Gaza Conflict – Clash of Civilizations or Religions by G B Reddy Sir

When viewed from the prism of history, the ongoing war in Gaza strip may be viewed as “Clash of Civilizations”, more aptly “Clash of Religions”. The radical Muslim forces world over are in pursuit of achieving the end objective of “Political Islam”. By various means, legal and illegal, Muslim migrations are taking place altering demographics world over. The ongoing “Protests Worldwide” is an indication of likely portends in posterity.

For the Jews of Israel, it is a matter of life and death and virtual end of religion – very survival in their homeland threatened with Muslim radical groups operating from nations surrounding it and aided and abetted by Iran. Not to be disposed in a cavalier manner the stated end objective of “Political Islam” which remains establishing “Global Islamic Caliphate”. After all, the Umayyad Caliphate by 750 AD covered almost all countries of the Middle East, North African coastal territory and Spain. Had the Muslim forces that attempted to move north-east across the Pyrenees Mountains toward France not been defeated by the Frankish Christian Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732, perhaps Islamic Caliphate would have encompassed major parts of not only Europe, but the rest of the world.

Later, European Christians organized at least eight Crusades (1096 to 1099) after centuries of Muslim wars of expansion. Their primary objectives were to stop the expansion of Muslim states, to reclaim for Christianity the Holy Land in the Middle East, and to recapture territories that had formerly been Christian. Ultimately, the Crusaders' rule over the Middle East came to an end in 1291 with the loss of Acre.

In retrospect, what is on grand display in the 2023 Gaza conflict is “Hybrid Warfare”. Both sides are employing political warfare blending conventional warfare, irregular warfare, and cyber warfare with other influencing methods, such as fake news, diplomacy, lawfare and foreign electoral intervention to achieve their end objectives.

For example, the current media blitz to influence people world over based on the spokesman for Gaza’s Government Media Office is 11,078 killed, 27,490 wounded,2,700 missing besides 15,00,000 internally displaced Palestinians. Among the killed are over 4.500 children and over 3,000 women.

Consequently, its fallout is increasing anti-Semitism from campuses particularly Western Countries. The oft repeated casualty’s data by media is influencing the decisions of political leader’s world over in favor of the Palestinians with total disregard to the mayhem of 7 October by Hamas and the fate of over 240 Israeli hostages.

By comparison, the casualties reported on both sides pale into insignificance when compared to many other conflict situations in mankind history. For example, on6 and 9 August 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively. The atomic bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000Japanese people, most of whom were civilians.

In the Vietnam War, the estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed range from 966,000 to 3 million. Some 275,000–310,000 Cambodians, 20,000–62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 U.S. service members also died in the conflict. The end of the Vietnam War resulted in a refugee crisis. An estimated 250,000 refugees perished at sea.

Closer home, the genocide committed by the Pakistan Army in East Pakistan (East Bengal) in 1971. 3,00,000 were killed in murder and genocidal rape, 20,000to 4,00,000 Bengali women raped and 30,000,000 refugees fled to India. Ironic but true, the UN failed to recognize the atrocities committed by Pakistan Army as “Genocide”.

Furthermore, mankind’s history has many instances of genocides. The Thirty Years' War (7.5million deaths), Japanese war crimes (3 to 14 million deaths), the Red Terror(100,000 to 1.3 million deaths), the Great Purge (0.6 to 1.75 million deaths),the Great Leap Forward and the famine which followed it (15 to 55 million deaths) are some of them. Add to them the recent list of genocides to include: Bosnian genocide, Rwandan genocide, Massacres of Hutus during the First Congo War, Darfur genocide, Genocide of Yazidis by the Islamic State, Bosnian genocide, East Timor genocide, Cambodian genocide, and so on.

Viewed dispassionately and holistically from historical events, none can escape the fallout of wars and violence. No point in apportioning blame on either party.

Remember always that the Muslims consider their religion ‘Par Excellence’. Its classical doctrine needs to be correctly understood and appreciated. Let me highlight that the term ‘Jihad’ inter alia ‘holy war’ needs to be understood correctly. By original conception of the Prophet, it extends between the higher forms of Jihad (peaceful means for peaceful purposes) to the lower form of Jihad(violence). For example, Jihad al-lisan means striving of the tongue, Jihad al-Qalam means striving of the pen and Jihad al-tarbiya means striving through education; Jihad al-shatan means struggle against Satan; all representing higher forms of Jihad or peaceful and non-aggressive manifestations. On the other hand, al-Jihad al-saghir, the lesser form of Jihad, represents or legitimizes all forms of strife with other human beings through war, violence and so on.

As per Mujid Khadduri, an eminent scholar, “Jihad was the just war of Islam. God commanded the believer to spread his Word and establish his Law and Justice over the world. Religion, however, was and still is to be carried out by peaceful means, as there should be no compulsion in the spread of the word of God (Qur’an 2: 257)”.

But what about radicals' interpretation of Islam? Islamic scholars like Sayyid Qutab of Egypt held that “ultimately humankind as created by God is a single community where divinely intended unity had been seriously fractured by the time Islam came to the 7th century AD in Arabia. Islam arose to restore human unity and bring peace to the World”. So, the justification for violence and terror to spread Islam and the awe inspiring nature of ‘Jihad’ as understood commonly by a majority.

Finally, the South Asia case study of history offers important lessons for the rest of the World. Initially, Islam was brought to India through Sind by Arab traders in the 7th century AD and spread by wandering Muslim ascetics and Pirs in a steady manner. Next, Muhammad Bin Qasim captured Sind in 711 AD and attempted Islamization by offering complete equality for the rulers and generous treatment. Later, Muhammad Ghazni led more than twenty raids into India and annexed territory during 1026-27 AD, when Multan and Lahore were incorporated into the Ghaznavid Sultanate. Subsequently, its rapid spread consolidation was done by Muhammad Ghori by 1196 AD. A decade later, the Slave Dynasty (Mamluks) was established with its capital at Delhi in 1206. The five dynasties(1290-1320); Tuglaks (1320-1413); Saiyyids (1414-51 AD); and the Lodis(1451-1526 AD). Thus, Islam was spread in India by the policy of conversion by persuasion and sword under various Sultanates.

However, it was under the Mughals, Islam’s spread became rapid. First, Akbar attempted to create a refined Islam, the Deen-e-llahi, and a syncretic religion combining the best of all religions. Admittedly, Akbar’s attempt could not consolidate religions. Admittedly, Akbar’s attempt could not be consolidated by his successors. During Aurangzeb’s reign, bitter Hindu-Islamic battles were fought. Assertive Hindu revivalist movements spread rapidly and became nationalist ethnic armed uprisings. Once Aurangzeb’s reign ended, Muslim Princes battled amongst themselves and murdered each other. Delhi was ransacked more than once in the 18th century: by Nadir Shah of Iran in 1739, and later, by Ahmed Shah Abadali of Afghanistan in 1761. Thus, internal atrophy of Muslim Empires, abetted by the raids of external Muslim powers, brought about the disintegration of Muslim Empires.

Thus, the lesson India offers should be glaringly obvious. The initial influx was by Muslim traders and Pirs. Settlers migrated looking from the wealth of India during the Islamic Empires. Subsequent expansion of Muslim political power was by violence. Also, continuing influx of refugees into India in the wake of Mongol invasion of Islamic lands. Even the concept of Islamic egalitarianism attracted many non-caste Hindus. Large number of conversions to Islam from lower castes and professional groups took place through the Sufis message of love and kindness.

Undeniably, the Muslim influx into the Western countries post World War II is the consequence of post colonial developments and fallout. Ipso facto, majority of African countries today are Islamic countries to Include: Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Chad, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Cote D'ivoire, Burkina-Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Somalia, Uganda, Brunei-Darussalam, Togo, Suriname, Guyana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique.

Similarly, Pakistan and Bangladesh emerged as Muslim nations following partition in 1947. Today, radical Islamic forces are bent upon disintegrating modern India. Thus, what the Muslim rulers could not achieve in bygone eras to establish Caliphates, they have achieved in today’s Africa. Sooner than later, they may attempt in all other parts globally. Muslim radicals are following ideology propagated by Sayyid Qutab of Egypt who stated that “ultimately humankind as created by God is a single community where divinely intended unity had been seriously fractured by the time Islam came to the 7th century AD in Arabia. Islam arose to restore human unity and bring peace to the World”. So, the justification for violence and terror to spread Islam and the awe inspiring nature of ‘Jihad’ as understood commonly by a majority.

By extrapolation, what has happened in the past and is happening today in the Western Countries including North America countries is simple. The Islamic envelopment of the West through Jihad al-Qalam that means striving for the pen and Jihad al-tarbiya means striving through education conjointly with refugee influx, conversions and natural reproductive processes is a continuing process.

What may follow in subsequent decades and eras is the possibility of Islamic envelopment of Western, Northern and Eastern Christian countries through al-Jihad al-saghir, the lesser form of Jihad, represents or legitimizes all forms of wars and violence with other human beings.

To sum up, the ongoing Gaza conflict may be viewed as “Clash of Civilizations' ',more aptly “Clash of Religions' '. If so, the Israel Jews are waging war not only to ensure their very survival, but also on behalf of all other religions. And, the ongoing “Hybrid War” and the protests needs to be countered more adroitly to counter Muslim radicals pursuing the dreams of establishing “Islamic Global Caliphate”.