Modi Feted By Muslim Countries: For Indian Muslims “Umma”
A Mirage
Saeed Naqvi
“A prophet is
not without honour, save in his own country.” This Biblical dictum would fit
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi like a glove, because Indian Muslims continue to
paint him in lurid colours while leaders of the global Umma shower petals of
adoration on him.
When Saudi
Arabia’s highest Civilian Honour, King Abdulaziz Sash was conferred on Modi by King
Salman bin Abdulaziz at the Royal Court in Riyadh on April 3, 2016, the
acceptance of it was an act of supreme selflessness on the part of Indian Prime
Minister.
Selfless, because
any other Indian politician so honoured by the Keeper of Islam’s two holiest
shrines, Mecca and Medina, would have publicized the event for Muslim votes. But
Modi has been quite clear on this one point: he is not interested in Muslim
votes.
On the
contrary, his growing unpopularity among Indian Muslims is in inverse
proportion to his expanding popularity among Hindus with geometric progression.
In fact a case
study for social psychologists might well be traces of masochism in the behavior
of President Mahmoud Abbas. He conferred “The Grand Collar of the State of
Palestine” on Modi who happens to be the closest friend, indeed soulmate, of
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas’s dedicated
tormentor. Abbas’s obsequiousness may well be traced to his fervent hope that
Modi will put in a good word with his Israeli friend.
Mahmoud Abbas’s
voiceless wailing is, for that reason, also inaudible. None of the GCC or other
significant Arab countries are interested in the Palestinian cause eversince US
and Israeli strategists have given a new blue print for West Asia. The Sunni-Shia
faultline supersedes the Arab-Israeli faultline focused on the Palestinian
issue. Iran is the only regional country single mindedly dedicated to
Palestinian rights. Iran considers Hamas as the authentic voice of Palestinian
resistance. The Ramallah leadership is seen as a Western poodle.
Other than
fawning over Modi, Riyadh keeps a steady gaze on other power centres, near and
far. Saudi princes have visited the Maldives to receive the island nation’s
highest honour – “Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen”. The US and all its allies out to
play a helpful role in making things difficult for China’s Belt and Road
initiative, are making a beeline for any real estate in the Indian ocean –
Maldives, Sri Lanka, an atoll anywhere. Little wonder, then, even this Muslim
nation (Maldives, that is) has held Modi in a loving gaze. The Nishan Izzuddeen
has been conferred on him too.
Modi being the
apple of Saudi eyes has obviously been infectious in other GCC kingdoms. Bahrain’s
King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa conferred “Kind Hamad Order of the Renaissance”
on him. The ruler of UAE, Shaikh Mohammad bin Zayed graced Modi with the “Order
of Zayed” medal, the Kingdom’s highest civilian order. Zayed has done one better.
He has set aside acres of land around Abu Dhabi’s grand Akshardham temple.
Modi has not
left untouched the destroyed nation of Afghanistan as well. On June 4, 2016, he
became the recipient of the nation’s highest award named” Amir Amanullah Khan”.
A pity, he will not be able to catch up with Morarji Desai. The late Prime
Minister received Pakistan’s highest honour, Nishan e Pakistan in 1990.
For the self
flagellating Indian Muslims, a scrutiny of the catalogue listed above may be
instructive. The lesson is not that Modi is the darling of the Muslim world. Individual
Muslim countries ingratiate themselves with India, which he represents. Raw self
interest is the operating factor. That Indian Muslims are under pressure does
not matter a jot to the great “umma”. That is the point.
In the days of
yore these very same nations had erected a body like the Organization of
Islamic Conference but it looked operational only so long as there were competing
blocks affiliated to one or the other power centre. In those days, India
mattered. The Indian “Muslim” factor was
of some consequence but only minimally.
Did we not
send a thoroughbred Muslim, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad to the OIC in Rabat and were
snubbed? We fell between stools on that and other occasions. Why did we need to
have a Muslim, and none else, as ambassador to Riyadh? To neutralize the
influence of the Ambassador of Pakistan who, by virtue of being Muslim, would strike
a better rapport with the Saudis? Did the Americans, Europeans and the rest of
the world send Muslim envoys to Riyadh? South Block’s job should have been to
identify the best person for that posting – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh anybody, based
on merit and not on communal considerations.
You miss the
basic point (they will say) there are those arrangements to be made for thousands
of Haj pilgrims. Fair enough, for that kind of assistance the mission in Jeddah
could have been suitably staffed.
Has not the
logic of New Delhi’s appointments to that one station for the past 70 years
been made to stand on its head by Modi. Despite his record with Muslims, he has
been graced by award after award by Saudis and others on the US leash.
Saudi monstrosity
in Yemen, repression in its Eastern oil being province; Bahrain where an
overwhelming majority are the opposition; UAE, financing mercenaries (along
with the Saudis) and firepower to destroy Yemen, once a proud, civilized
nation.
Is this the “Umma”
from which you, Indian Muslims, expect Modi to have picked up lessons of peace,
compassion, charity? And is this Umma of any value to you in your distress, whether
in Kashmir or elsewhere?
Indonesia,
Malaysia, Iran, Turkey are all Muslim but caught in the whirlpool which is what
the current world order is. When President Bill Clinton decisively intervened
during the Kargil war, there was still hope that some kind of order was being
sought to be imposed. That hope has dissipated in the Trump era.
In brief,
Muslims must remember that their holiest of shrines are elsewhere, but their
salvation is here in India and its people, all of whom are under pressure. Together,
we shall overcome. Hundreds of years of social, cultural commerce cannot be
wilfully rubbed out.
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