Ayodhya Issue...

 

Theft, is a theft, is a theft.

It does not matter how many days, months, years, decades or centuries are past, theft still remains a theft.

The Islamic conquest of India robbed the native populace of many of their rights, lands, money, lives, culture and temples.

Many of our best temples were torn up, their pillars and other dressed stone works used to create the early mosques in India. Proceeds from looting our nation were used to finance palaces, mosques and forts in various parts of Afghanistan and beyond. Horrendous and barbarous destruction of ancient civilization was regaled by people who knew nothing of its greatness.

This was and is a travesty of justice. Justice remains the same throughout the world - because, theft, is a theft, is a theft.

We were robbed of our heritage and it is time we asked for it back.

Till recently, Hindus were ruled by foreigners who abhorred our ways of worship. They did everything in their powers to suppress us and remove every possibility for us to reclaim our heritage. Now, after centuries of injustice, it is only just that we should redress the situation and demand our rights. Most Hindus are in favour of rebuilding the principle sites - Varanasi, Mathura and Ayodhya. Most us do not want to "destroy" the mosques there, we simply want them moved, brick by brick, so that our sacred sites can be reclaimed for their original purpose - peaceful worship of our God in our own way.

To the Hindus, these sites are as sacred as the Dome of the Rock is to the Jews and Muslims. The site is itself highly charged with religious sentiments. To the muslims, there is no "sacredness" attached to the site, only the masjids themselves. These structures have a religious and historical purpose to fulfil and that can be easily achieved by moving them to a non-disputed site, rebuilt and restored for future generations.

In a true and just country, justice must be impartial. Just as a thief must return the stolen objects, Hindus feel our holy sites must be returned to us.

I am sure, once the sites are returned to Hindu administration, much of the hurt over the centuries will begin to heal.

Over a thousand year's hurt is yet to be healed.

I would ask all parties, on all sides, to contribute to this healing.

 

Bhagwat Shah ©

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