Reflections on Communal Riots

When a knife falls on a watermelon, there is simply no use of trying to logically analyze if the knife was at fault or the watermelon, or if the watermelon was responsible for the fate that has befallen it. In such a scenario, the fundamental issue is how to extricate oneself from the difficult situation one is faced with, rather than to engage in verbal duels, hurling accusations against one’s opponents and blaming them for one’s woes. It is a well-known and generally-accepted fact that the practical aspect of an issue is more important than its logical or theoretical aspect. This is the case with the question of violence between communities, too. Once, in a certain city, a man rented a portion of the ground floor of a house. After some days, he found that his ceiling was leaking. Water was dripping from the bathroom of the flat above his. It leaked non-stop, and so it was a terrible headache for the man. Moreover, the water was dirty, because the bath and toilet were in the same room. The tenant mentioned this problem to the man living in the flat above his. But this man paid no attention to him. Then, he began complaining to the neighbours. But, they, too, did not show any concern for his problem. One day, someone told the tenant, “Brother! In our city, the custom is that if water falls on your head from someone else’s house, it is you, not that other person, who must arrange and pay for the necessary repairs.” The tenant replied, “This is absolutely illogical! The man who lives above me should arrange and pay for it. After all, it is his bathroom floor that is cracked, because of which I have to suffer!” This other man was, however, not moved by the tenant’s logic. In a short while, the tenant came to understand that his logical arguments did not seem to have any takers at all! Now, the men who lived in the neighbourhood were all fellow Muslims, and so the tenant began citing verses from the Quran and Hadith to back his stance. But even this did not melt their hearts. Then, some friends