Read and Weep from page 203 onwards

The net result of all this is that neither Shias nor Sunnis nor Deobandis nor Ahl-i-Hadith nor Barelvis are Muslims and any change from one view to the other must be accompanied in an Islamic State with the penalty of death if the Government of the State is in the hands of the party which considers the other party to be kafirs. And it does not require much imagination to judge of the consequences of this doctrine when it is remembered that no two ulama have agreed before us as to the definition of a Muslim

Here

Another quote

Pakistan is being taken by the common man, though it is not, as an Islamic State.
This belief has been encouraged by the ceaseless clamour for Islam and Islamic State that
is being heard from all quarters since the establishment of Pakistan. The phantom of an
Islamic State has haunted the Musalman throughout the ages and is a result of the
memory of the glorious past when Islam rising like a storm from the least expected
quarter of the world—wilds of Arabia—instantly enveloped the world, pulling down
from their high pedestal gods who had ruled over man since the creation, uprooting
centuries old institutions and superstitions and supplanting all civilisations that had been
built on an enslaved humanity. What is 125 years in human history, nay in the history of a people, and yet during this brief period Islam spread from the Indus to the Atlantic and
Spain, and from the borders of China to Egypt, and the sons of the desert installed
themselves in all old centres of civilisation—in Ctesiphon, Damascus, Alexandria, India
and all places associated with the names of the Sumerian and the Assyrian civilisations.
Historians have often posed the question : what would have been the state of the world
today if Muawiya’s siege of Constantinople had succeeded or if the proverbial Arab
instinct for plunder had not suddenly seized the mujahids of Abdur Rahman in their fight
against Charles Martel on the plains of Tours in Southern France. May be Muslims would
have discovered America long before Columbus did and the entire world would have
been Moslemised; may be Islam itself would have been Europeanised. It is this brilliant
achievement of the Arabian nomads, the like of which the world had never seen before,
that makes the Musalman of today live in the past and yearn for the return of the glory
that was Islam. He finds himself standing on the crossroads, wrapped in the mantle of the
past and with the dead weight of centuries on his back, frustrated and bewildered and
hesitant to turn one corner or the other. The freshness and the simplicity of the faith,
which gave determination to his mind and spring to his muscle, is now denied to him. He
has neither the means nor the ability to conquer and there are no countries to conquer.
Little does he understand that the forces, which are pitted against him, are entirely
different from those against which early Islam, had to fight, and that on the clues given
by his own ancestors human mind has achieved results which he cannot understand. He
therefore finds himself in a state of helplessness, waiting for some one to come and help
him out of this morass of uncertainty and confusion. And he will go on waiting like this
without anything happening. Nothing but a bold re-orientation of Islam to separate the
vital from the lifeless can preserve it as a World Idea and convert the Musalman into a
citizen of the present and the future world from the archaic in congruity that he is today.

An update on Assyrians

I wrote about Assyrians before in an essay. Got some comments there as well. I suggest you might want to read that first if interested in the background to this fascinating community.

Was reminded of this when I read this. The Kurds, however much sympathy I have for them, are frankly a bunch of nincompoops. They should know how they have been treated and one would have expected the Kurds to welcome minorities, but no, they are behaving in the same barbaric manner as Saddam Hussein and other barbarians did in Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq. I quote:

Inspired by the violent exhortations of a preacher during Friday prayers earlier this month, hundreds of young Kurdish men in the northern Iraqi town of Zakho went on a riot. Over four days, they set dozens of liquor stores alight, later threatening proprietors with further violence if they dared reopen their businesses. They also attacked an Assyrian church and homes in the neighbouring village of Mansouriyah and destroyed property including four hotels, a health club and an Assyrian social club in Dohuk.

The victims were Assyrians – an ethnically and linguistically discrete people also known as Chaldeans or Syriacs according to denomination – and Yazidis, members of two ancient communities who, like all the vulnerable elements of Iraqi society, have suffered disproportionately in the aftermath of the war.

The staggering upheaval and violence faced by Assyrians has led to a drop in their numbers from at least 800,000 in 2003 to 400,000 today. They represent 35% of Iraqi refugees since the war, as well as an enormous number of Iraq's internally displaced persons.

The sheer ethnic cleansing of Christians from much of what’s the Muslim nations is not mentioned politely but the numbers do not lie. In every country, you will see this happening. Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Iran, etc. etc. Maybe India should offer these Assyrians a refuge, India has a long history of offering refuge to people from the Middle East. If these nincompoops want to kick out their most productive, educated and intelligent lot, then hey, India could help no?

The sad thing is, this pressure on minorities is not going to cease once the Christians have left. These people are cannibals, they devour their own. Once they don't have the Assyrians to go after, they will go after the Druze, the Kurds, the other minorities. When they are gone, they will go after the minority Islamic sects such as the Shia. Oh! I am sorry, they are already doing that (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan etc.), their behaviour towards the other minorities such as women, gays and the like is already well known. And the Arab Spring has already brought forward the Salafis to the fore.

I welcome this step actually. This Islamism and basic illiberal thought is a boil in the body of Muslims. This shouldn't be lanced before it has gotten seriously ripe and the infection has run its course. So yes, I welcome the Brotherhood and the Islamist Parties taking power and trying to rule their countries with their perverted and bizarre philosophy. Let people know what they are asking for. Let them live in that pressure cooker of religious fanatics and then know that religion is NOT an answer. At this moment, if you go to a cook in a town or a farmer in a village, they will bang their chest and say Islam is the answer because their neighbourhood Mullah has said so (see above on how the pogrom happened).

Iran provides a classic example. See how a bunch of religious morons can drive their country into a ever restrictive circle of hell (Israel provides another example). But rest of the religious sheep need to understand that religion is about you and God. Not about you and the State. When you allow religion to rule your state, then you end up taking the logical step and kicking out or killing everybody who doesn't follow an increasingly narrow interpretation.

You can see when you take the argument ad absurdum infinitum. There will be one man standing in a field filled with empty houses and dead bodies proudly claiming that they have removed all impurity from his society.

Bah!

Obama’s historic win – can a Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban become Prime Minister?

Hmmm, interesting question. I had email exchanges with an Indian Muslim who was moaning about a similar thing. His point was that India can never see an Indian Muslim as a Prime Minister, to which I took exception. There is a minority currently in power as a prime minister, he is a Sikh. We have Presidents who have been from minorities, we have people leading the national cricket teams who have been minorities and the like. So India has been quite good in having minorities capable of rising to the top. But obviously, if you ask some of these benighted Indian chappies, they would want to moan. To another chap who was saying the same, I told him, i will support you if you support the election of an Indian Muslim woman. Needless to say, he did not reply. Pretty clear, no?

But here's an interesting post I read from a Malaysian Chinese politicians who was moaning about their minorities becoming a Prime Minister of Malaysia. He apparently asked in their own parliament and rather shamefully I thought, there were many answers which were "no". I quote:

However, Obama’s historic breakthrough make many Malaysians ask whether it is possible for a Chinese, Indian, Kadazan to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia although the Constitution is very clear that any Malaysian citizen, regardless of race or religion can become Prime Minister.

If such a question is asked 50 years ago, the nation’s founders like Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Dr. Ismail, Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Tun Tan Siew Sin and Tun V.T. Sambanthan would unhesitatingly answered in the positive as there is no constitutional bar - separate from the question of whether it was likely to happen.

But if the same question is asked now, there will be strong voices (as heard in Parliament today when this question was posed) who would rise up to say no.

Who is going against the Merdeka Constitution and the social contract reached by the forefathers of the major communities to achieve national independence half a century ago?

Why is Malaysian race relations and nation-building going backwards in the past 50 years as compared to the historic breakthrough in race relations in the United States with Obama’s historic victory in the US presidential elections?

Long way to go before these narrow domestic walls come tumbling down...

Technorati Tags: Malaysia,Minorities,India

A schools minister should have a modicum of common sense, ours doesnt

One of the issues that the UK has is that it is blessed with a Schools Minister who has hay between his ears. Every time he has been asked to take a stand, he never fails to sleep and every time he has taken a stand he slips. Take his recent statement, we should let people know what the Muslims did for us. Why? Because

"One of the major reasons for the alienation of British Muslims is a lack of clear identity. This can leave them vulnerable to messages from extremists."

Lets see if we can use commonsense. So if this is a major reason, not the only one, but a major reason, then we should see other minorities also suffering from the messages from extremists, right? Given that the UK has been imperialistic towards a pretty wide variety of people in its past and even currently, we should be seeing pretty much every bloody minority in the country going about with nail bombs, right?

No, you blithering idiot, it has nothing to do with the lack of clear identity and you cannot do anything about it by teaching just that. His solution?

"This offers a whole series of remedies and an education for the rest of us. It is very important for the whole country to understand the hugely positive impact that Islamic inventors have had upon the world, and for Muslims to take pride in it."

This is science (obviously, this Minister has nothing to do with it), and science builds on every scientist, it has nothing to do with religion. Are you going to then institute a session or a Hindu History month to help push the idea of Hindu mathematics, science, technology, astronomy and the like so that the British Hindu population which lacks a clear identity can be helped? Oh! sorry, the British Hindu population is having fun with being good citizens, buying houses, going to Ibiza and puking their guts out and so on and so forth.

Christ (and pun intended, because I need divine assistance to handle the fact that morons like this are responsible for the future education of my children), what an idiot.

Yellow is now black

I was falling about laughing when I read this. When you replace one racist scheme for another, do not be surprised when other races play up. I see that all the time and have talked about it left right and centre. Race based economic policies are always destined to collapse under the weight of their own inconsistencies. We have seen riots and deaths in India, USA and across vast swathes of Africa over this issue.

In the USA, blacks are given affirmative action, but then when yellows from China and Japan, and browns from Asia and Latin America over take them and pick up all the pieces, then it is no longer racism but, erm, what is it?

Here are some examples of how racism is perpetuated by the same people who suffered under it.

The Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws use the same racial classifications of the apartheid era, giving advantage to those who were designated as black, Indian or coloured during the years of white rule.

So, the blacks are continuing on doing the same racist stuff.. And because of that, this happens:

The Chinese were considered "coloured" during the apartheid years and suffered discrimination, but from 1994 they were considered "white".

Hmm, so a yellow was first coloured, then became white and now they are black. From a basic economics, political, and frankly common sense perspective, this policy sounds stupid. Why not simply open it up to anybody who is poor and needs help? But no, moronic leaders (that Thabo Mbeki is a prime example, I feel hatred towards him, frigging idiot), will keep on going because that's how low brow they are. Makes more sense to be a racist than to be smart and help all South Africans.

Most convoluted argument for nuclear bombs ever

This argument  by Dr Shahid Qureshi is one of the most novel arguments in favour of a nuclear bomb in Pakistan. The idea that there are organised minorities which are somehow out to get Pakistan is deeply engrained in so many minds that its not funny. Some priceless gems:

 

In cricket when a player scores a hundred, nobody asks how many catches were dropped. When nations survive wars and conspiracies, no one in history asks what they were living on or what they were eating.
Pakistan's nuclear deterrent has reduced chances of a war in the region and there is a greater chance of peace flourishing in the subcontinent. One doesn't count the costs involved in survival.

The author has obviously forgotten Kargil and the many times India Pakistan nearly went to war. And here's another classic conspiracy theory, it was not our fault, my lord, it was the enemy who dunnit.

What happened in 1948, 1965 and 1971 wars and then in Kargil is part of military history but what really happened in the world's leading capitals is an ugly story of betrayal, treachery and selfishness. There is, no doubt, that the 1971 war and separation of East Pakistan was an international conspiracy and more of stabbing in the back by friends, like the US, both in 1965 and 1971.

But this line is the best one: However, treachery is also telepathic. Hehehe, how amusing, telepathic treachery, hehehe. Very nice indeed. And this book's review was given by a certain Brigadier Khalid. His LISA has collected together the most amusing and funny collection of "experts", bunch of clowns. He comes up with the most wonderful ideas, provides a laugh a minute. Fascinating, and to think he actually has a readership. But then, there is an idiot born every minute. Here, read his review and giggle:

Book Review

War on Terror & Siege of Pakistan

By Dr Shahid Qureshi

Freemedia Publishers, Lahore

ISBN 9781 42599 5454

Price: £15

Conspiracies Against Pakistan

Most books about Pakistan are written and published abroad are either by Western authors who need to justify their angle on Islam or Pakistan or by Pakistani academics seeking to fit in with the Western academics. It is rare to see a book reflecting the point of view of a mainstream Pakistani about Pakistan particularly in the English language. This book is indeed the views and fears of a mainstream patriotic Pakistani.

Dr Shahid Qureshi has collected a vast amount of documents that are often ignored or sidelined because they do not support the subjective point of view that the author holds. In this book all relevant material on difficult subjects is compiled that is useful for further research or in support of facts for which references are not easily available. This book is particularly useful for students who need fact to draw their own conclusions or for writing a pro-Pakistan narrative as a part of their course of study.

Many analysts believes that ‘the so called ‘War on Terror ‘ was planned long before the 9/11 terrorist attacks and regime change in Pakistan from Nazwaz Sharif to General Musharaf in October 1999 was some how part of the plan’? Is it a mere coincidence that military rule was in place in Pakistan on both Soviet and US invasion of Afghanistan? This book provides information and analysis of the events as well as role of the players within the power circles of Pakistan.

One often wonder why is it so easy to install puppet regimes – civil or military - in a country like Pakistan that has a clear polity enjoying wide and strong public support! I admire the author of this book - Dr Shahid Qureshi – for his courage and patriotism to have attempted to provide an answer. In few words, the answer is the existence of ‘organised minorities’.  

Organised minorities find it easy to infiltrate the establishment and influence the people because Pakistan is an open society. The core of the society is fair, generous, and hospitable.  They are fair to the point of giving preference to the ‘other’ point of view over their own. They are generous - ever eager to forgive and forget. These characteristics provide for ease in maintaining social harmony. But they also make infiltration very easy.

Pre-independence politics saw the creation of two powerful elements to influence and control the Muslim core – Qadiaynis and the feudal. The Qadiaynis remained the sole subversive element who continued to flourish until they were declared non-Muslims in Pakistan by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Thereafter, those who wanted to influence Pakistan’s policies found it easier to consort with the Army Chiefs who emerged as powerbrokers. The foreign powers seeking to determine policy infiltrated the military as well as the political system to influence promotions in the armed forces as well nominations of ministers in the cabinet as allegedly happened after February 2008 elections.

The major foreign influence on Pakistan is of US. During the Cold War, when the objectives of Pakistan as well as the USA in South Asia were identical or complementary, this influence was benign, even helpful. But India has worked its way into favour and has become the principal US ally in the region. The watershed moment was the betrayal of Pakistan when USA supported Indian invasion of East Pakistan in 1971.

American CIA carried out a study how the vote of the rural majority elects a government and the urban discontent removes it from power. They found that the political inclinations of the population in rural as well as urban areas of Pakistan were similar except in Karachi.  They concluded that even a popular government could be removed by agitation in Karachi. That is the raison d’etre of the MQM.

The fear of the Qadiaynis and the MQM is widespread in Pakistan.  Like the backlash against Qadiaynis in the seventies, there is every likelihood of a backlash against the MQM in the coming decade. But it is avoidable. The identity of the MQM is ethnic, not sectarian. It is books like this, which help limit the damage they can do and create a space for them to return to the mainstream. Pakistan was split into two when a conspirator (an Indian agent) was able to gain the trust of the Bengali people. That may be happening again. The leaders of all the main political parties are leaders for life, and General Musharraf wants to be one. All of them depend on foreign support largely. In such an environment, the two organised minorities - Mirzais (Qadiaynis) and MQM can operate freely to subvert Pakistan from within.

The people trust the military but not Musharraf. Could the military support patriots among politicians to frustrate the subversives? I believe that disclosures and analysis like in this book improve the prospects of that to happen. Each one of us has a duty to come forward and call a spade a spade. It is only through such courage and patriotism that ‘robust unity’ of the core of the nation will be mobilised to frustrate the subversives in our country ‘under siege from within’. 

Moreover, It is always dangerous for anyone to criticise politicians because they tend to be vindictive. However, it is safer to comment on military rulers and their surrogates. This book is written during the Musharraf era when Internet opened the lines of communication and information became freely available. The book compiles useful information on all the important events of the last decade with references included to link past events. Tabooed subjects like the MQM and its links with India; the Qadianis and their patrons; insurrection in Baluchistan and the role of India, Russia, and America in it; co-operation between Indian RAW and Israeli Mossad; the accusation of nuclear proliferation against Pakistan, are all covered.

This is a book providing information that is hard to obtain; it is a book that helps understand complex events linked to and surrounding Pakistan; and it is a rich source of themes and ideas. I commend it to readers.

Usman Khalid                                                                                    

Director,

London Institute of South Asia    

 

Conspiracy theory galore...But if a book has been recommended by this clown, it immediately means that the book is destined to the never to be read pile...

Technorati Tags: Pakistan,Nuclear Weapons,Conspiracy Theory

Let us fragment our societies further

Here we go again. The government, in this case, Indian government, did the right thing, but forbidding any teaching of religion. But Jains want to teach their children about their religion and thus are going minority status. Let us further fragment our society.

Technorati Tags: Jainism,India,Secularism

Open glorification of assasins and terrorists in Canada

The Canadian police are considered to be a bunch of muppets is well known. They mess up terrorist investigations, they cannot prosecute properly, etc. etc. In my discussions in a Canadian Muslim mailing list, nobody had a good word to say about their police and political parties. Very very few had anything good to say about Canada, their police, political parties, their foreign policy, you name it. In fact, when i circulated a note about how thankful the world is to Canada for providing peacekeeping soldiers, it landed like a lead baloon and somebody commented that it was bad, specially in Afghanistan. Well, I am not surprised reading about this.

Terrorists and Assasins are openly glorified in Canada? I wonder what Canada stands for in the first place and second, what on earth is Canada doing while letting these terrorists run rampant in its territory? Jihadi's, Tamil Tigers, Khalistani's, you name it, they are infesting that country. Guys, see the example of the UK, you let these buggers run loose and they turn on you, and the first people they cannibalise will be the minorities themselves.


All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!

White men are banned

This is the most bizarre thing I have read. Have the PC crowd gone mad?

FIRE chiefs were accused last night of discrimination by trying to ban white men from joining up.

They were condemned after barring  white males from recruitment sessions in an attempt to boost ethnic minority and women applicants.
The MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire added: “I don’t care whether the fire service is only made up of ethnic minority women – as long as they are the best people at fighting fires.

Technorati Tags: Minorities,Discrimination,United Kingdom

Would citizenship lessons help in minority integration?

Country after country is trying to increase the integration of its minorities by insisting on language lessons, citizenship lessons, examinations and the like. Does this work? Well, here's a paper which tries to shed light on the debate. Pretty encouraging, wouldn't you say? (mind you, one angle of further research would be to explore this via the ethnic - religious dimension - All minorities are not the same!)

 

The Civic Attitudes of Ethnic Minority Youth and the Impact of Citizenship Education

Author: Jan Germen Janmaat

Published in:  Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Volume 34, Issue 1 January 2008 , pages 27 - 54

Abstract

This paper compares the civic attitudes of migrant and native youth in five West European countries, and explores the effect of citizenship education on the civic orientations of migrant children. Use is made of data from the IEA Civic Education survey. This survey involved a large study among 14-year-olds in 28 countries. The paper finds that migrant youth generally are at least as supportive of civic values as the ethnic majority. They do not embrace the civic notions of patriotism, institutional trust and gender equality to the same extent as the dominant group, though. Differences between the two groups on gender equality and to some degree also on institutional trust disappear, however, when social background variables are controlled for. It is concluded that differences between the allochtonous and autochthonous groups in the espousal of civic values are mostly a reflection of social differences and that migrant cultures are not obstructing the adoption of these values. This contradicts the conservative notion that civic values are specific to Western cultures and therefore incompatible with migrant cultures of other origins. It is further concluded that ethnic minority youth are likely to benefit more from citizenship education than the majority group.

Technorati Tags: Minorities,Europe,Integration

Politics of Identity in Malaysia

The fact that the primary politics of Malaysia are racist at worst and discriminatory at best is not in doubt. The national ethos is oriented towards the protection of privileges towards the majority Malay and devil take the minorities.

But that's pretty much standard and par for the course. See here for a longer essay on this. So whenever Malaysian leaders (Like that Mahatir Mohammad clown) say anything, I automatically read it with jaundiced eyes simply because of the inherent racism and discrimination on which they rest their arguments about Muslims, Malays, Asian Values or what have you.

But as I keep on saying here and everywhere, if you rely on having a legal and political system which is biased towards one group and/or another, then you will soon come to a clashing break with the minorities or those who call themselves say, OIY, hold on, why are you discriminating against ME?

I do realise there are many more sub-strands to this discussion about identity in Malaysia (such as Indian origin Muslims siding with Malay Muslims rather than Indian Hindu's, Indian Sikh and Gujerati origin Malaysians keeping away from everybody, the Han Chinese keeping silent (ish) and forming their own community, the links with Singapore and Malaysia, the colonial links, the still burning embers of the old communist rebellion, the failure of the bhumiputra policy.....)

This is even more visible in the days of transparency and 24 hour communications that any form of inequality or discrimination is very quickly shown up. But I would like to make two more points before heading into the article:

1. Why is China not squeaking about its progeny in Malaysia and why is Chinese Media, controlled though it is, not moaning about it as the Indian Media is? I do not have a reason per se' but the Chinese have a rather different viewpoint of nationality and the diaspora. The concept of the "middle kingdom" and the sheer numbers means that Beijing rarely bothers about diaspora Chinese. In fact, I dont recall any instance in recent memory that China has moaned about ethnic Chinese of another nationality or state.

2. If the Indians do decide to do a LTTE Style terrorist campaign or even decide do escalate the current Gandhigiri campaign to a more long term campaign, (specially if the official reaction is like this), then it is my gut feel that the current "moderate-Muslim" Malay regime will collapse very quickly and a far more hardline Muslim state will form in Malaysia.

So when my friend, Aditi Bhaduri, sent me this essay which I am copying here, I nodded rather cynically.

Read and laugh at those Malay Muslim Leaders.

Read and laugh at those Malay Muslim Leaders.

OVERSEAS AND UNHAPPY

- India needs to pay attention to the ethnic crisis in Malaysia

Sunanda K. Datta-Ray

Not Silicon Valley

Malaysia's simmering ethnic crisis is something for the ministry of overseas Indian affairs to ponder on. Presumably, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman was bestowed on S. Samy Vellu, president since 1979 of the Malaysian Indian Congress and public works minister in the ruling coalition, because India approves of his work as representative of more than two million ethnic Indians. Since the man and his constituency are inseparable, convulsions in the latter that question his leadership oblige India to reassess its attitude towards the diaspora.

Initially, screaming headlines about Hindus on the march suggested hordes of ash-smeared trident-brandishing sadhus with matted locks rampaging to overwhelm Muslim Malaysia. In reality, thousands of impoverished Tamils carrying crudely drawn pictures of Gandhi sought only to hand over a petition to the British high commission in Kuala Lumpur about their plight since their ancestors were imported as indentured labour 150 years ago. It so happened that the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), a new umbrella group of 30 organizations, mobilized Sunday's protest when Tamils battled the riot police for six hours.

The confrontation was even farther removed in space than in time from Lee Kuan Yew's claim in 1959, when Singapore was waiting to join Malaya, that India was to Malayan culture "what Greece and Rome are to Western culture". Peninsular Malay was part first of the Srivijaya empire and then of Rajendra Chola's overseas dominions. Even modern Islamic Malaysia borrows heavily from India. Terms like Bangsa Melayu (for the Malay nation) and bumiputera (Malay Muslims), the cherished determinant of political and economic privilege, expose Malaysia's own unacknowledged linguistic bankruptcy.

Describing the Thirties excavations in Kedah, which confirmed that Bujang was a Srivijaya empire port — dating back to the 4th century — within easy sailing distance of India, Time magazine reported in 2000, "But an Indian Malaysian visiting the Bujang Valley might come away feeling demeaned rather than proud — and that would be no accident." Anthony Spaeth, the writer, went on to say that "the official literature does its best to downplay, even denigrate, the Indian impact on the region".

Ironically, the Indian minority's further marginalization coincided with the long tenure (1981-2003) of the former prime minister, the ethnic Indian medical doctor, Mahathir Mohamad. He also took Malaysia further along the road to Islamization. A kind of competitive Islam was at play under him with the fundamentalist Parti Islam SeMalaysia demanding Sharia law and Mahathir's subsequently disgraced lieutenant, Anwar Ibrahim, peddling what he called Islamic values without "Arabisation".

Lee says Chinese Malaysians (25 per cent) who have maintained an uneasy peace since the vicious Malay-Chinese riots of 1969, are being marginalized. But they at least have someone to speak up for them. They are also able to salt away their savings in Singapore where they often send their children for education and employment. Lacking any of these fall-back advantages, the much poorer Indians suffered in silence until Sunday's upsurge. They did not protest even when six Indians were murdered and 42 others injured in March 2001 without the authorities bothering to investigate the attacks.

Nearly 85 per cent of Indian Malaysians are Tamil, and about 60 per cent of them are descended from plantation workers. Official statistics say Indians own 1.2 per cent of traded equity (40 per cent is held by the Chinese) though they constitute eight per cent of the population. About 5 per cent of civil servants are said to be Indian while 77 per cent are Malay. An Indian who wants to start a business must not only engage a bumiputera partner but also fork out the latter's 30 per cent share of equity. The licence-permit raj has run amok with government sanction needed even to collect garbage. Lowest in the education and income rankings, Indians lead the list of suicides, drug offenders and jailed criminals. All the telltale signs of an underclass. While the state gives preferential treatment to bumiputeras, the MIC has done little to help Indians rise above their initially low socio-economic base.

Religious devotion often being the last refuge of those with little else to call their own, Indians set great store by their temples, which are now the targets of government demolition squads. Many are technically illegal structures because the authorities will not clear registration applications. The last straw was the eve-of-Diwali destruction of a 36-year-old temple in Shah Alam town which is projected as an "Islamic City". Insult was piled on injury when, having announced that he would not keep the customary post-Eid open house as a mute mark of protest, Vellu hastily backtracked as soon as the prime minister frowned at him.

Emotions have been simmering since 2005 when the mullahs seized the body of a 36-year-old Tamil Hindu soldier and mountaineer, M. Moorthy, and buried it over the protests of his Hindu wife, claiming Moorthy had converted to Islam. A Sharia court upheld the mullahs, and when the widow appealed, a civil judge ruled that Article 121(1A) of Malaysia's constitution made the Sharia court's verdict final. Civil courts had no jurisdiction. Such restrictions and, even more, the manner in which rules are implemented, make a mockery of the constitution's Article 3(1) that "other religions may be practised in peace and harmony".

Last Sunday's petition was signed by 1,00,000 Indians. The fact that it was provoked by a supposed conversion and a temple destruction and was sponsored by Hindraf prompted P. Ramasamy, a local academic, to say, "The character of struggle has changed. It has taken on a Hindu form — Hinduism versus Islam." But that is a simplification. The protesters who were beaten up, arrested and charged with sedition were Indians. They were labelled Hindu because Tamil or Malayali Muslims (like Mahathir) go to extraordinary lengths to deny their Indian ancestry and wangle their way into the petted and pampered bumiputera preserve. In Singapore, too, Indian Muslims who speak Tamil at home or sport Gujarati names drape the headscarf called tudung on their wives and insist they are Malay. Malaysia's Sikhs also distance themselves from the Indian definition which has become a metaphor for backwardness.

Branding Sunday's demonstration Hindu automatically singles out the minority as the adversary in a country whose leaders stress their Islamic identity. The implication of a religious motivation also distracts attention from the more serious economic discrimination that lies at the heart of minority discontent. Acknowledging that "unhappiness with their status in society was a real issue" for the protesters, even The New Straits Times, voice of the Malay establishment, commented editorially, "The marginalisation of the Indian community, the neglect of their concerns and the alienation of their youth must be urgently addressed."

Some have suggested that the illusory prospect of fat damages from Hindraf's $4 trillion lawsuit against the British government may have tempted demonstrators. But the lawyers who lead Hindraf must know that their plaint is only a symbolic gesture like my Australian aboriginal friend Paul Coe landing in England and taking possession of it as terra nullius (nobody's land) because that is what the British did in Australia. The more serious message is, as The New Straits Times wrote, that secular grievances must be addressed. Though plantation workers have demonstrated earlier against employers, never before have they so powerfully proclaimed their dissatisfaction with the government. In doing so, under Hindraf colours, they have also signified a loss of confidence in Vellu and the MIC. The worm has turned. There is a danger now of the government hitting back hard.

All this concerns India, not because of M. Karunanidhi's fulminations but because interest in overseas Indians must be even-handed. The diaspora does not begin and end with Silicon Valley millionaires. Nor should Vayalar Ravi's only concern be V.S. Naipaul and Lakshmi Mittal whose pictures adorn his ministry's website. Indians of another class are in much greater need of his attention.

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