Delivering the Hazrath Tippu Sultan Shahed Memorial Lecture in Bangalore, renowned journalist, M.J.Akbar stressed that Muslims need to rediscover themselves and learn to participate in Nation building and sharing Power.

Over the Years I had the pleasure of watching closely the emergence and subsequent development of M.J. as a firebrand Journalist, Writer, Historian and sadly a Politician also. Clearly the first three of his vocations is where he belongs and that is where he needs to stay. It is a pity Akbar had to soil his hands by having a fling at Politics. This is the point at which he betrayed his temptation and vulnerability to the lure of power. Thankfully he won on a Congress ticket even when Congress itself was trounced to a resounding defeat. I say thankfully because Akbar was soon able to see the darker side of Politics from within and realized that staying in Politics any longer will only erode his image of an upright and fearless Nationalist and Journalist and perhaps make him feel hollow as a Human Being. Had he lost, who knows the fighter in him would have prompted him to fight on till he got what he had set out to get.

The one hour speech MJ delivered in the Coronet, Le-meridian on the 25th Jan' eve in Bangalore under the auspices of Al - Ameen Educational Society was indeed a classical speech of a Nationalist Historian running through the pages of history even while dispelling myths and misconceptions the Western historians and its media had so painstakingly built over the years by demonizing the Muslims everywhere.

He said both the Mughals and the British came to conquer India but at the same time, he also contrasted it by proving how Mughals became an integral part of India and an instrument of development and a thriving economy as against the British who completely reversed this process to the benefit of their own homeland at the expense of India. He wondered how it is that a myth has been created about Islam spreading from the point of sword without there being any basis to it. Muslims ruled Spain for over 800 years and today they are only a forgotten chapter of Spanish history. Had it been a sword this would never have been the case. He further came down heavily against the myth the Christian West has created by self certifying itself as progressive and Islam as regressive. How for god's sake can scantily dressed females of the West be considered progressive and modestly dressed Eastern and Muslim women regressive? If being fully draped in modest attire than a Christian Nun should be considered the most regressive because her dress code conforms to the most modest. Akbar further stressed on the conduct of Muslim conquerors in times of victory when they showed exemplary character and courtesy to people from other faiths. The presence of a little mosque outside the famous Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is a testimony to Umar's conduct when he refused to offer prayer in the Church's courtyard because he thought if he did so, the Muslims would have converted the Church into a Mosque. The persecution of Jews by the Christians through the annals of history is a living example of the West's scheming ways. It is the Muslims today who are being persecuted and bear the brunt of Jewish distrust. No body knows why? Akbar also very convincingly dispelled the false notion created against the concept of Jihad. He felt that if he has to opine, he would like to quote from Mahabharata the battlefield conversation Lord Krishna had with Pandavas in support of going to War for justice and honour.

In the end Akbar came out strongly in favour of Muslims coming out of the siege mentality they find themselves in. He felt there is no such thing as minority or majority. He said that during the reign of Tipu Sultan Shaheed, the only Monarch who laid down his life in a battlefield or during the rule of the Mughals the Muslims never felt like they were in a minority. He stressed it is all about Power because regardless of numbers Power enables one to see himself in majority or minority. The Muslims he said need to rediscover themselves and learn to participate in Nation building and sharing Power. Sharing Power means gaining more Power and the best way to gain Power is by acquiring Education and bring alive the finest period of Muslim glory when we the Muslims were shining at a time when Europe was in dark ages. Akbar said that Islam has succeeded because "it has offered quality to all Muslims, given justice - both social and political - to all humans, implemented social justice and has been at the forefront of the knowledge revolution."

(The writer can be reached at adilsar2004@yahoo.co.uk)

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