Not quite a Jihad

By Hana Ibrahim

He who makes himself a worm cannot complain if others trample upon him. The phrase used by a noted Islamic scholar to explain the significance of Jihad in the context of a Muslim not being a pacifist, comes to mind as one ponders the significance of the agitation by Muslim politicians and non-political organisations for the inclusion of a separate Muslim delegation at the peace talks.

Not that their agitation should be construed as Jihad, which according to Lane's Arabic-English dictionary means 'the using or exerting of one's utmost power, efforts, endeavours, or ability in contending with an object of disapprobation'.

But to sit quietly, allow events to continue as they are and accept the non-inclusion of a separate Muslim delegation at the peace talks tantamount to 'allowing others to trample upon him'. And it is especially so, given the current situation in the east, where the Muslim community, though not party to the conflict are drawn into it by the magnitude of the violence directed at them.

So we had SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem taking up the issue with International Development Minister and Norwegian special envoy to the Sri Lanka peace process, Erick Solheim. So we had the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, the umbrella organisation of some 58 civic bodies writing to President Mahinda Rajapakse, expressing its disappointment over the rejection of a Muslim delegation and urging that the President intervene in ensuring the legitimate rights of the Muslim community by including a Muslim delegation in any future peace talks. And so we had the Muslim National Alliance (MNA) launching a campaign to collect a hundred thousand signatures on a petition to demand that the Muslim community be included as a separate body in future peace talks.

We also had Muslim Parliamentarians Forum headed by Minister Fowzi making noises in a similar refrain, and a delegation even meeting the JVPers to remind them about their pre-election pledge to the Muslim community and urge them to use their coalition clout to convince the President to change his stance.

Their agitation gained credence as including a Muslim delegation in the peace talk was a key condition in the Tokyo Declaration and a series of agreements reached in Wanni and in London, in April and September 2002 and Thailand in January 2003.

And the President's refusal to consider a separate Muslim delegation on the grounds that it would set precedence for other minorities and even the Sinhala majority for inclusion was being viewed, not without reason, as a refusal to treat the Muslims as a community with equal rights.

All stressed that if confidence is to be restored and if the Muslim community is to support the process continuously, those with authority should see that basic rights of the Muslims are honoured when peace talks resume.

The power of the collective approach! Though the various groups voiced their protests individually, the unified tone saw the President back tracking somewhat from his initial stance, and on Tuesday assured a delegation of the All Ceylon Muslim Congress - a breakaway group of the SLMC, that he would make room for Muslim representation at future peace talks and that no discrimination would be allowed against Muslim people or any other community in working out an 'honourable peace'.

He also announced that a branch of the North East Provincial Chief Secretarie's office would be set up at a suitable location in Ampara for the benefit of the Muslim people.

Whether the presidential assurance meets with the demand for a separate delegation is moot at this point. For half of something is better than nothing, and being represented by an individual or a group, matters naught, when it is representation that counts.

The Muslim community, who lost out in the North, is a significant game player in the East, and if another exodus of the displaced is to be avoided, it makes sense that Muslims be given their due allocation in a power sharing scheme in any settlement.

Not being given an equal status in the peace talks would have deprived the community of that option, placing them in danger of becoming metaphorical worms 'for others to trample upon', meaning, being compelled to abide by decision that may not be equitable and place them in a position of helplessness. And, in a

volatile world, who knows what would happen should the worm decide to turn.

Hopefully that is not something we have to contemplate on now.

No more Danish cookies

Forget those Danish cookies and anything else that is made in Denmark. Can one in all good conscience enjoy anything manufactured by a nation that has no respect for a beloved prophet? That seems to be the current thought pattern in the Muslim world, crying foul over a cartoon strip, featured in the Jyllands-Posten, Denmark's mass circulation daily, caricaturing Prophet Mohammed. Adding insult to injury, the cartoons, one of them depicting the Prophet as wearing a turban shaped like a bomb, was reproduced in a Norwegian magazine.

Freedom of expression notwithstanding, the misplaced sense of cartoon satire has triggered a diplomatic crisis and massive protests across the Muslim world, with Saudi Arabia recalling its ambassador to Denmark, Libya closing down its representative office in Copenhagen, Palestinians raiding an EU office in Gaza and an Iraqi group demanded attacks be instigated against Danish targets.

The scandal has also proved costly for Denmark with the Arab world, including Egypt, Syria and Bahrain boycotting Danish products. Not to be left out, Sri Lankan Muslims have also got into the fray, calling for a boycott of all Danish products.

What are the Danish products available in the local market? Moot point. But what's interesting is the Danish government's defence of the freedom of expression and its refusal to use its clout to bring the newspaper to task, never mind the affront to religious sensibilities and never mind the economic consequence.

Interestingly the newspaper has not apologised for publishing the drawings, and a majority of Danes believe their government and media should not apologise for the jibes.