Reflections on Communal Riots

proposals, notwithstanding the fact that mere rhetoric of this sort cannot lead to any practical action. All this happens in the aftermath of riots. None of these leaders bothers to snuff out the initial sparks that later turn into leaping flames of inter-communal conflict, although the actual work to be done is for Muslim organizations, movements and right-minded individuals to keep a continuous watch on their fellow Muslims in their vicinity. As soon as they hear of a Muslim troubling someone else, irrespective of religion, they, along with some respected Muslims of the locality, should meet with him and nip his mischief in the bud. If Muslims display the same energy, enthusiasm and sensitivity at this early stage that they generally do after a deadly riot breaks out, inter-communal violence can be effectively ended. Some people claim that communal riots are always a result of conspiracies, and that these conspiracies are the handiwork of certain non-Muslim groups. They claim this to be these groups’ principal mission. It is argued that these groups have specially trained their people for this. Now, in response to this I will say that this world is an arena of competition. Here, it is bound to happen that people will act against one another. That is why the real task to be done is not to raise a big hue and cry against these groups, but, rather, to prepare oneself to render them ineffectual through silent efforts. Experience proves that while a group’s opponents adopt measures that are directed against it, such efforts can be rendered ineffectual through wisdom. Those who want that they should face no such challenge whatsoever and that no one should ‘conspire’ against them can leave this world of God’s and invent an imaginary world for themselves elsewhere, because, according to the law on the basis of which God has made this world, such things are bound to happen. Even for the prophets God made no exception in this regard. So, how can an exception be made for us?