork the challenges, and succeed on your own terms. Believe you can, and you will. Your success will be sweeter than the alternative of self-destruction.
- The path to true power: You can become the leaders of your community, not by holding a gun, but by holding a degree, starting a business, excelling in Science, or being a social worker. Your true power lies in positive contribution, that can also elevate your society. When you excel, you break barriers and lift your entire community’s status, earning respect that violence can never command.
A national imperative: Action for all
The defence against radicalization is not the sole responsibility of the police; it is a collaborative project for the entire nation to build a future based on inclusion and hope.
A call to government and civil society (the enablers)
- Lead with facts and emotion: Launch a continuous, multi-platform Counter-Narrative Campaign. This campaign must be swift, credible, and emotional, using reformed extremists, successful professionals, and clear evidence to expose the leadership’s hypocrisy and the tragic impact on families.
- Invest in hope: The best counter-terrorism measure is transparent socio-economic equity. Ensure all government schemes for education, credit, and employment continue to be accessible to address any real or perceived marginalization of all sections of people.
A call to religious and social leaders (the guardians)
- Speak with moral clarity: End the silence. Use your platform to condemn the hypocrisy of extremist leaders and the sheer futility of their methods.
- Integrate and modernize: Ensure that religious education is complemented with the skills and knowledge required for success in the modern world.
A call to youth (the builders)
- Shift your focus: Convert your righteous passion into disciplined academic and/ or professional excellence. Out-compete, out-innovate, and out-shine.
- Mentorship is leadership: Seek out and become a mentor. Show younger peers that the most exciting, rebellious act today is not to join a destructive fringe group, but to become a successful somebody. Work for your society’s upliftment.
- Stop wasting dreams on a losing path.
Indian Muslim youth, your community awaits your positive direction.
Rise to lead; reject all instigations towards ruin.
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Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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