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Did Americans ever tolerate freedom of religion before the bill of rights was added to the Constitution?

Question by Woman: Did Americans ever tolerate freedom of religion before the bill of rights was added to the Constitution?
Were Americans ever intolerant of different religions before the bill of rights legally allowed freedom of religion?

Best answer:

Answer by pizza369m
I believe that the Puritans in Massachusetts were not very tolerant to other religions.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Busting Posse Comitatus: Military Cops Arrest Civilians in Florida City! – Alex Jones Tv

Kurt Nimmo www.infowars.com www.prisonplanet.tv July 28, 2011 In Homestead, Florida, Posse Comitatus is dead. The Air Force now responds to civilian crime in the small city, population around 30000. Military “crime stoppers” violate Posse Comitatus in Florida. Photo from Homestead ARB website.”Here at Homestead Air Reserve Base we have the Crime Stop hotline that allows anyone either on base or off the installation to anonymously report a crime,” explains the Homestead Air Reserve Base website. “If you know of a crime that has been committed, if you see a crime in progress, or if you see a suspicious person, vehicle, or situation that makes you feel a crime may be occurring, call the Security Forces Crime Stop Hotline…” On July 15, military police — known as Security Forces patrolmen — detained a criminal suspect at a Circle K in until Miami-Dade police arrived. “Crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility, the better informed we are the safer we can make the installation and the surrounding community,” said t. Juan Lemus, Security Forces Police Services Chief. Crime prevention off military bases is the responsibility of civilian police, not the military. In 1878, following Reconstruction, the Posse Comitatus Act was passed. It limited the powers of the federal government to use the military for law enforcement. The statute prohibits Army and Air Force personnel and units of the National Guard under federal authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within

Knowledge Of Local Constitution About Criminal Liability In Self Defense Is Advisable

The Constitution
by F.d.W.

The Constitutions and laws of various countries across the world allow their citizens to use their right of self-defense for seeking protection against any predator to avoid any harm, injury or mishap. The residents may take legal measures to keep out intruders. The Many states of the world also permit their citizens to keep arms for their self-defense. We can see in the US Constitution that allows bearing arms for personal safety and security. Similarly several other countries also encourage keeping arms for the sake of your self-defense.

However, a question arises at this point that if a person defends himself and the assailant is of the view that he is hurt, the will the defender be liable? There may be two completely different scenarios for liability: one of them is criminal liability and the second is civil liability.

 

When it comes to avoid criminal liability then it is better to take a look at your Constitution about this term. As according to law of New Jersey you can employ force against your predator if you logically think that showing such type of reaction is essential on urgent basis to keep yourself safe and protected against the intentional unlawful act of your attacker. When you apply such justifiable force against the assailant then it is generally refers to “self-defense.”

Therefore we can conclude that it is highly important for you to know about the laws of your jurisdiction so that whenever you find yourself in trouble then you can freely exercise your right of self-defense without fear of any legal proceedings that many of the people have to face afterwards.

Learn more about online self defense training course and check out the cheap martial arts weapons for your self defense.

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thinkprogress.org

Principles of Citizenship

Introduction

“I know your rights, rights” (a high-profile campaign by the fortieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

“Human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all human beings, the protection and promotion of human rights is the primary responsibility of Governments” (Vienna Declaration and Programmed of Action, 1993).

“We must win the right to citizenship, the first approach is to incite” (coined any Vicheka, 2005). “Live to the best of our dignity,” I say, I very convincing article, entitled, such as; the principle of citizenship. Even today, “The best way to lead mankind through reason” is still valid. Everything in one or more purposes, but in talking about such a purpose (s), and we should learn from their own, as much as possible. Every day, on national television, every day we have been brainwashed human rights issues from a global point of view, the rights of citizens, as well as the relationship between rulers and the ruled, and the relationship between countries, and even human rights. The purpose of this paper is to define the word “citizen” from my point of view. Will be brought to view a very general point of view, (Cambodia) is very specific. How can person who has “civic” values.

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Has recently been accused of “proved to be intelligent (mostly non-students),” but no matter what happens, how difficult it will be and what is wrong, I, I think I contributed a positive contribution to the welfare of Cambodia; this is one of other contributions to the overall good of Cambodia. Thank you for reading my article (s) and constructive criticism.

Most of us have a national identity card or passport and other administrative documents, birth, marriage and death, but we do not know what a summary of certain of these provisions is. The purpose of this paper is to seek to capture “has a chance,” all the people as much as possible. She

I do not want to coin a new definition of “citizen”, and clearly know, it is by experts. However, I want to express my point of view of tactics, such as the abstract. Citizen, in my opinion, is a popular daily activity affects, directly or indirectly, government policy. For example, if a person decides to cast his vote, he or she is to fill a nationality principle, which would affect the Government. If the decision does not affect the sound government policy because of political rights is one of the leading government policies.

Want to learn about other aspects of immigrating services in Australia then read now citizenship and more information visit right now http://immigrationserviceaustralia.com/

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Michael Klim – Online Privacy Guide: Protecting your privacy is to protect your freedom. » Podcast


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Anti-Americanism — The Radical Religion Of The Left

In card games, the hierarchy goes something like this: Two Pairs beats a pair. 3 of a kind beats 2 Pairs. A Straight beats 3 of a kind. A Flush beats a Straight. A Full House beats a Flush. 4 of a Kind beats a Full House. A Straight Flush beats 4 of a Kind. Finally, a Royal Flush beats a Straight Flush.

In the liberal world view, the hierarchy goes something like this: Free speech beats Religious rights. General Feminist rights (not including abortion) beats Free speech. Gay rights beats General Feminist rights (not including abortion). Environmentalism beats Gay rights. Union rights beats Environmentalism. Abortion rights beats Union rights. Racial Equality or preferences beats Abortion rights. Finally, Anti-Americanism beats Racial Equality or preferences.

Seems ridiculous you say? Tammy Bruce, who was the head of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW), wrote about how she thought that the OJ Simpson case was a prime example of violence against women, and how the OJ case should have been publicized by feminists to generate an understanding of the issue of spousal abuse.

Here was OJ, a man in power, systematically beating his wife and getting away with it. Eventually, of course, his wife wound up dead. The powers that be at NOW, however, didn’t want to use this case as an example of domestic violence. The reason? — It conflicted with the racial aspect. In fact, Patricia Ireland publicly censured Tammy Bruce by name for damaging “political alliances”.

Tammy Bruce also wrote about how rap music routinely objectifies and promotes violence against women. Again, this was not acceptable at NOW. Though the mission of NOW is to promote women’s issues, there is a bigger issue that trumps the main mission of NOW. Hence racial sensitivity, in both the OJ case and in rap music, prevents bringing up and dealing with the very circumstances that NOW is supposedly in existence to deal with! Incidentally, Tammy Bruce, after seeing this hypocrisy, became a conservative.

And who can forget the feminist reaction to Bill Clinton? Clinton was accused of not just having an affair, as with Jennifer Flowers, not just accused of inappropriate behavior and possible abuse of power, as with Monica Lewinsky, but of sexual assault and worse! These accusations came long before anyone ever heard of Ken Starr. Juanita Broaddrick, Eileen Wellstone, Elizabeth Ward Gracen, Regina Hopper Blakely, Kathleen Willey, Sandra Allen James, Kathy Bradshaw, Cristy Zercher, Paula Jones, and Carolyn Moffet were some of the women that came forward with assault or harassment accusations. It would be difficult to imagine that each of these women made up these incidents. We’ll never get to the truth behind these accusations because there wasn’t enough of a demand to find out what the truth was.

Time contributor and White House correspondent Nina Burleigh said:

“I would be happy to give him [Clinton] a [crude word for oral sex] just to thank him for keeping abortion legal. I think American women should be lining up with their presidential kneepads on to show their gratitude for keeping the theocracy off our backs.”

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So Nina Burleigh seems to accept the fact that Clinton abuses women and is even willing to participate in that abuse because it furthers a bigger cause – Abortion. Hence, in the liberal Hierarchy of Needs, feminism without abortion is separated from abortion as a separate issue and Abortion as a separate issue trumps all other feminist issues.

The “Holy Grail” of the liberal Hierarchy, to be treated with reverence and never questioned, is anti-Americanism. It is the Royal Flush of the left. It is important to define anti-Americanism because people on the left will say that they only want to improve the country; that we are an imperfect people and should always strive to get better. Who would argue with that?

But anti-Americanism, as it has come to be practiced and perfected by the left, is not about improving America, it is about re-making it in a new image. Barack Obama has said himself, on more than one occasion that he wants to “fundamentally transform the United States of America.” If the United States is a good country, does it need to be transformed? – Fundamentally no less?

The anti-Americanism which is at the top of the liberal food chain is rooted in hatred of the history, the morals, the religion, and the very people who created the unique idea of the United States as a country. The most important of these rights is the idea that freedom and liberty are not passed to people from the government but that freedom and liberty are “inalienable” rights. The most unique and beautiful part of the US Constitution is that it doesn’t say what government can do; it says what government can NOT do.

Barack Obama spoke about the idea that there are restrictions on what government can do, and he called it “negative liberty”. But as Bruce Walker said in an article in American Thinker, “How can liberty be anything other than negative? Liberty is the absence of external control.” Obama said that sometimes government needs to do things in order to improve the lot of ordinary people. The problem is where does that idea end? And what should government do and what should it not do? Once you accept government as the solution to problems, then you open the door to tyranny because in order for government to deal with problems for one group of people, it inevitably has to invade the rights of a different group of people.

In a recent survey, about 20% of Americans said they were unsure of Barack Obama’s religion or thought he might be Muslim. Personally, I don’t think Obama is Muslim or that he is a religious man in any traditional sense. His religion is the ideology of his pastor Jeremiah Wright, not that of any actual religious teachings such as the Bible or even the Koran. It is an ideology that says Supreme Court justices can bypass the legislative process. It is an ideology that says the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can act without the input of congress. It is an ideology that forces citizens to buy a product they may not want. In short, it is an anti-religious ideology practiced with fanatical religious zeal that has no respect for the traditions of the United States and no understanding of how the country came to generate such unprecedented wealth and freedom.

Perhaps people think Obama is Muslim because he has criticized the New and Old testaments in a way that he has never criticized the Muslim religion. He criticized Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and the Sermon on the Mount by saying that a civilized country can’t be based on such ideas. No religious text has as many violent passages as the Koran but Obama has had nothing but praise for the Muslim religion – why?

In countries that practice strict Muslim law (Sharia law), every doctrine that liberals supposedly hold dear is trampled upon. There is no free speech or freedom of or from religion. A woman is considered at fault if SHE is raped and can be stoned to death if caught committing adultery. Women have their genitals mutilated so that it will be difficult for them to have sex. This way they can fulfill their one real purpose – having babies. Men have the legal right to beat their wives. Women do not even have the right to file grievances in court except under very stringent circumstances. But enough of the wonderful lives women have in these countries, what about gays? At Columbia University, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said there are no gays in Iran. He’s probably right – they’ve all either disappeared or kept very silent. In countries that have Sharia law, the rich live in castles, the poor live in tents.

You could go on and on with this but the question is why do Barack Obama and the left feel so at ease criticizing Judeo-Christian values and feel so uncomfortable criticizing the religion of Islam? The answer is anti-Americanism. The United States of America was founded on Judeo-Christian values. The left does not like the United States as it is. In a chicken or the egg scenario, it’s difficult to determine if their dislike of Judeo-Christian values is due to hatred of America or if their hatred of America causes them to have hatred of Judeo-Christian values.

The Muslim religion has constantly criticized the west and America – to the point where many Muslims consider themselves to be at war with the west. Every doctrine held dear by the left is trampled upon by Muslim countries (even moderate ones). Yet the left continues to defend Muslims and blame America. The left seems to share the same anti-Americanism as radical Muslims and that anti-Americanism trumps everything else that they claim to stand for as supposed liberals.

Howard Jacobs
MBA Marketing Pace University
I currently work for a large finacial institution.
I started the blog EndTheChange because I am outraged at the direction our country is going in. People who feel this way want to know “What can I do?” This blog is my little way of trying to set the record straight on the upside-down state of our country. http://endthechange.blogspot.com

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Indian Army Infantry Soldiers

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on discipline, fitness, physical strength and aggression. All battles and all wars are won in the end by the infantrymen – British Field-Marshal Earl Wavell India Defence Youtube Channel – www.youtube.com The Siachen is the world’s highest battlefield located on the glacier at a height of 21000 feet (6400 m) above the sea level. After the Pakistani incursions during the Kargil War in 1999, India abandoned plans to withdraw from Siachen unless there’s an official recognition of the current line of control by Pakistan, wary of further Pakistani incursions if they vacate the Siachen Glacier posts without such recognition.

Constituting A Healthy Diet Plan With 1500 Calories

Intelligent people trying to lose weight and develop a lean and trim body understand the value of losing calories. That is why they usually develop a low calorie diet. Depending on the physical structure of such people the diet plan with low calories could range from 1200 to 2000 calories per day. Usually a grown up man or woman will require something in the range of 2100 to 2500 calories for maintaining a healthy body. However, when they are overweight, reducing the calorie intake will mean that for getting the required energy level, the body has to burn out the stored fats. This will help building up muscle, losing weight, and gaining the desired lean and trim body if not the six packs.

Choosing the Right One

• People searching for the 1500 calorie diets will come across a number of diets to choose from.

• More than a dozen different diets are available for the searcher on the web to choose from.

• Most of the plans will have overall calorie value of 1500 but their constitution may vary widely.

• Some of the best menus would be those that burn the fat and feed the muscle while losing weight.

Examples 1500 Calorie Diet Plans

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Let us have a look at some of the combinations for the ideal 1500 calorie diets. One thing to remember is that all these combinations take into account at least five meals a day for constituting the 1500 calorie diet plan.

• First combination would be one and half cups of shredded wheat cereals, equal amount of skimmed milk and half cup of strawberries as the starter.

• Second serving would be four egg whites and one whole egg and half large grape fruit.

• Third meal would have half cup of brown rice, around 110 grams of grilled chicken, and 180 grams of green beans.

• Fourth meal would be 150 grams of salmon, equal amount of yams and one cup broccoli.

• Fifth meal would be made of 110 grams of grilled chicken breasts, large mixed green salad two cups, and light Italian dressing of around three table spoons.

• Entire diet would have 1500 calorie value constituted with 50% carbohydrates, 35% proteins and 15% fats.

How Calories Work

Calorie calculation works only till the time one consumes more calories than he or she intakes. Number of calories will remain important only when such process is followed.Burning more calories should be the motto. When someone eats 1500 calories but burns only 1200, it will be a case where the person concerned will gain weight despite following the 1500 calorie diet plan. That is why it is important to make a good exercising plan that will help burn more calories than 1500 per day or remaining active that will help burning calories in the range of 2000-2500 and in result the person concerned looses weight.

Numerous Plans – Selecting the Best

There are numerous diet plans that hover round 1500 or more and less calories. However, the important aspect of any diet plan is following the diet plan continually for such duration that the effects remain permanent. Without permanent effect the result could be disastrous for the weight loss aspirant because of the fact that once they refrain from following the diet, the weight lost starts coming back all over again.And that is something, no weight loss aspirant will cherish.

Writer has great knowledge about health and how to lose weight .All information related to weight loss, diet plan, healthy diet etc. are include in weightyloss.com site.

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The video starts out with some content from obamasnippets.com, which, of course is contrived. And yet, there seems to be a synthetic truth about what the president says. Is he “natural born” according to the Constitution? No. The requirement is that BOTH parents need to be US Citizens. Two US Citizen parents produce a “natural born” citizen. It’s likely that Mr. Obama was REGISTERED in Hawaii, therefore he has a COLB from Hawaii. The truth may well be he was born in Kenya; that is where we believe his “long-form” birth certificate was issued. Nevertheless, “natural born” indicates, and speaks to the fact that BOTH parents have to be US Citizens. His father WAS NEVER a US Citizen, therefore, Barack Hussein Obama is NOT a “natural born” Citizen of the United States, thus he is in violation of Amendment 14, and Article II, Section 1, Paragraph 5 of the United States Constitution.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Judge Andrew Napolitano Q&A Part 1 of 2

Judge Andrew Napolitano gives a speech from the heart about freedom and from where our rights come. The Judge explains the hard core truth about the Constitution and why we must fight to regain and retain our freedoms. Courtesy of www.CampaignForLiberty.com. Edited by FreeTheNation.com Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Peter Schiff, Tom Woods, Andrew Napolitano and Daniel Hannan are the new FREEDOM FIGHTERS.

Torn between- the Nation and the Religion: Part II

TORN BETWEEN THE NATION AND THE RELIGION:  part II

 Leaders of Indian freedom of struggle having a substantially large following among the believers in diverse faiths like Hindus Muslims and others did not accept,  the two nation theory propounded by the erstwhile colonisers as such. The masses formally embraced the concept of India -phenomena that had existed in this land for ages but got crystallised during struggle for independence and formalised between 15th August 1947 and 26th January 1950. An idea of a secular Indian republic had taken a shape, and a size that wanted then to follow a socialistic pattern of society,

 Beside the lay citizens, whose thought process comprises ‘not-a-great-concern-about-politics’ as such, sizeable numbers of Muslims knowingly opted to stay back in India and a sizeable numbers of Hindus who knew and understood ‘what-it-means’ to stay in a joint-family (call it a joint-nation) happily adopted it. The concept India being a joint nation, in the minds and hearts of these fellow-people, meant  staying together, allowing everyone and each to be free to follow their own and varied religions, cults, castes, creeds, customs, cultures and what you have yet also meant to stay and undivided as a nation and constantly convinced about: “I am an Indian first”. During those formative years of India, a popular topic for essay-writing in schools used to be “The unity in diversity”       

Decades immediately after the partition did see a period of greater harmony between Indian Muslims and others but for occasional eruptions of religious ego-centric riots and blame for the same is to be shared by local intolerances – when seen objectively and without taking a partisan view.

There was a period when a fruit dealer from a merchant family, Yusuf Khan, spotted by a Devika Rani -a London educated and accomplished heroine and her Russian husband (second)-  had  to be renamed as Dilip Kumar or a Mahajbin Bano, preferred herself to be called as Meena Kumari – lest the Muslim name(s)  would get a lesser acceptance from audience (call it-it acceptance by the Nation). Cut to today no such fear exists. It is all Khans who are the heart throbs of nation. As a nation, India today does not discriminate against Muslims as such and incidentally the editorial board of India Today, a widely read and popular news and analysis magazine, is headed by MJ Akbar as on date.Muslims like believers in any other faith,deservedly, are thus definitely popular with Indian nation, more today than yesterday..

 Gradually, however the globalization of markets including that for semi-skilled and unskilled variety, trade links abroad, improved networking and speedier communications – all very good indicators of human development- did bring and have informational and other proximities that juxtapose and showcase far-better material achievements by Muslims in oil-rich Arab countries, Europe, USA   and other prosperous countries. Even if it is a ‘poor-cousins’ treatment, Muslims from India are preferred over other Indians in oil-rich Muslim countries for manual, menial, low skill and even high-skill jobs. This is evident from the ‘Muslims preferred’ content in the advertisement on behalf of Gulf recruiters and employers, and prominently published in Indian newspapers. An affinity gets generated- a cousin is a brother, always closer to a non-brother or a fakir. Generous contributions from abroad for places of religious worship and charities also provide an abetment to yearning for a better life and thus a discontent with what we have (from the nation) vs what Muslims have elsewhere (from the religion).

 Like in other parts of world, particularly in Europe, certain changes have been visibly happening also in India, to begin with in urban areas. Then similar changes get followed in the country side as well, of course with some little time lag, these changes began subtly and have been getting extenuated with Indian economy markedly expanding to reach outside and that was instrumental to a gradual replacement of socialist (socialistic pattern in case of India) to a market economy ending the isolation, we had from richer industrial economies and oil-rich, smaller but wealthier Muslim economies.Human psychology leads  people not towards  analysing their own compentencies, own decisions, own performances but  fend to find scapegoats on whom to put the blame for one’s lower grades against those achieved by others..     

 Last few decades have been witness to a trend for more and more Muslim youths wanting to form and become more attached to their own communities, where Islam’s values and regulations get greater attention, prominence and also adherence. This may and should be seen as a totally natural phenomenon but for their side-effects that get generated and tend to culminate ultimately to renounce / denounce / deny the concept of India as a nation. And begin to find fault with values that reflect the Indian-ness that we, as Indians, whether Hindus, Muslims and others rather need to cherish- remembering the sacrifices that were made by martyrs of freedom struggle in later centuries and peaceful assimilation of all migrants from India to other countries as also of invader migrants into India in earlier centuries.

 The trend of these changes gives rise a fear in the minds of other Indians – and that term includes even the Muslims in India (call then Indian Muslims but not the Muslim Indians) besides the Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and others as the trend poses a challenge to Indian secularity. The trend simply gets reflected in choice or fixation of names even- a students’ union chose to christen itself as Students Islamic Movement of India- rather than Indian Muslim Students Union. The trend has been giving occasion to possibilities of increasing incidences of conflict and brings to fore the necessity on the part of the other Indians including many Muslims, to acquire and carry an excess baggage: the necessity to be armed with requisite anti-conflict skills like conflict-prevention, conflict-avoidance and conflict-resolution- to say the least.

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 The writer once came across a superfine example of an anti-conflict pill, embedded into the age-old Indian-ness. Invited for family dinner by at his residence by a Police official, who happened to have a Rajput ancestor-age, I asked for his pardon stating transparently that following an orthodox Brahmin culture, not only I have been a vegetarian but do not consume even onion and garlic. The reply from proposer-host was disarming: coming from an erstwhile ruler family, his inner family kitchen was kept by his wife as pure to keep the continuity of being in a position to invite Brahmins- and that their non-veg food was still getting cooked only in an outer kitchen and thus we were unhesitatingly welcome to have a family dinner with them. However such examples are becoming rare now- I for one really felt that just for civility, I could have had cited some non-transparent and yet graceful reason for non-acceptance of such an invite to begin with. However that was a greatly pleasant surprise.           

 The trend, referred to earlier, towards narrowing themselves to Islam among Muslim youth, seemingly contributes to anomalies and disturbances in terms of- fragmentation of the larger Indian society (call it insistence on distinctive dress and appearance codes even for non-clergy), ill-effects on education and emancipation (call in gender separation in education, commerce and other public domains), local abatement to external terrorism (call it Indian Mujahidin or SIMI) and even the organised underground criminality.If you wear a distictive dress or name, and therby specifically isolate yourself-is it not a self-designed prelude to blame the system, should you not get selected for some other reason? May be and may be not.   

 It must be stressed that Muslims also (like non-Muslims as well), in India are a group of many diversities. The diversity arises and depends a lot on locale factors of our vast country like varying environment, customs, languages spoken and written, major occupational aggregates besides the intra-Islamic sects.These diversites may be and are also material and contribute to Indian-ness. There is also another pointer of diversity :of  existence of four sub-groups among the Muslims themselves based on their outlook towards life and opportunities:

On the one hand are the normal peace loving Muslims, who but for occasional difficulties (and those also- not of their own volition) that get created- as it may happen in any family or malarial environment- who have liberal outlook. They want to assimilate and cohabitate in the liberal, democratic society- as their fore fathers- have done for ages. This group may also include, now-becoming-rare, situation where two sons from the same parentage, may have allegiance to two separate religions (some few years ago India-Today located some such brothers living in remote interiors in Havana – not at great distance from Delhi). They are generally content and happy with what they get by way of assistance in the form of affirmative action that the politics provides them. Not that, this is because all of them remember that they are just the descendants from ancestors – who opted to convert, or got a conversion to Islam for other reasons.  

 On the other hand, there are some who tend to turn Islamists per se, who want an Islamic society and probably look for a larger piece of pie in the process. They are in pursuit of power .They get aided and abetted to a considerable extent by external forces as also by internal vote-bank politics. Not that all of them see as descendants from the former rulers or ruling class yet they have greater arrogance and a kind of superiority complex.

 Yet other group of Muslims who understand and admire Indian-ness, are aware of strengths and weaknesses of democracy and cognizance thereof, acquire a forbearing nature and forgiving tolerance – and who are self-confident enough and therefore dream to fully integrate in the public pace with the mainstream, and contribute to the secularity and the modernity of Indian society- while keeping at heart the goodness of Islam with them as their personal faith. An example set by Mr Azim Premji (part of the name sounds non-Muslim) is revealed in a statement made by him and quoted here: Only when I am away from India and more so when I visit USA, that I am made to realize that I am a Muslim. Further the same Premji had a very simple and short ceremony with a very small and restricted family gathering for marriage of his son –who chose to select a life partner only in a childhood friend.

In between these three, there always exists a substantially large middle group who accept Islam’s ogmas, but only practice them to a lesser degree. Practice is restricted to personal observances as far as practicable. This group’s care is critical. Unfortunately, however a an increasing number of this group get enchanted with and  have been currently moving more into the hardliner Islamic variety.

Islam like all other religions is a good one and lays emphasis on tenets like sacrifice for poor and down-trodden, purity in thought and behaviour etc. However it is not just a religion like all others.  Islam has set, almost written down rules and even laws and regulations restricted not only to person faith but has its horizon extended to social behaviour: as to how the society and inter personal relationships should behave, should be, how the people need to organize themselves and besides, how these (Islamic) rules can only be implemented in practice. Power- political as also as social force is an Islamic pre-requisite. Fatwa is a case in point. There has to some authority behind a Fatwa. The insistence on its practical implementation becomes feasible only if the Islam has its power in the society.

 Therefore Muslims need to acquire strength. Strong Muslims forces try to influence the form of society and this aspect needs to be carefully watched, understood, moderated and eradicated as necessary. Muslims should have freedom to practice their faith, but it need not mean allowing acquisition of power through methods that are not only not permissible, but are inimical to a democracy. .

Islam’s power shows itself up in many diverse ways. It can be religious Islamists who want to implement their principles. But at the opposite end, it can also be Muslim gangs, who take control of say a neighbour hood, like that in Europe or in an underworld like those in Mumbai or other cities of India- within connections to hinterlands like say in Ajamgarh of Uttar Pradesh. Even if they don’t comply with basic good principles of Islam, it is clear that many of them identify themselves strongly with Islam. It is a matter of analysis  that rise of Shiv Sena of Mahrashtra (now spreading its influence to other parts of the State as also gradually to other states), as a saviour  had in part something to with the ‘protection’ demand that originated from petty shopkeeper sections out of local Marathis, against the ‘Hafta’ that was collected by  underworld of Mumbai- Hafta for Shiv Sainiks is equally bad

Sportsmanship spirit apart, it hurts the national pride, when sweets are distributed in isolated Muslim mohallas in cities like Kanpur, on occasions of Pakistan defeating India in a cricket match and the news about the same spreads as rumours around the city.

While India means and stands for all types of diversities, however non-positive aspects in important life-situations do hurt. Diversity that can be deeply damaging leading to fragmentation and disintegration of society needs to be curbed. Getting a society where there are deep rifts between the population groups undermines one of the most important qualities of a society, namely the trust between people. The distrust and disconnect within the nation does prompt external agencies (sometimes in guise of non-state actors) to use methods that inflict very heavy costs not only on economic development of involved nations (on both sides) but also in terms of human toll and misery. Plural Indian-ness an evolution, India settled for after a long course and history of sacrifices and it will be a tragic decline if we squander away the feel.

Indians insist on the tradition of information and freedom, which applies the same rules, the same demands and the same rights to all (call it Uniform Civil code) and a polite yet firm denial to special Islamic requirements in public space that instigate discrimination. Like Burqa for Indian women folk (in France that voted it out this year despite the vote-bank constraints). Modern India is not a Hindu India and therefore need not be too tolerant for the deeply intolerant features of Islam. It need not allow Indian to torn between the nation and religion for a short term- the Nation has to be a long term player. No gender separation, no male domination over women, no Islamic heads carves in our justice system, educational system, commercial and government institutions and health system any restrictions on freedom of speech.

 Tailpiece: When veteran actor Dilip Kumar met Prime Minister, in wake of Shiv Sena’s demand that he return the award in view of Pakistan’s aggression against India. Atal Behari Vajpayee told him to retain the Nishan-e-Imtiaz conferred on him by Pakistan. The actor told reporters immediately after the meeting with Vajpayee “The PM told me, it is your award, your honor. It is up to you to decide what to do with it. If you want, you can keep it, but nobody can point a finger at your patriotism”. Dilip Kumar, who did not immediately indicate what he intends to do about the award, finally decided not to return the same. Here are the two Indians who set an example to emulate in conflict-resolution.  

 

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