In the aftermath of the Mumbai massacre, a lot of attention has been focused on the militant Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba that has been blamed for the bloodbath. Simon Cameron-Moore, our bureau chief in Islambad, has written an interesting piece on what they’ve done in recent years. As a religion editor watching this story unfold, I was also curious to know how they think. What kind of religious views do they have? My Google search has turned up an interesting answer.
An article entitled “The Ideologies of South Asian Jihadi Groups” gives a very concise and complete run-down of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s thinking (hat tip:Times of India). In today’s context, the article’s author is just as interesting as its content. An academic at the time he wrote the article in 2005, Husain Haqqani is now Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington. He’s been in the media quite often arguing that Islamabad did not support Lashkar-e-Taiba even if it was operating in Pakistan. Indian media arent’t buying it.
Sorting that out is not my job. I just wanted to note a list of the goals Lashkar-e-Taiba has set for itself. In a publication entitled Why Are We Waging Jihad? that Haqqani cites, the goals are listed as:
1) to eliminate evil and facilitate conversion to and practice of Islam;
2) to ensure the ascendancy of Islam;
3) to force non-Muslims to pay jizya (poll tax, paid by non-Muslims for protection from a Muslim ruler);
4) to assist the weak and powerless;
5) to avenge the blood of Muslims killed by unbelievers;
6) to punish enemies for breaking promises and treaties;
7) to defend a Muslim state; and
8 ) to liberate Muslim territories under non-Muslim occupation
Can we call these Lashkar-e-Taiba’s “religious goals?” It’s hard to draw a dividing line, but these cover both religion and politics. In South Asia, where they have first-hand experience of this kind of thinking, they would describe these as “politico-religious” goals. That clumsy term is more precise, but could it catch on elsewhere?
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I don’t know why we are arguing here about What was wrong in hinduism , islam ,christianity … (refering to initial 2-3 comments) …lets agree on one thing … its not about Islam … we should blame about any religion …i think even if the terrorist don’t act we have enough problems with the narrow mindedness of the other community and have all the latent heat to give raise to communal clash.
Secondly don’t try to argue with all those who are talking on behalf of Pakistan … this name is quite a satire .. PEACE is from a country which doesn’t believe in it !
I just wanna say -
“Tum use jaga nahi sakte jo sone ka natak karta ho !” …You can’t convince someone who can’t accept his mistakes … and that is the reason why Pakistan never improves !
Pakistan never believed in peace right from its inception that’s the reason of its very origin … and i am thankful that they are not a part of us today … Its India’s bad luck that we have such EVIL Neighbour !
- Posted by Proud to be an Indianviolence need not always be in the form of armed or physical violence..it can be violence against human rights…mental violence…expoitation. violence can be in the name of “honour killing”…recently there were may instances of girls beingkilled because they had affairs with guys of other religion or caste. i am not saying hinduism is bad…i am just saying its not so utopian as u r pointing it out to be..thats it. wats so hard to believe in this… its like… everyone knows it. give me a break! duh…
- Posted by garima singh@Om : Thanks Om for the wonderful comment of yours…i knew about the Shia and Sunni but nothing about the castes in Christians. It was quite an enlightening post for me at least ! Garima , yes we have castes , but we are trying to abolish it and in a decade or so we will achieve it. In big cities these days inter-caste marriages are allowed. We are doing introspection and realizing the mistake is important ! Isn’t It …
- Posted by Radhika Ganesan@Garima : Your reply to peace was excellent ! The Story about raping at gun point was really funny ! i guess this is how they brainwash the youth… I felt like laughing at him/her (Peace) when i read his/her comment yesterday … i guess this person is sleeping and still claims that India has no proof against Pakistan…I guess Pakistan media is still being totally and absolutely dictated!
Well Garib singh, with all the divisions in hindu culture..the uniqueness and the need of the world today is no violence in the name of caste. dont you think ??
- Posted by Omi will tell u about hinduism. they all go to the same temple… well except shudras i suppose who are still not aloowed entry in mny temples irrespectveofall legislations against untouchability.
- Posted by garima singhin rural india lower castes are still living aloof…. well in hinduism we have the great caste system. bramins, kshatriya vaisyas shudras and innumerable other sub castes. they cant marrry each other… ar eproud of their caste and surnames…godknows why.
out religous texts espof the later times are full of gnder discrimination..caste discrimination… andmany other social evils… so well..i am not too sure about uniqueness of hinduism in this respect
You know the Latin Catholic will not enter to Syrian catholic church, these
two will not enter to the Marthoma church, these three will not
enter to penthacost church, these four will not enter to Salvation army
church, these five will not enter to 7th day Adventist church, these six
will not enter to orthodox church, these seven will not enter to Jacobite
church,?..like this there are 146 castes in Kerala alone for Christianity,
each will never share their churches for Christians ! Wonderful
One Christ, One Bible, One Jehova?.What a unity !
Among Muslims, Shia and Sunni kill each other in all the Muslim
countries.The religious riot in Muslim countries is always between these
two.
The Shia will not go to Sunni mosque, these two will not go to Ahamadiya
mosque, these three will not go to Sufi mosque, these four will
not go to Mujahiddin mosque?.like this it appears there are 13 castes in
among Muslims, Killing / bombing/conquering/ massacring/? each other !
The American attack to the Muslim land of Iraq is fully supported by all
the Muslim countries surrounding Iraq !
One Allah, One Quran, One Nebi?.! Great unity !
For Hindus 1280 books, 10,000 commentaries, more than one lakh sub
commentaries for these foundation books, 330 million gods, variety of
aacharyas, thousands of Rishies, hundreds of languages,?still everyone goes
to the SAME TEMPLE ? whether unity is for Hindus or in others and
never Quarreled each other for the last ten thousand years in the name of
Religion.
My choice : Hinduism - The UNIQUE in the world. by an American
- Posted by OmAuthor……….
It sounds TRUE - but what do you think………………
Mr peace,
- Posted by garima singhi beg u to stop thinking bout india and worry about ur country. india will survive…its a big nation. but pakistan is going in deep shit… 1971..lost bangladesh and now will lose many other things. why dont u focus inwards. may pakistan live long and be prosperous… but wishing is something very different from reality…. do something bout it… why dont u ….
it has all the signs of a weak nation…i wont say kashmir is a heaven and all indian soldiers r mahatma gandhi… there is lot of violence and terror…but not just frm indian side. and wht will happen to kashmir if we let it go? pakistan will take it? plz first try to control the territories u already have rather than asking fr more…..and this is the fist time i am hearing of things like women being raped at gun points by soldiers in mumbai!!! where r u getting all this info from…
and have u ever considered the option tht ur media may be lying to u about things. but chances r more that this is the case as your media is well controlled by political parties. india is a free democratic nation.. and our press enjoys total freedom.
well…cant help it if u cant change ur stance because it wont harm me or any indian or neone in the world in any way. the only one going to get harmed is ur country and its citizens…