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‘Do not equate Islam with terror’

Whether it is India, US or any other nation, most people, unfortunately, easily link terrorism with Muslims, says Coughlin.

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Kathryn M Coughlin is the Director of Middle East and North Africa programmes in the Cambridge, Master of Arts office of the American Islamic Congress, a non-profit organisation which develops interfaith programmes in the US and conducts women’s empowerment and democracy training projects in Iraq and the Muslim world. Coughlin is also the president and director of research for the Global Research Institute, a non-profit organisation which conducts research on the Islamic world.

As part of her India tour, she travelled to Aurangabad, Nagpur and is currently in Mumbai. Her research subjects include Muslim culture in today’s context, recent developments and challenges in Iraq, women and Islam, and interfaith partnerships in the US. She has also authored a book titled Muslim Cultures Today. She is currently writing a book on Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s writings on violence in Islam and preparing a reference work on terrorism.

What is the most important factor related to the socio-economic development of minorities in India that you would like to highlight?

Education. I visited a Madarsa at Bhubaneshwar. A 15-year-old student walked up to me and said, “The root of all evil is woman.” I asked him where he learnt this. His answer was the Quran. I told him I have studied the Quran and it never equated evil with woman. He then said it must be Haddith. I told him I have read Haddith and even there it never says women are evil…

The issue is not whether Muslims should study in a Madrasa or join mainstream secular education systems. What is more important is that education (religious or otherwise) should be imparted to students without distortion. This holds true in the case of India, US, Pakistan and all other Islamic countries. Similarly, there is also a great deal of distortion in media about “triple talaaq” or rights accorded in Islam.

But those who carried out the 9/11 attack were highly educated and belonged to affluent families?

Yes. But organisations like al-Qaeda operate through students or individuals by presenting them selective and often distorted versions of the Quran in the name of achieving their larger political objectives. Whether it is the withdrawal of US troops from Saudi Arabia or a just resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict or two ends of the political spectrum in Kashmir - social-political conflicts are often forwarded as a ‘just cause’ to validate the terror campaigns carried out by these operators.

So, Islamic terrorism is based on facts or distortions?

The perpetrators of 9/11 were all Muslims. But I don’t justify equating terrorism with Islam. We in US have only had to suffer 9/11, unlike India where terrorist strikes are frequent. If you set aside terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, the statistics reveal 41 per cent violence (read: terrorism) is perpetrated by various Communists organisations. Whether it is India, United States or any other nation, most people as well as the political class, unfortunately, easily link terrorism with Muslims.

Do you justify the role of US in Iraq?

I don’t. But I must admit that even President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have acknowledged that things have gone badly and we have made mistakes. Development in Iraq is most formidable policy challenge the US faces today. US citizens are very angry as billions of dollars have been put into this war when we still have several other problems to be addressed.

Will terrorism, the developments in Iraq play a crucial role in 2008 Presidential elections in the US?

If the elections were held tomorrow Iraq would matter a lot. But it is difficult to ascertain to what extent it will influence the Presidential polls.

Your organisation also works with Muslim women. What is impeding their progress?

In all developing countries, Muslim women lag behind in education and economic empowerment. In Iran, women are highly educated but don’t have freedom of speech. The degree of illiteracy and economic empowerment differs. In Afghanistan, almost one-third of the population is uneducated.

As a scholar of Islamic studies where do you see Muslims in the 21st century?

They are at a juncture where they are contesting as to who will represent them ideologically and philosophically. An overwhelming majority of Muslims are not in favour of violence and terrorism and want to join progressive mainstream.

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