Where do they belong?

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Tue, 25 Sep 2001, Chandrashekaran Venkataraman wrote:

>   In the modern context, the parties fighting are claiming
> that they have reasons in their scriptures to do that. How
> do you justify one over the other?

By their own standards the terrorists have no justification for their
actions.  The idea of jihad is to defend the Muslim community.  People
working in the WTC had done nothing to attack Islam.  In fact a good
number were Muslim.  And now because of the bombings many people have a
lower ammount of respect for Islam for which many innocent Muslims (and
people who merely look somewhat Muslim like Sikhs) are suffering.  Others
have suggested that the terrorists are striking a blow agains US
"imperialism" or support for Israel etc.  I always ask those people what
political or military objective was achieved in the bombings?  They can
never give an answer.  It is a random, senseless act which cannot be
justified on any rational basis.

I'm glad you brought up that what the Krishna Bhagwans advice to Arjuna is
also to fight a holy war.  This is a point that our community often
forgets while they're busy feeling superior to Muslims.  The difference
between Kurukshetra and the world trade center is that the former battle
only took place after Krishna Bhagawans efforts to mediate between the too
sides had failed.  War is sometimes inevitable but it should be the last
resort after all else fails.

Another example comes after the Bhagavadgita.  The BG is part of one of
the 100 books of the Mahabharata called gitaparvan.  As well as the 700
verses of the BG, at the end this gitaparvan has some aditional shlokas.
They describe how after Arjuna had returned to the Pandava lines,
Yudhisthira brought his chariot forward to the Kaurava camp.  He went and
bowed before Bhishma the elder of the Kuruvamsha, and Drona and Krpa its'
gurus and asked their permission to fight against them.  Only when they
assented did he return and prepare for battle.  In contrast, terrorism is
anonymous and indiscriminate.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>