Dangers of mixing Islamic Terrorism and Muslims

In times of surcharged passion, it is easy to lose balance or to make sweeping statements like "All Muslims / Christians / Hindus / whatever are ..........."

I do not intend this to be a sermon, and I can write this today, may be because of certain maturity that comes with age (I am touching 35).

Let us not swing the pendulum the other side now.

What I mean is that had the Indian state truly remained secular, meaning that had the policies / decisions of governance been made truly with no regard to person's religious belief, accompanied by strict administration, at least in the Indian context, lot of problems would have not been there.

There is a real danger of vitriol seeping in our thinking - of we starting to think - this is Islamic terrorism, so my Muslim neighbours are to be avoided. I am asking you to watch against it.

Please remember, for each Afzal Guru, there is a Dr. Kalam. There is Ustad Bismillah Khan.

You can not, I repeat can not, bring vitriol in the thought process without affecting the social fabric.

I am not being a votary of minority appeasement. In fact if you were to talk to educated Muslim youth - people like you and me - they are embarrased at laws suppossedly made for them.

I mean WHO - leave aside remotest villages, is having more than one wife. Or clamouring for it.

And yet government after government can't amend this law. And forces Indian citizens to follow a different set of rules depending upon your religious beliefs.

WTF ???

But you can't blame your educated Muslim neighbour for this. He doesn't lie awake at nights wondering how to marry the third or the fourth time. His concerns, like your and mine are more mundane - house / car / education for kids / vacation / whatever.

So let us maintain this distinction in our minds. Times like these demand this balance even more.