An Analysis of Muslims
Switzerland is famous for its modern-style watches. Before this, Turkey was a big centre for manufacturing traditional-style clocks in the Middle Ages. They were made by Muslim craftsmen and were exported to other countries. Later, spring-driven watches began being made in Europe, with Switzerland emerging as a major centre of this industry. The artisans of Turkey were unable to face this competition and keep pace. By the early years of the 18th century, watch-making in Turkey had virtually ended.
In present times, Muslim peoples face the same sort of predicament. In an age characterised by traditional manufacturing, several predominantly Muslim towns such as Damascus, Baghdad, and Istanbul enjoyed the status of great manufacturing centres. However, when the age of scientific industry dawned, Muslims began to fall behind. They failed to keep up with the modern age. This backwardness escalated so much that it reached the intellectual sphere, too, resulting in intellectual backwardness. One example is that many Muslim leaders and thinkers, wrongly terming violence as ‘jihad’, are busy today trying to glorify it even though sensible people now consider violence completely anachronistic.
There are only a few Muslims in Switzerland. Most of them are from Arab countries and Turkey. I was told that there are several mosques in Swiss towns. I travelled to some places in the hope of seeing these mosques, but most of these structures have been made by setting apart a portion of a house for prayers. There are, however, some regular mosques in the country, but I could not get to see them. I met some Muslims associated with those mosques, but I could not have much of a conversation worth mentioning because they knew neither English nor Arabic. We had some essential exchange of words, however. They said that in Switzerland, Muslims have no problems from the point of view of religion.
Among the ‘mosques’ that I got to see in Switzerland was one that the Turkish people had established. I met some Turks there. They seemed to be from the working class. They could speak only Turkish, because of which I could not have a conversation with them.
An educated Muslim living in the West once claimed that the Western media is prejudiced against Muslims. He said that when Jews commit violence against Palestinians, it is only said that Israelis have done this or that. It is not said that ‘Jews’ did it. The same is true in the case of the Irish Republican Army in Ireland, whose actions are not referred to as actions committed by ‘Christians.’ However, he argued that when a Muslim is embroiled in a terrorist action, the Western media quickly condemns Islam.
This criticism of the Western media is wrong. The above difference in reporting is natural. For example, when Israelis or Irish nationalists engage in violence, they do so in the name of their ethnic community, which is why it is attributed to their ethnic community. However, in contrast, Muslim’s so-called mujahideen engage in violence in the name of Islam and ‘Islamic Jihad’. That is why it is very natural that the media reports this violence in the name of Islam.
