My son, the terrorist

[Desi Cartman]

My dear son My son, the terrorist Illustrator: Neelabh Does a mother have to write a letter to her son through the newspapers? But then, does a mother who hasn’t seen her son in eight years, have to see his photograph splashed on TV? Does her heart leap at first flash, her mind a rush of all the possible causes of claim to such prime-time fame? And where does she hide when the answer follows immediately after? They say, ‘Don’t show pictures of those killed and mutilated in a blast because the family would go into shock to get such terrible news from TV’. Are the parents of the suspect not entitled to such courtesies? In our case, the cruelty is burdened with humiliation. It is as if every man, woman and child in the locality has rushed to the window to stare right through our door and bore holes into our very souls. How terrifying it is to open it to the police. How terrifying it is to open it at all. Answering the bell of the breadman and the milkman, stepping out for the bazaar — suddenly there is no such thing as routine in our lives. And to think we used to complain about our ordinariness. That television screen has become the symbol of our instantly changed life. It was the same one on which we watched our humdrum programmes, the one over which you were punished for sticking to instead of to your books. But not all that often, because you were, all in all, a good boy. We praised you for your quiet, self-contained ways. Should we have worried instead? Yes, the split second of that revelation changed everything. Hindsight is brutal; it stains everything. All that we had considered commendable — from your tech-wizardry to your religious devotion — has become a pointer to the coming doom. Even everything that we had considered innocuous all these years now seems like an ominous mask of what would happen. What has happened? The newspapers tell the world, day after day, that you are a mastermind. ‘Mastermind’ such an apparently admiring word with such a sinister subtext. In a sense, it reflects my own predicament. Outwardly, I stoutly defend your innocence, but my fears creep up as insidiously to confront me with the possibility of your guilt. I try to push these thoughts out of my mental frame. The police are notorious for arresting innocents, and then finding nothing to stick on them, aren’t they? The media is equally trigger-happy, isn’t it? Look at the way they present ‘evidence’, and pronounce judgment only to look even more red-faced than the police when it all falls apart. But that small voice inside me hammers against my head, ‘What if?’ Indeed, ‘What if?’ Zubeida, mother of that other so-called terrorist, Abdul Subhan Qureishi or Tauqir or whatever, appeared boldly on TV some weeks ago, threw back her burqa, and pronounced that if her son was indeed guilty he should be hanged right in front of her. Words, just words. I doubt if I would be able to make such a dramatic statement, and I know for certain that I would not be able to look at such a sight without flinching. Or look at all. Alas, Tikoo, being a mother isn’t only a Bollywood device. I don’t know how to condemn you, and I don’t know how to absolve you. I see you in the gruesome image of the young man with his arm torn off. Sometimes the face is yours. And sometimes the intact arm is yours, in the act of dropping a lethal bag into a dustbin. Or I see the photograph of another alleged terrorist spread-eagled in his own blood. And mine runs cold because I see you in him too. And I don’t know whether to wish you had died instead of killing us with this shame. Or to be thankful that you are alive, that whatever you may have done for whatever skewed crusade, it does not alter the fact that you are still our son. It is both our consolation and our tragedy that we might hate you, but we cannot stop loving you. Yours, Mom

Link (:(((

[DomainK]

Very emotional. Very unfortunate. How unfortunate a mother can really be?

[Zap_Brannigan]

How unfortunate a mother can really be?

Certainly more fortunate than the mother who lost her child to these terrorists. Maybe She shouldnt have instilled that "Islam is the only religion and allah is the only true god" in his brain back then.

[beetle]

Read it in the paper first thing in the morning. Really sad.

[punjabi_khota]

Certainly more fortunate than the mother who lost her child to these terrorists. Maybe She shouldnt have instilled that "Islam is the only religion and allah is the only true god" in his brain back then.

Well, thats debatable. The mother whose child turned out to be terrorist has to bear his death and the public humiliation of being the mom of a terrorist. And *maybe* unjustified allegations of her being one of the reasons for his turning out to be a terrorist. The mother of the victim has at least the sympathies of people in general.

[beetle]

>>>> The mother of the victim has at least the sympathies of people in general. >>>> The mother whose child turned out to be terrorist has to bear his death and the public humiliation of being the mom of a terrorist. In both these cases it is justified. The mother /Parent who can't teach the very basics of life in some ways deserve it. How can you have a missing son for years and not suspect something is wrong.I do not believe that they don't know the whereabouts of their sons and take no action. Have they gone to the police for the missing persons report? How can you not teach your child to not kill. I am not just saying this for the mother of terrorists,it is applicble to all killers including those who kill while driving in drunken state. All these parents are failed parents .Parents who have let the people down. They deserve the criticism they get.

[dial_100]

I agree. In fact I would go even a step further. And if a child of a mother is missing for more than 6-12 months, must be reported so that Police can keep track of their where abouts. Otherwise, a family member(s) should be held responsible for that and punish them as well.

[Desi Cartman]

I agree. In fact I would go even a step further. And if a child of a mother is missing for more than 6-12 months' date= must be reported so that Police can keep track of their where abouts. Otherwise, a family member(s) should be held responsible for that and punish them as well.

I think these guys were all adults when they left home. Its difficult to raise kids when one has more than 2-3 kids , lack of money and no education.

[DomainK]

I think most of us are expecting unusual wisdom and judgment from all Muslim parents here. Lets not forget that most of them come from uneducated and financially backward backgrounds. They are not expected to be particularly careful not allow their children terrorists. Though all the chidldren on today's age have to be educated against terrorism, thats not an easy objective to achieve unless their leaders start taking it seriously. And it applies to everyone, not only the Muslims. I had the opportunity to talk to one of the Marathi guys who is a die hard follower of Raj Thackray. He was a part of a party that went to threaten a college principal for not admitting a local guy because his score was less than what was required. When I asked him why he thinks that someone who scored low should be admitted just because he is local, he was quite furious asking in return how non-Marathi were given preference over a local in admission irrespective of marks. "We will get him admitted you see, you dont know how powerful we are. We will drive you all out of Maharashtra one day" he said with a hint of pride. He also complained why he had to talk in Hindi to communicate with me. In his opinion, anyone who wants to reside in Maharashtra must learn the local language first. His parents also did not teach him many things even though they are educated and financially well off. How come he was brain washed into believing in that evil?

[Willow_on_fire]

I think these guys were all adults when they left home. Its difficult to raise kids when one has more than 2-3 kids ' date=' lack of money and no education.[/quote'] Most muslims can live a quality life only after they remove the crappy mindset of "have maximum kids and Islam will one day dominate this world"....this is such a insane mindset...these ppl should realize that in today's world...we are not fighting with swords & spears...Nukes can wipe out countries...hopefully common sense prevails and these ppl enjoy a guality life with a small family...instead of a dozen starving kids who can't get proper education and end up as mis-fits in any society.

[beetle]

I think most of us are expecting unusual wisdom and judgment from all Muslim parents here. Lets not forget that most of them come from uneducated and financially backward backgrounds. They are not expected to be particularly careful not allow their children terrorists. Though all the chidldren on today's age have to be educated against terrorism, thats not an easy objective to achieve unless their leaders start taking it seriously. And it applies to everyone, not only the Muslims. I had the opportunity to talk to one of the Marathi guys who is a die hard follower of Raj Thackray. He was a part of a party that went to threaten a college principal for not admitting a local guy because his score was less than what was required. When I asked him why he thinks that someone who scored low should be admitted just because he is local, he was quite furious asking in return how non-Marathi were given preference over a local in admission irrespective of marks. "We will get him admitted you see, you dont know how powerful we are. We will drive you all out of Maharashtra one day" he said with a hint of pride. He also complained why he had to talk in Hindi to communicate with me. In his opinion, anyone who wants to reside in Maharashtra must learn the local language first. His parents also did not teach him many things even though they are educated and financially well off. How come he was brain washed into believing in that evil?

So true....

[dial_100]

I think most of us are expecting unusual wisdom and judgment from all Muslim parents here. Lets not forget that most of them come from uneducated and financially backward backgrounds. They are not expected to be particularly careful not allow their children terrorists. Though all the chidldren on today's age have to be educated against terrorism, thats not an easy objective to achieve unless their leaders start taking it seriously. And it applies to everyone, not only the Muslims. I had the opportunity to talk to one of the Marathi guys who is a die hard follower of Raj Thackray. He was a part of a party that went to threaten a college principal for not admitting a local guy because his score was less than what was required. When I asked him why he thinks that someone who scored low should be admitted just because he is local, he was quite furious asking in return how non-Marathi were given preference over a local in admission irrespective of marks. "We will get him admitted you see, you dont know how powerful we are. We will drive you all out of Maharashtra one day" he said with a hint of pride. He also complained why he had to talk in Hindi to communicate with me. In his opinion, anyone who wants to reside in Maharashtra must learn the local language first. His parents also did not teach him many things even though they are educated and financially well off. How come he was brain washed into believing in that evil?

Why is Raj Thakre coming in this discussion?. He is a mere regional guy. So why waste time on him. All I am saying is that even if your son is adult, be it muslim or Hindu or anyone, they must report that he has been missing for more than 6 months. In case that guy is arrested in Terrorist activity, parents and relatives should be left alone because they have given their judgment on their kid. If they do not inform about their son missing and the kid is arrested in terrorist activities, then parents should also be arrested and prosecuted for not helping the system. With this, they can quickly go through the list of people who are gone missing from their homes, and rather maintain their pictures and their physiques etc. Would be easier in the investigation. Even before the sketch is made, they will have their pictures. If some one wants to clear his name from the list then he should go and give the details of his whereabouts. Fair enough and his name should be removed from the list. I think it is easy to understand. Punish the parents/relatives if they dont understand that innocent people are dying. With this we are eliminating possibility of parents denying the prior knowledge of their kids whereabouts. If they know where he was, then it helps clearing his name. If they dont know then punish them. Simple as that.

[beetle]

Raj thakerey is being discussed because he is a terrorist .A man whose only claim to fame is hate. He is the indian /hindu taliban.His target varies according to the situation but any given time he is spreading hate against someone or the other.