A wave of violent clashes that swept Myanmar’s restive Rakhine State (formerly known as Arakan) in late September left at least five Muslims dead and many members of their community injured and displaced. The epicenter of the violence was the city of Thandwe, which was targeted by a Buddhist mob (Mizzima News [Yangon], October 3). For some time now, Buddhist nationalist groups in Myanmar have opposed Muslim businesses and social practices, creating a sense of mistrust and antagonism between the two communities that frequently erupts in violence.
It is significant to look into the background of the accused persons involved in terror attacks and specific events at national and international levels.
The arrest of the suspects of terror activities in Bangalore, Nanded, and Hyderabad and the low-intensity bomb explosions in Pune on 1 August 2012 are pointing fingers at the involvement of some Indian Muslims. Earlier also, many of the terrorist attacks against cities in India had been conceptualized and planned by Indian Muslims who sought to attack their own country.
The identification of at least four slain Kerala-based militants in Jammu and Kashmir early this month raises some vital questions about Islam and terrorism in India: What inspired Muslim youths of Kerala to fight for a cause alien to them and that in a distant land? How far these Terror groups have penetrated India's hinterlands, getting easy recruits for their subversive activities?
It would be too simple an explanation to categorize or brand the recent Kandhamal incident as just ethnic or communal clashes. It could be anything from a premeditated design to a collision of socio-political-religious factors to the involvement of extremist forces. But it cannot be the result of a minor religious tiff. The trap of violence in Kandhamal reflects the failure of civil society to address some of mankind's crucial issues.