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Russia, India: Islam Card

muse

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If Indian forum members have more information about this project, please do present it on this thread




Date:02/10/2010 URL: The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : ‘West using radical Islam card'
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‘West using radical Islam card'


Vladimir Radyuhin

The West is using radical Islam as a tool in geopolitical games for dominance, Indian and Russian scholars have said in a unique collaborative project presented in Moscow this week.

The project, “Radical Islam”, a 480-page collection of papers prepared by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), New Delhi, and the Experimental Creative Centre (ECC), Moscow, was unveiled at a press conference in Moscow.

Edited by Sergei Kurginyan, ECC president, and Vikram Sood, vice-president, ORF, Centre for International Studies, it offers a fresh perspective on radicalisation of Islam, placing it in a wider geopolitical and philosophical framework. It examines the roots, the contexts and manifestations of radicalism in Islam, as well as activities of Islamists in South Asia, Central Asia, Iran, the Middle East, Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Presenting their joint study, Indian and Russian scholars noted the West's role in playing the card of radical Islam.

‘A factor since Partition'

“The West has been using religion and religious violence to promote separatism since the partition of India,” said Ambassador M. Rasgotra, President, ORF, Centre for International Relations. “The British were the first to do it in India, then the Americans learnt the trick. They incited jihad in Afghanistan, stirred separatism to break-up the Soviet Union and tried to tear Chechnya from post-Soviet Russia.”

Dr. Kurginyan said that Russia still faced the danger of the West trying to re-enact the “Afghan scenario,” when radical Islam was used to provoke instability. He recalled that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had cultivated and financed Islamic radicals in Afghanistan to drag the Soviet Union militarily into civil strife in that country in 1979.

One of the Russian contributions in the book analyses the U.S.' “deepening alliance with Islamism” along the vast southern “arc of instability” stretching from Northern Africa to the Chinese border. This strategy included the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, the arming of the Afghan Mujahideen, the support of Muslim radicals in former Yugoslavia, cultivation of “moderate” Islamists in the Middle East, and finally, “the new alliance with Pakistan” to reintegrate the Taliban into the political mainstream in Afghanistan. The scholars noted the special importance of the Indian and Russian perspectives on Islam as it differed greatly from the Western perspective. “The West tends to look at Islam in black-and-white, while Indian and Russian researchers look at it in [a] multiplicity of identities, discourses and ideas,” Mr. Sanjoy Joshi, ORF said.

“Islam has been [a] part of life both in India and Russia for centuries, whereas the West in those same centuries was the oppressor of Islam,” Mr. Rasgotra said, adding that India and Russia had much to gain from sharing their experiences in handling the problem of radical Islam.

“The nature of the problem is the same, even as its manifestations may be different. Your experience is relevant to us and our experience is relevant to you,” he stressed.

Dr. Kurginyan hailed the project on as a “revival of scholarly cooperation” between the two countries. “I've never seen such a meeting of minds between researchers from different countries as in this Indo-Russian project.”

“Radical Islam” has been brought out in Russian and its English edition is to be published in India. The editors said the ORF and ECC, planned to undertake further studies of Islam and other issues of mutual interest.
 
If Indian forum members have more information about this project, please do present it on this thread




Date:02/10/2010 URL: The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : ‘West using radical Islam card'
Back



‘West using radical Islam card'


Vladimir Radyuhin

The West is using radical Islam as a tool in geopolitical games for ...

... further studies of Islam and other issues of mutual interest.

A question, do you think Pakistan was a victim of this radicalisation process or was it a natural course for Pakistan to take an extremist path(if you so agree)?
 
A question, do you think Pakistan was a victim of this radicalisation process or was it a natural course for Pakistan to take an extremist path(if you so agree)?

As posted by muse above the article says it all, there is not one single factor at play. A multiplicity of factors like vested interests of few has brought about the present situation. At least that is what i have understood from above. Correct me if i am wrong.
 
A question, do you think Pakistan was a victim of this radicalisation process or was it a natural course for Pakistan to take an extremist path(if you so agree)?

It was a bit of both, but I think I can safely say there'd be a lot less radicalization if we didn't join the war on terror.
 
Radical Islam: Perspectives from India and Russia

Observer Research Foundation and the Experimental Creativity Centre (ECC), Moscow, have completed their collaborative research project on Radical Islam. The first conference under this project took place in Moscow in October, 2009 while the final leg was held in New Delhi in March 2010. The papers and proceedings of these workshops have now been published in the form of a book titled “Radical Islam: Perspectives from India and Russia”.

The Russian language edition of the book was launched at the ECC premises in Moscow on September 27 2010. It was attended by senior faculty members of both ORF and ECC, including Mr. Sunjoy Joshi, Amb. M. Rasgotra, Mr. Samir Saran, Mr. Nandan Unnikrishnan, Dr Sergey Kurginyan and Dr. Yury Byaly. The launch was preceded by a press conference organised by the leading Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

This 480-page book is the result of cohesive and complementary research by 15 scholars from both India and Russia. The research for this project was based on both geography and themes. While geographies or nations provided the specifics on the interaction of the phenomena of Radical Islam with specific political units and local societies, the thematic research allowed the researchers to test the interaction of Radical Islam with other contemporary and older tendencies. This effort covers the experiences with Radical Islam in Maldives, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Central Asia, Europe, Russia and spans the entire land mass between the Indian Ocean and the Arctic.

On the other hand, this project also tests the interactions between Islam and other contemporary challenges, including Global and Regional power struggles, Oil and Energy politics, Inequity and Poverty, evolving Identities, ancient Culture and tradition, Globalisation and indeed with Capitalism itself. This research proves the adage “the more we learn the lesser we know”. In spite of various assertions in the individual essays by the respective authors, Radical Islam is still indescribable and the very term “Radical Islam” is an attempt to describe the indescribable by reflecting a simplistic categorisation of a complex and dangerous impulse.

Speaking at the book launch, Amb. M Rasgotra said that it was essential for India and Russia to share their experiences in dealing with radical Islam since the nature of the problem is the same, even as its manifestations may be different. Mr. Sunjoy Joshi observed that elucidating the Indian and Russian perspectives on radical Islam is important because the West often “tends to look at Islam in black-and-white, while Indian and Russian researchers look at it in multiplicity of identities, discourses and ideas”.

Mr. Samir Saran asserted that Radical Islam in certain geographies is an expression for economic and political voice, while in other contexts, it is a hegemonic tool deployed by the West and the rest. In some other cases, it is an instrument of state policy deployed against the neighbour or rival…but universally, it is the story of two victims …the perpetrators who commit the crime and the civil population on whom suffering is inflicted…both collateral damage in the bigger game, he said.

“From an Indian experience, the attempt to describe, analyse and respond to Radicalism or Radical Islam becomes even more problematic…. after all we are turning the spotlight to ourselves…. to respond to radical Islam, we need to discover our own shortcomings…. it is as much about internal political and economic faultlines as it is about the exploitation of these faultlines by external actors,” Samir Saran said.

India’s interaction with Radical Islam is different to that of Europe or the West. It is mostly about internal reconfiguration and resolution. While some may look at this as an external tendency that needs excision or removal from their nation or society, in India we need a nuanced approach; one that balances security and equity, and if the scale should tilt …it should be in favour of equity.

The challenge of radicalism in India is real and imminent. With its fast paced growth, embrace of capitalism and western values and the rapid move away from the traditional and family oriented societies due to both poverty and aspirations are creating social conditions that prove to be incubators of violence and terror. This equation is exacerbated by insensitive policy making and poor governance leading to a rise in the constituency of those willing to live outside the civil society framework that seemingly serves the rich and the political elite. While violence and terror will deploy religion as an instrument of mobilisation, responses from policymakers and governments must remain secular.
 
Why is Radical Islam spreading in South Asia?

Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Experimental Creative Center (ECC), Moscow, recently completed the second leg of their collaborative research project Radical Islam.

The ORF team for the event was led by Mr. Vikram Sood and included Mr. Ashok Singh, Mr. Samir Saran, Mr. Wilson John, and Mr. Indranil Banerjee. The delegation from ECC was led by Mr. Sergey Kurginyan and included Mr. Yuri Bialy, Mr. Yury Bardakhciev, Mr. Vladimir Novikov, Ms. Anna Kudinova, Ms. Maria Mamikonyan, Ms. Irina Kurginyan, Ms. Maria Ryzhova and Ms. Maria Podkopaeva.

The two-day conference on Radical Islam, held at ORF on March 2-3, 2010, addressed a vast array of topics on Radical Islam including the spread of Radical Islam in South Asia, as well as its shift towards a greater Pan-Islamic identity and the change in the general profile of terrorists.

A consensual view at the conference was that radical Islam now is being increasingly utilized as a tool in geo-political equations. It regularly and successfully taps into global energy conflicts as well as the global drug trade with fairly successful outcomes.

The rhetoric and the justifications that Radical Islam employs to create willing suicide bombers must be properly understood if this menace is to be tackled effectively. In this regard, it is vital to comprehend the media’s role in our understanding of Radical Islam and the same time remain vigilant towards the extremists’ attempts to capitalize on the misconceptions they perpetuate to spread their message. It is also crucial to have a clearer understanding of how Radical Islam deals with Modernity and its attendant problems.

Apart from theoretical and abstract issues, radical Islam also poses clear and present dangers-for example the persistent efforts by the radical elements to acquire nuclear weapons. There are several experts who fear for the safety of the Pakistani nuclear assets and the possibility or probability of it falling into the hands of Al-Qaeda. Independent radical elements and other non-state actors laying their hands on fissile material and weapons technology will be the worst nightmare for most security planners and governments across the globe. Iran’s nuclear programme in this regard will be another grave issue for the world in general and the greater Middle East in particular.

The second day of the conference opened with a discussion on the process of Islamisation and its impact in both Russia and Europe. In Russia there have been attempts to incite the Muslim population, concentrated in the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Volga region. Since the Muslims are concentrated on the corridor linking Russia’s raw material producing areas in the East to the processing plants in the West, the destabilization of the region can actually cut Russia into two nonviable separate parts.

The Taliban’s pan-Eurasian vision is another challenge for Russia as well as India. In fact the Taliban is more influenced by the political philosophy of Tamerlane and Babur as well as the Sufi order Nakshbandiya than Wahhabism. The Taliban and its supporters plan to coordinate their activities in the AfPak region (including Kashmir) along with the Central Asian region- a position once enunciated by former Pakistani Military dictator Zia Ul Haq.

Addressing the issue of radical Islam in Europe, it is important that Europe explores avenues to facilitate the assimilation and integration of its Muslim immigrants into the social and work ethics of the West without undermining their fundamental values. Unfortunately Europe has so far failed to create requisite institutional structures to communicate and inculcate the core European values and norms to members of minority communities. Meanwhile, there have been several efforts from the Muslim community to outline how Muslim practice can comfortably co-exist with being European. However, these attempts have been few and far between.

Meanwhile Europe faces the danger of classifying Islamists into moderate and radicals depending on their use or non use of force. The case of Muslim Brotherhood in Europe is a good example. While the Brotherhood declares its readiness to assist in the integration of Muslims, its stated goal is to create a civilized democratic state based on Islamic prescriptions, a move supported by most well educated Muslims. However, this strikes at the root of genuine democratic principles. The European states, especially the United Kingdom feels that a solution to radical Islam can be found in furthering the collaboration with “moderate” groups like the Brotherhood.

The West thus engages in a policy of legitimizing elements of radical Islam when it suits their interests just like what it did during the Cold War. The attempt to criticize Indian presence in Afghanistan as being detrimental to Pakistani interests is a step in this direction. One way of justifying this move is the American necessity of maintaining friendship with China but this is often done at the cost of ignoring the interests of “modernized allies” like India, and Russia. Certainly, in case of success of the pro-Islamic alliance it is precisely these countries that stand to lose the most.

Moving on to South Asia, it is in fact Pakistan that faces an existential threat in the form of Islamic forces which it once helped to create and nurture. The country has ceded territory to militants and its political structure appears to weaken with every passing day. If the Pakistani state unravels under the assault of Islamic militants, it will have devastating repercussions on a global scale. One mitigating factor in this gloomy scenario is that most Pakistanis do not want Al Qaida or Taliban ruling them. The Pakistani Army too views the Taliban and other assortment of terrorist groups as “tools and not masters”. However, a heavy rate of attrition in the armed forces could force a halt to the military operations against the militants or trigger a mutiny or a coup.

While studying Radical Islam in South Asia, it is important to take note of Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives as well. Recently, India-Bangladesh cooperation on terrorism has improved a lot with several high profile arrests in Bangladesh. This has also exposed the increasing infiltration of militants in India’s neighbourhood which possibly is a direct result of Pakistan’s recent counter-terrorism campaign and the international scrutiny it has invited. Since the West maintains its focus on AfPak, India will be the only country that will attempt to contain radical Islam in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Maldives.

As far as India is concerned, it is important to understand the unique manner in which Islam arrived and developed in India, typically different from Islam’s interaction with Europe. The spirit of accommodation and tolerance has so far thwarted militancy and terrorism in India. Essentially because of this cosmopolitan social history and resilience, India has remained stable and secular unlike Pakistan. However, the trend of situating-even unintentionally- the world’s Muslims on one side has the potential to affect the peace and stability of India as well.

The Conference ended with concluding remarks given by both Mr. Sergey Kurginyan, President of the Experimental Creative Center Moscow and ORF Vice President Vikram Sood. Mr. Sunjoy Joshi, ORF Distinguished Fellow, moved the vote of thanks and also mentioned that the proceedings of the conference and its precursor in Moscow would be published later in the year.
 

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