To Swami Vivekananda, Mohammedan conquest of India was 'salvation of downtrodden'

By Ram Puniyani*

In July 2024, England experienced widespread riots and civil unrest across several cities, primarily driven by misinformation and anti-immigration sentiments. Muslims were predominantly targeted during these disturbances, leading to attacks on mosques and communities housing immigrants. In response, the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group released a report aimed at preventing future violence, which included a ban on the phrasing “Muslims spread Islam by the sword,” acknowledging its role in perpetuating Islamophobia.

This initiative serves as a powerful example for India, where similar misconceptions and biases are rampant. The narrative that Islam expanded through violence, reinforced by historical accounts of Hindu kings being defeated by Muslim rulers for political reasons, is a pervasive myth. In reality, the spread of Islam in India is far more nuanced.

Historically, Arab traders frequently visited the Malabar Coast of Kerala, where many locals adopted Islam through social interaction. This phenomenon is exemplified by the Cheraman Jumma Mosque, constructed in the seventh century. Swami Vivekananda remarked on this issue, stating that “The Mohammedan conquest of India came as a salvation of the downtrodden, to the poor,” emphasizing that it was not merely the sword that led to conversions but rather a means for the oppressed to seek liberation from landlords and priests. As he points out, very few rulers, excluding Emperor Ashoka, actively sought to propagate their religions.

In contemporary India, misconceptions targeting Muslims and Christians continue to proliferate, laying the groundwork for violence. These false beliefs have gradually become entrenched in societal attitudes, often portrayed as common sense. The damaging narrative that Muslim rulers destroyed Hindu temples intensified after the Babri Mosque's demolition on December 6, 1992, a tragedy for which accountability remains elusive.

Today, issues surrounding the Babri Mosque have expanded to the Kashi and Mathura sites, with even the Taj Mahal being labeled a converted Hindu temple. Recently, the misconception that "the cow is a sacred animal and Muslims kill cows" has gained traction, fueling a dual narrative of promoting vegetarianism while justifying acts of lynching.

According to a report by IndiaSpend, Muslims constituted 51% of violence related to bovine issues between 2010 and 2017, with 86% of the 28 fatalities in these incidents being Muslim individuals. Notably, 96% of these attacks occurred after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in May 2014, predominantly in states governed by the BJP.

Human rights activist Harsh Mander, founder of Karwan-e-Mohabbat, has dedicated himself to supporting families affected by lynching, recognizing the deep and terrifying impact of such violence. This reality was starkly highlighted when cow vigilantes killed Hindu student Aryan Mishra, mistakenly believing he was Muslim. Aryan's mother lamented, questioning the rationale for such violence against Muslims and pointing out that all humans deserve compassion.

The targeting of non-vegetarian food has also become a painful issue for Muslim students, as highlighted by an incident in Amroha where a third-grade Muslim boy was punished for bringing biryani to school. The principal, Amrish Kumar Sharma, locked him in a storage room, asserting he would not teach students who might grow up to "demolish temples."

One of the significant challenges facing India today is hate speech, an issue for which we already have mechanisms for control and punishment. However, those perpetuating hate often operate with impunity and are sometimes even rewarded within political circles. Assam's Chief Minister frequently deploys dehumanizing rhetoric against Muslims, describing terms like "flood jihad" and "electricity jihad," aimed at polarizing the community along religious lines. Similarly, Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has been known to sanction the demolition of properties belonging to Muslims using bulldozers.

Justice B.R. Gavai has raised concerns about the legality and morality of such actions, questioning how the properties of individuals accused of offenses can be targeted without due process. Given the prevailing misconceptions in Indian society and the lack of impactful measures to address them, it is time for the government to follow the UK’s example by establishing a similar committee in India.

The time for action is overdue, as civil society and political factions committed to a harmonious and inclusive society must come together to counter these toxic narratives and work towards preventing communal violence.

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*Political commentator

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