Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Why India’s ex-Muslims struggle for recognition amid fear of retribution from the community
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Heads Up From TROP(Blocked) Zahra, 27, a teacher at Srinagar, is like any other aspirational
millennial, looking forward to a life in any Indian metro.
But that’s
not the only reason why she wants to leave. She is a closeted ex-Muslim
who fears for her safety and feels tired of leading a dual life: being a
practicing Muslim in front of her friends and family but seeking a
different life in her heart.
“Sharing my beliefs and thoughts on Islam is impossible. In fact, if I
do, not just mine but my family’s lives will be in danger too. I have
seen a lawyer being killed by his neighbour because of his liberal
views,” says Zahra, who did not reveal her real name.
She is among a growing tribe of ex-Muslims in India who are shy of
coming out in public but articulate their anxieties and concerns through
social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and
Instagram.
According to a Pew Research Centre survey released earlier this year,
6 percent of Indian Muslims described themselves as not believing in
God, more than any other religious community.
“The number of ex-Muslims is growing. In India, they do not come out
in the open due to fear of persecution and end up leading hypocritical
lives. Some people are becoming ex-Muslims because they are fed up with
the theology of political Islam,” says Waris Mazhari, assistant
professor at the Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Hamdard
University, and alumni of the Deoband Madrasa.
Who are ex-Muslims?
Ex-Muslims is an umbrella term that includes born-Muslims who do not
want to identify themselves with Islam, those who have converted to
other religions and the ones who call themselves atheists.
