By Manas Paul
I am not sure whether any warrior of Islam hanged to death by a court after trial would attain 'Vehst' and -as such be eligible for those heavenly 'houries' with beautiful black eyes. As far as I understand, perhaps, Kasav had lost his claim to those paragons of divine beauty when he wept and admitted 'guilt' in Mumbai on 26/11. Neither his handlers in Pakistan nor the 16-year old houries somewhere up in the paradise would be impressed at a terrorist trained to kill the 'Kafirs' and to sacrifice himself for the cause of Islam crying in the public for his own life. This was shame for a jihadi ...
This is not for the first time, however, that such a question came to my mind. Last year I was reading a book 'The Siege of Mecca' by Yaroslav Trofimov. At that time also I was equally uncertain about the fate of that Bedouin fanatic Juhayman al Uteibi who along with his followers had seized Holy Mecca on November 20, 1979 demanding that 'Mehdi' had arrived. He and his stupid followers killed hundreds of Muslim pilgrims only to be later captured and happily beheaded by the Saudi Monarch.
Then, there was a man near our neighbourhood with a funny name 'Bangla Bhai'. He was also trying to make his way up into heaven throwing crude bombs here and there and killing some bystanders or poets or intellectuals. At last it was, however, not the bombs but the rope that ended his dream run to divinity.
I was wondering what could be their fates-- those Juhayman and Bangla Bhai--I mean after their death. I did not have any 'Wahabi' inspired fanatic in Tripura whom I could ask for the answer. But then I remembered Mohammed Hanif - the celebrated Pakistani writer of 'Exploding Mangoes'- who had some answer: 'God's Glory, God's Glory, every monkey has a hourie'.
But all those good wine and women in heavens aside, none could rule out some very un-heavenly developments that might follow the death sentence to Kasav.
For me Kasav stood strangely apart like a sore thumb. He was perhaps the first Fidayen -the suicide attacker- who was caught alive and stood trial in the court of law, he was the first dreaded terrorist who cried openly and in the public and he happened to be an enemy of a state that willy-nilly but relentlessly goes overboard to strengthen her democratic image. Considering these three major shortcomings Kasav seems to have little chance to be called as a true warrior of Islam as per the LeT standard. In fine, India has deprived Kasav of not only his earthly existence but also of his so cherished carnal pleasures beyond death for which he had taken that much of risk and butchered so many innocent people...
Nevertheless, I am certain some fanatics somewhere in Pakistani slums or Afghani mountains or even in some far off places like Sudan would like to come up with some new interpretation of Jihadi Sahadaat and pray for Kasav's transportation to his heaven and houries straight from the Mumbai gallows. If Kasav is 'lucky', there is also possibility of Osama bin Laden coming up with a tape for public distribution through Al Jazeera praising the young terrorist for his great man slaughter.
In today's (Friday) newspaper I read some Human Rights activists demanded life sentence for Kasav instead of capital punishment. They felt death sentence could not be a deterrent for terrorist attacks and as such he should be buried alive in prison for life. As far as Indian standard sentiment is concerned this did appear to me neither surprising nor intriguing. It was, in fact, quite expected that professional Humanrightswallas would take to roads to save Kasav from death. If anything surprising was there, it was their hitherto maintained conspicuous silence on the issue. This time the HRmasters had evidently kept in mind the prevalent situation. And they are except some token protests unlikely to act Teesta Shitalabad or suffer the Arundhuti syndrome finding blatant faults in the government establishments both in India and Pakistan for which 'Kasav could have very well been a victim' sort of thing. But, Kasav still has a chance to test his destiny. He can appeal to higher court and even go up to the President of India for clemency.
And as far as political considerations are concerned Ajmal Kasav was far more a hot potato than Afjal Guru. But still we are certainly not Israel nor do we have a cigarette smoking Golda Meir who would like to bring outright 'Wrath of Gods' to the perpetrator of inhuman killings.
In recent time there were five more state executions in our region - the hanging of five Mujib killers in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh or for that matter in the entire world the execution was hailed as it was seen as bringing the brute murderers of the Bangladesh President to justice. They were hanged in celebration. Six more were still on the run and being hunted world over. Since the Mujib assassins were allegedly acting at the behest of an American, and that too, a Jew named Mr Henri Kissinger, Col Frouk and his cohorts were unlikely to be blessed too..
But as far as Kasav is concerned, let me be frank, I am not quite sure about the passport of a weeping jihadi's journey to Heaven and his houries--those 'pearls hidden in shells on whom there would be no dust and whom neither any man nor a jinn had ever touched'.
This is not for the first time, however, that such a question came to my mind. Last year I was reading a book 'The Siege of Mecca' by Yaroslav Trofimov. At that time also I was equally uncertain about the fate of that Bedouin fanatic Juhayman al Uteibi who along with his followers had seized Holy Mecca on November 20, 1979 demanding that 'Mehdi' had arrived. He and his stupid followers killed hundreds of Muslim pilgrims only to be later captured and happily beheaded by the Saudi Monarch.
Then, there was a man near our neighbourhood with a funny name 'Bangla Bhai'. He was also trying to make his way up into heaven throwing crude bombs here and there and killing some bystanders or poets or intellectuals. At last it was, however, not the bombs but the rope that ended his dream run to divinity.
I was wondering what could be their fates-- those Juhayman and Bangla Bhai--I mean after their death. I did not have any 'Wahabi' inspired fanatic in Tripura whom I could ask for the answer. But then I remembered Mohammed Hanif - the celebrated Pakistani writer of 'Exploding Mangoes'- who had some answer: 'God's Glory, God's Glory, every monkey has a hourie'.
But all those good wine and women in heavens aside, none could rule out some very un-heavenly developments that might follow the death sentence to Kasav.
For me Kasav stood strangely apart like a sore thumb. He was perhaps the first Fidayen -the suicide attacker- who was caught alive and stood trial in the court of law, he was the first dreaded terrorist who cried openly and in the public and he happened to be an enemy of a state that willy-nilly but relentlessly goes overboard to strengthen her democratic image. Considering these three major shortcomings Kasav seems to have little chance to be called as a true warrior of Islam as per the LeT standard. In fine, India has deprived Kasav of not only his earthly existence but also of his so cherished carnal pleasures beyond death for which he had taken that much of risk and butchered so many innocent people...
Nevertheless, I am certain some fanatics somewhere in Pakistani slums or Afghani mountains or even in some far off places like Sudan would like to come up with some new interpretation of Jihadi Sahadaat and pray for Kasav's transportation to his heaven and houries straight from the Mumbai gallows. If Kasav is 'lucky', there is also possibility of Osama bin Laden coming up with a tape for public distribution through Al Jazeera praising the young terrorist for his great man slaughter.
In today's (Friday) newspaper I read some Human Rights activists demanded life sentence for Kasav instead of capital punishment. They felt death sentence could not be a deterrent for terrorist attacks and as such he should be buried alive in prison for life. As far as Indian standard sentiment is concerned this did appear to me neither surprising nor intriguing. It was, in fact, quite expected that professional Humanrightswallas would take to roads to save Kasav from death. If anything surprising was there, it was their hitherto maintained conspicuous silence on the issue. This time the HRmasters had evidently kept in mind the prevalent situation. And they are except some token protests unlikely to act Teesta Shitalabad or suffer the Arundhuti syndrome finding blatant faults in the government establishments both in India and Pakistan for which 'Kasav could have very well been a victim' sort of thing. But, Kasav still has a chance to test his destiny. He can appeal to higher court and even go up to the President of India for clemency.
And as far as political considerations are concerned Ajmal Kasav was far more a hot potato than Afjal Guru. But still we are certainly not Israel nor do we have a cigarette smoking Golda Meir who would like to bring outright 'Wrath of Gods' to the perpetrator of inhuman killings.
In recent time there were five more state executions in our region - the hanging of five Mujib killers in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh or for that matter in the entire world the execution was hailed as it was seen as bringing the brute murderers of the Bangladesh President to justice. They were hanged in celebration. Six more were still on the run and being hunted world over. Since the Mujib assassins were allegedly acting at the behest of an American, and that too, a Jew named Mr Henri Kissinger, Col Frouk and his cohorts were unlikely to be blessed too..
But as far as Kasav is concerned, let me be frank, I am not quite sure about the passport of a weeping jihadi's journey to Heaven and his houries--those 'pearls hidden in shells on whom there would be no dust and whom neither any man nor a jinn had ever touched'.
I can understand yr anger. But the main curse of the sub-continent is education or lac of it.
ReplyDeleteHell,heaven ,houri or honour killing- every thing happens in this sub -continent, in 21st century also- because of gareebi N education.
Not necessarily...Saudis r not Garib and Mohammed Atta -who destroyed World Tower..was not uneducated. nor the psychiatrist who killed American soldiers..there cud be thousands of such examples..lack of education and poverty may aggrevate the situation..but problem lies deep....and it is also not area specific phenomenon ..it is a global phenomenon...infact in western world it is more aggressive with the educated sections...the problem is rooted in primordial mindset..it is ancient , at least 1400 years old....
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