| Let us take the
Ayodhya incident in December of 1992. Newspapers throughout the world stated that
"Hindu Militants Destroy Mosque," projecting the image of Hindus both as
militants and as mosque destroyers. But what really took place and what is the history
behind it? Hindu groups involved did demolish a
building that was built by a Muslim invader from Central Asia some four centuries ago, and
the building had been used as a mosque, but not for over fifty years which was the last
time Islamic worship was
performed there. In recent years the so called Ayodhya mosque, Babri Masjid, has only been
used for Hindu worship, and it has contained Hindu religious statues in it since
1949.
The structure was not originally constructed in the style
of a true mosque, lacking minarets and other architecture of a typical mosque. Above all,
the site was claimed by the Hindus as the original location of a great Hindu temple to
Lord Rama, one of the Hindu Divine incarnation, that was first demolished for the building
of the mosque or victory monument by invading Muslim armies. |
