JEDDAH, 5 March 2004 — The majority of Indians living in Jeddah see the wooing of Muslims by Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani as an unhealthy and dangerous sign for the future, both for the country and the community.
Tariq Khan, an electrical engineer, said Muslims must never join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as it has time and again harmed Muslim feelings, and destroyed their livelihood and property. “Just because the BJP is in power, there is no reason for Muslims to turn to it. Instead, they should try to build their own individuality, image, and strength,” he added. According to him, the fault was not just with the BJP. He describes it as “a well organized party with discipline.” The blame, he claims, lies with the Muslims themselves, who are disorganized and undisciplined. “The party is merely capitalizing on our weaknesses,” Khan said.
Syed Mohammad Mansour, an airline sales executive, said, “To use a term in the aviation industry, India is heading toward turbulence. After what happened to Muslims under the BJP government in Gujarat, it is madness to trust the party. It has a Hindu agenda and Muslims are out of their minds to be seeking to join it,” he added. Arif Quraishi, president, Indian Cultural Society, Jeddah said that if the love and concern that BJP now shows for Muslims continue after the elections, it would be a miracle. “This is an ‘if’ the Muslims have to contend with. No body can be sure,” he added. Another Indian executive said it was wrong to equate Muslims with Pakistan. “Advani talks about peace moves with Pakistan. Why connect Muslims with that? It is good politics to have friendly relations with the neighbors. Muslims are concerned with the hard facts of life, the education of their children, jobs, and communities. If one community lags behind, the whole country suffers. Peace with Pakistan is not what Muslims want to hear. They are Indians and want to be treated as Indians,” he added.
Sharief Aslam, president, Indian readers’ forum said it makes sense for Muslims to be joining various parties, but they should not bargain and harm the community’s interest.. If they are joining the BJP with the aim of weakening the party’s anti-Muslim element, then it is welcome. But if they are just power hungry, it is a betrayal of the community. Record shows that no Muslim in the BJP has ever spoken against its anti-Muslim agenda.
