Babri Masjid was pulled down in Ayodhya but multiple demolitions of shrines and relics have taken place in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The dignity of a society is reflected through the value it gives to its cultural heritage. The sum total of cultural heritage is a nation, community or group’s language, books, literature, rituals, knowledge, traditions, performing arts, crafts, festive eventsa and monuments. It’s therefore our moral and civic duty to preserve, conserve and protect our cultural heritage.

In India, the five-centuries- old Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by a radical Hindu mob. Intellectuals across the globe condemned the demolition. Muslims across the world protested. In its landmark judgement of 2019, the Supreme Court held that the demolition was illegal and directed the authorities to allot an alternative plot to build a mosque as compensation.

On the other hand, the bigger heinous crime of multiple demolitions of holy shrines, relics and heritage sites together with massacres took place in Saudi Arabia. This was done at the behest of Saudi Arab’s Wahabi/Salafi rulers of Zionist ancestry who, wearing the cloak of Islam, in the middle of the 18th century introduced a new distorted version of Islam based on terrorism. This new cult was named ‘Wahabism’ in the name of its founder, Sheikh Muhammad Najdi-ibn-Abd-al-Wahab, who was born in Najd of Arabian Peninsula.

In 1744, sidelining the preaching of true Islam, Najdi created a cult ‘Wahabism’. To gain manpower support, he shrewdly found a pattern in Muhammad-ibn-Saud, a Bedouin tribal chief. Ibn Saud belonged to the Zionist tribe of Anza Ben Wael. Islam is not the original religion of Saudi Arabia rulers. Najdi too belonged to Zionist ancestry, and got his daughter married to Ibn Saud’s son Abd-al-Aziz.

The Quran says, “Prophet Mohammad was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind.” (21:107). It states, “Allah abhors any disturbance of peace.” (2:205). Whereas, Wahabi ideology is enshrined in their book Kitab-al-Twahid, which prescribes the forceful conversion of Muslims and others to his Salafi/ Wahabi ideology. He says, “Follow my ideology, else get ready to be killed.”

In 1766, Muhammad-ibn-Saud was killed and his son Abd-al-Aziz took over as Emir (temporal leader). He introduced firearms replacing conventional weaponry and accelerated his attacks in a spectacular bid to extend his territory. British historian Charles Allen writes in his book, ‘God’s Terrorists— The Wahabi Cult and the Hidden Roots of Modern Jihad’: “Abd-al-Aziz issued every (so-called) holy warrior a firman addressed to the gatekeeper of Heaven, requiring him to be admitted forthwith should he die in battle.” Since then, it has been the common schismatic, fraudulent practice of terror operators to misguide and exploit the youth.

On June 2, 1792, Sheikh Najdi, the founder of Wahhabism died, leaving behind 24 wives and 18 children. His son-in-law Abd-al-Aziz speeded up his violent actions and conversions.

In 1802, he attacked the holiest shrine of Hazrat Imam Husain in Karbala (Iraq), desecrating the shrine. Lieutenant Francis Warden wrote, “They pillaged the whole of it and plundered the tomb of Hazrat Imam Husain.”

In 1803, Abd-al-Aziz- ibn-Saud obtained a visit permit from the Sharif of Mecca on the pretext of performing Hajj; wherein, his Wahabi fighters laid waste in Ka’aba, like the accursed Yazid-ibn-Muawiya desecrated Ka’aba in 682 AD.

According to TE Ravenshaw, author of ‘A memorandum on the sect of Wahabis’: “They robbed the splendid tombs of the Mahomedan saints, who were interred there; and their fanatical zeal did not even spare the Prophet’s mosque (Masjid ul Nabavi) in Medina.”

In 1804, a Wahabi gang of terrorists again crossed the desert in Hijaz and destroyed tombs of the Prophet’s family members at Jannat-ul-Baqi, and even despoiled the grave of Prophet Mohammad. Again in 1925 (On 8th Shawwal 1344 Hijri), Wahabi terrorists demolished the shrines of Hazrat Fatima Zehra, daughter of Holy Prophet, and his grandsons: Hazrat Imam Hasan, Hazrat Imam Zain ul Abedeen, Hazrat Imam Mohammad Baqar.

On December 6, every year marking the anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid, Muslims organise protests, file petitions in court.  Whereas, on 8th Shawwal, 1344 Hijri (1925 AD), Saudi Arab rulers had demolished the holy tombs of Prophet Mohammad’s family razing to ground, but surprisingly no Muslim of any sect reacted or lodged protests against the pseudo-Muslim Saudi rulers. Is it because those perpetrators are not non-Muslims?

(The writer is a legal journalist and author. The views expressed are personal)