Date: 9/3/2003
The genocide beyond the Hindu Kush
> > Francois Gautier
> > > > The West seems to have suddenly woken up to Muslim > > fundamentalism in South Asia when the Taleban > > demolished the Bamiyan statues, in spite of frantic > > appeals from all over the world. But there is a bit > > of hypocrisy in the outrage triggered by this > > destruction. > >
> > Firstly, Islam is very clear about statues: didn't > > prophet Mohammad break the first stone Gods himself? > > Thereafter, it became a holy duty for all good > > Muslims. Firuz Shah Tughlak (1351-1388), who has an > > avenue named after him in New Delhi, wrote: 'On the > > day of a Hindu festival, I went there myself, > > ordered the executions of all the leaders and > > practitioners of this abomination; I destroyed their > > idols and temples to build mosques in their places.' > > As Belgian historian Konraad Elst points out, > > 'Muslim fanatics are merely faithful executors of > > Quranic injunctions. It is not the Muslims who are > > guilty, but Islam.' Thus, the Taleban, who want to > > restore the early purity of Islam, really thought > > they were performing a righteous act by destroying > > the 'heathen' Buddhist statues. > >
> > Secondly, does the West ever protest when Hindu > > temples are destroyed periodically in Bangladesh and > > Pakistan? The HRCBM, a Santa Clara-based > > organisation that investigates and exposes human > > rights violations in Bangladesh, has recorded a few > > outrages against Hindus in Bangladesh during 2000:
> > > > On March 29, 2000, Malarani Roy of Karagola village > > was abducted by Muslims. She was brutally beaten up > > and gang-raped. The local police found her, but > > refused to register a case. On June 26, a group of > > Muslims directed Smriti Rani Saha of Sirajganj town > > to migrate to India. When she refused, she was > > abducted, gang-raped and brutally murdered. On May > > 28, Debasish Saha of Poradaha was fatally shot by a > > Muslim gang. On June 4, Mayaram Tripura of Balipara > > was shot dead by local Muslims. On October 6, 2000, > > Muslim devotees, after offering namaaz at the > > Gajipur Jama Masjid, strolled across to the Hindu > > Kali temple, destroyed the puja pandal, smashed the > > idols, and looted nearby Hindu-owned shops. > >
> > Take a look at the figures of the Hindu population > > of India's Muslims neighbours: in 1941, in what > > would become Pakistan, there were approximately 25 > > per cent Hindus and 30 per cent in what would later > > become Bangladesh; in 1948, only 17 per cent in > > Pakistan and 25 per cent in Bangladesh; in 1991, a > > bare 1.5 per cent remained in Pakistan and less than > > 10 per cent in Bangladesh. > >
> > Thirdly, the West has not yet realised that for the > > Muslims of South Asia, Hindus are kafirs by > > excellence: the Buddhists adore only Buddha, the > > Christians only Jesus, but Hindus worship a million > > gods and goddesses; and that makes them -- even > > today -- the number one enemy of Islam. This is why > > Kashmir is so important: it is not about territory, > > it is about a holy war against Hindu India that has > > been going on for 15 centuries and it is only the > > first step of the encirclement of India by hostile > > Muslim neighbours: Pakistan, Afghanistan, > > Bangladesh, with soft nations, like Nepal, often > > lending them a helping hand.
> > > > Nothing symbolises more the absoluteness of Muslim > > belligerence towards Hindus than the Hindu Kush. > > Historically, the passes across the Hindu Kush have > > been of great military significance, providing > > access to the northern plains of India to foreign > > invaders, starting from Alexander the Great in 327 > > BC, to Taimurlane in 1398 AD, and from Mahmud of > > Ghazni, in 1001 AD, to Nadar Shah in 1739 AD. > >
> > As noted by Srinandan Vyas on the Hindu.org web > > site: 'In Persian, the word "Kush" is derived from > > the verb Kushtar -- to slaughter or carnage, because > > all Hindus living there were slaughtered. > > Encyclopaedia Americana says of Hindu Kush: The name > > means literally "Kills the Hindu," a reminder of the > > days when Hindu slaves from Indian subcontinent died > > in harsh Afghan mountains while being transported to > > Moslem courts of Central Asia. While Encyclopaedia > > Britannica mentions that the name Hindu Kush first > > appears in 1333 AD in the writings of Ibn Battutah, > > the medieval Berber traveller, who said the name > > meant "Hindu Killer," a meaning still given by > > Afghan mountain dwellers who are traditional enemies > > of Hindus.'
> > > > 'Unlike the Jewish holocaust,' writes again Vyas, > > 'the exact toll of the Hindu genocide suggested by > > the name Hindu Kush is not available. However the > > number is easily likely to be in millions.' A few > > known historical figures can be used to justify this > > estimate. Encyclopaedia Britannica recalls that in > > December 1398 AD, Taimurlane ordered the execution > > of at least 50,000 captives before the battle for > > Delhi; likewise, the number of captives butchered by > > Taimurlane's army was about 100,000 . > >
> > Encyclopaedia Britannica again mentions that Mughal > > emperor Akbar 'ordered the massacre of about 30,000 > > captured Rajput Hindus on February 24, 1568 AD, > > after the battle for Chitod, a number confirmed by > > Abul Fazl, Akbar's court historian.' Afghan > > historian Khondamir records that during one of the > > many repeated invasions on the city of Herat in > > western Afghanistan, which used to be part of the > > Hindu Shahiya kingdoms '1,500,000 residents > > perished.' > >
> > Why does not the Government of India tell Indian > > children about the Hindu Kush genocide? The horrors > > of the Jewish Holocaust are taught not only at > > schools in Israel and USA, but also in Germany. > > Because both Germany and Israel consider the Jewish > > Holocaust a 'dark chapter' in history. Yet, in 1982, > > the National Council of Educational Research and > > Training issued a directive for the rewriting of > > school texts. Among other things it stipulated that: > > 'characterisation of the medieval period as a time > > of conflict between Hindus and Moslems is > > forbidden.' Thus denial of history, or negationism, > > has become India's official 'educational' policy. > >
> > It is high time that the West realises that India is > > fighting a lonely battle against Muslim > > fundamentalism in Asia. The French for one, who have > > a definite problem with Muslim terrorism, should > > support India more openly. > >
> > Francois Gautier > > >
000000000
[_private/ftarc.htm]