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on a level playing field； can get validation and respect from achievements in this
world…and not from martyrdom to get into the next world…we can help foster more young
people with more dreams than memories。
India
If you want to see this same process at work in a less virtual community； study the
second largest Muslim country in the world。 The largest Muslim country in the world
is Indonesia and the second largest is not Saudi Arabia； Iran； Egypt； or Pakistan。
It is India。 With some 150 million Muslims； India has more Muslims than Pakistan。
But here is an interesting statistic from 9/11： There are no Indian Muslims that we
know of in al…Qaeda and there are no Indian Muslims in America's Guantanamo Bay
post…9/11 prison camp。 And no Indian Muslims have been found fighting alongside the
jihadists in Iraq。 Why is that？ Why do we not read about Indian Muslims； who are a
minority in a vast Hindu…dominated land； blaming America for all their problems and
wanting to fly airplanes
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into the Taj Mahal or the British embassy？ Lord knows； Indian Muslims have their
grievances about access to capital and political representation。 And interreligious
violence has occasionally flared up in India； with disastrous consequences。 I am
certain that out of 150 million Muslims in India； a few will one day find their way
to al…Qaeda…if it can happen with some American Muslims； it can happen with Indian
Muslims。 But this is not the norm。 Why？
The answer is context…and in particular the secular； free…market； democratic context
of India； heavily influenced by a tradition of nonviolence and Hindu tolerance。 M。
J。 Akbar； the Muslim editor of the Asian Age； a national Indian English…language daily
primarily funded by non…Muslim Indians； put it to me this way： 〃I'll give you a quiz
question： Which is the only large Muslim community to enjoy sustained democracy for
the last fifty years？ The Muslims of India。 I am not going to exaggerate Muslim good
fortune in India。 There are tensions； economic discrimination； and provocations； like
the destruction of the mosque at Ayodhya ＇by Hindu nationalists in 1992＇。 But the
fact is； the Indian Constitution is secular and provides a real opportunity for
economic advancement of any community that can offer talent。 That's why a growing
Muslim middle class here is moving up and generally doesn't manifest the strands of
deep anger you find in many nondemocratic Muslim states。〃
Where Islam is embedded in authoritarian societies； it tends to become the vehicle
of angry protest…Egypt； Syria； Saudi Arabia； Pakistan。 But where Islam is embedded
in a pluralistic democratic society…Turkey or India； for instance…those with a more
progressive outlook have a chance to get a better hearing for their interpretation
and a democratic forum where they can fight for their ideas on a more equal footing。
On November 15； 2003； the two main synagogues of Istanbul were hit by some fringe
suicide bombers。 I happened to be in Istanbul a few months later； when they were
reopened。 Several things struck me。 To begin with； the chief rabbi appeared at the
ceremony； hand in hand with the top Muslim cleric of Istanbul and the local mayor；
while crowds in the street threw red carnations on them both。 Second； the prime
minister of Turkey； Recep Tayyip Erdogan； who comes from an Islamic party； paid a
visit to the chief rabbi in his office…the first time a Turkish prime
minister had ever called on the chief rabbi。 Lastly； the father of one of the suicide
bombers told the Turkish newspaper Xaman； 〃We cannot understand why this child had
done the thing he had done 。 。 。 First let us meet with the chief rabbi of our Jewish
brothers。 Let me hug him。 Let me kiss his hands and flowing robe。 Let me apologize
in the name of my son and offer my condolences for the deaths。 。 。 We will be damned
if we do not reconcile with them。〃
Different context； different narrative； different imagination。
I am keenly aware of the imperfections of Indian democracy； starting with the
oppressive caste system。 Nevertheless； tohave sustained afunctioning democracy with
all its flaws for more than fifty years in a country of over 1 billion people； who
speak scores of different languages； is something of a miracle and a great source
of stability for the world。 Two of India's presidents have been Muslims； and its
current president； A。P。J。 Abdul Kalam； is both a Muslim and the father of the Indian
nuclear missile program。 While a Muslim woman sits on India's Supreme Court； no Muslim
woman is allowed even to drive a car in Saudi Arabia。 Indian Muslims； including women；
have been governors of many Indian states； and the wealthiest man in India today；
high on the Forbes list of global billionaires； is an Indian Muslim： Azim Premji；
the chairman of Wipro； one of India's most important technology companies。 I was in
India shortly after the United States invaded Afghanistan in late 2001； when Indian
television carried a debate between the country's leading female movie star and
parliamentarian…Shabana Azmi； a Muslim woman …and the imam of New Delhi's biggest
mosque。 The imam had called on Indian Muslims to go to Afghanistan and join the jihad
against America； and Azmi ripped into him； live on Indian TV； basically telling the
cleric to go take a hike。 She told him to go to Kandahar and join the Taliban and
leave the rest of India's Muslims alone。 How did she get away with that？ Easy。 As
a Muslim woman she lived in a context that empowered and protected her to speak her
mind …even to a leading cleric。
Different context； different narrative； different imagination。
This is not all that complicated： Give young people a context where they can translate
a positive imagination into reality； give them a context in which someone with a
grievance can have it adjudicated in a court of
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law without having to bribe the judge with a goat； give them a context in which they
can pursue an entrepreneurial idea and become the richest or the most creative or
most respected people in their own country； no matter what their background； give
them a context in which any complaint or idea can be published in the newspaper； give
them a context in which anyone can run for office…and guess what？ They usually don't
want to blow up the world。 They usually want to be part of it。
A South Asian Muslim friend of mine once told me this story： His Indian Muslim family
split in 1948； with half going to Pakistan and half staying in Mumbai。 When he got
older； he asked his father one day why the Indian half of the family seemed to be
doing better than the Pakistani half。 His father said to him； 〃Son； when a Muslim
grows up in India and he sees a man living in a big mansion high on a hill； he says；
'Father； one day； I will be that man。' And when a Muslim grows up in Pakistan and
sees a man living in a big mansion high on a hill； he says； 'Father； one day I will
kill that man。'〃 When you have a pathway to be the Man or the Woman； you tend to focus
on the path and on achieving your dreams。 When you have no pathway； you tend to focus
on your wrath