ties that bind - sep 11

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programme are also reproduced to show how they conflict with normative Islamic values, leading Sidki to conclude that ‘the followers of the four orthodox schools of Islam must in the nature of things abhor every heresy which runs counter to the Muslim spirit, and especially the Nazi heresy, which divides mankind into groups and classes according to a blood-theory’. 207 The Nazis are also portrayed as ‘breaking pledges’, after Hitler reneged on promises made in the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. ‘Muslims view with horror the Nazi practice of violating promises and pledges’, Sidki wrote. 208 The pamphlet is peppered with careful but deliberate parables and stories from Islamic history which suggested that Muslims had no choice but to oppose Hitler. Whitehall mandarins quickly realised the significance of circulating the pamphlet in India, as did some Muslim leaders such as Sir Hassan Suhrawardy, an adviser to the Secretary of State for India. Indeed, the Director of Information’s assistant recorded: This is a remarkable presentment of the Muslim attitude to the war and is, I think, most important and valuable at the present time. The manner in which Muslim ideals are placed in contrast to those of the Nazis is particularly well done. It shows Islam’s protection of the weak against the strong as a contrast to Nazi oppression and cruelty. Quotations from the Koran and other Muslim writings are most apt and convincing. The author shows that Nazism is the enemy of Islam, that the lofty principles of Islam are in direct contrast to the reactionary principles of Nazism. The difference between the German and Muslim treatments of conquered peoples and their keeping of pledges is emphasized in a most convincing way and will appeal strongly to all lovers of liberty. The material contained in the article is so valuable that it should, I consider, be made available in a number of Indian vernaculars and in Persian for distribution throughout Persia and Afghanistan. The article, besides being a strong presentment of the Muslim point of view, will be a splendid contribution to the Allied cause and the English version should be made available widely in the British Empire and in the U.S.A. It is one of the most powerful contributions to the “War Aims” of the Allies which have so far appeared. 209 To help disseminate the message in India, the imam of Woking Mosque offered his services to the Ministry of Information (MOI), translating the pamphlet from Arabic to Urdu. The MOI had planned to produce and send 6000 copies to India although Whitehall correspondence reveals how this idea was abandoned because: The Imam has suggested that if the printing and distribution of an Urdu version were undertaken by a private firm, the value of the pamphlet might be greater than if it were done purely under government auspices. The Imam further suggests that Khaja Abdul Ghani, Manager, Muslim Book Society, Azeez Munsel, Brandeth Road, Lahore, might be approached in this connection. The Society is closely connected with the Woking Mosque, and any profits attaching to the printing and sale of books by the Society are used in the furtherance of Muslim work in India and in England. 210 Muslims in the World Wars 207 Ibid, p.64 208 Ibid, p.68 209 Ibid, p.93 210 Ibid, p.85 policyexchange.org.uk | 49
Ties that Bind 211 Ibid, p.55 212 Ibid, p.46 213 Ibid, pp.7-32 214 Ibid, p.7 215 Ibid, p.9 216 Ibid, p.17-19 217 Ibid, p.20 50 | policyexchange.org.uk The pamphlet was widely circulated. The government of India, for example, maintained a list of sixty-three different ‘Muslim owned newspapers’ across the country with express instructions that they should ‘receive all war material; ordinary departmental material and articles of Islamic interest’. 211 Partial analysis conducted by the Home Department of the government of India revealed that it received 804 column inches of coverage from just twenty-three different newspapers – although the Home Department was keen to point out that ‘as only a selection of the Muslim press is analysed in this bureau, the real results achieved are undoubtedly greater’. 212 For good measure, in addition to translating the pamphlet from Arabic to English, Arberry also submitted ‘dialogues written by myself’ to the MOI which were to ‘ultimately be published in Arabic through secret channels and will appear as having been composed by a Muslim Arab’. 213 Some of the pamphlets written by Arberry included: ? What do the Germans think of the Arabs? ? What is a quisling? ? Are the Germans friends of the Arabs? ? What do the Germans think of Islam? ? What have the Germans done to Islam? These pamphlets were framed as a series of conversations between a father and son – they all bore the subtitle ‘conversations with my son’ – and took a dialectic form. In ‘What do the Germans think of the Arabs?’, the father explains Nazi thinking to his son – first in terms of Hitler’s attitudes towards the Arab people, before explaining the Nazi view on Islam. The son, known as ‘Ahmad’, starts by saying, ‘I repeated what you told me concerning the lies and hypocrisy of the Germans and their leaders to my friends at school, and they asked me if I could prove that the Germans are in fact the enemies of the Arabs and Moslems. They asked me if the German leaders and writers have ever expressed their opinion of us Arabs and Moslems openly, and if so, what this opinion was’. 214 Naturally, the pamphlet then offers a systematic analysis of the Nazi view towards both the Arabs and Muslims while showing how some aspects of their belief – such as the idea of Aryan racial superiority – contradicted verses from the Quran. The father explains: [In Mein Kampf Hitler] will not undertake to champion the rights of any oriental peoples who may consider themselves to be oppressed by other nations. So much for his pretence to have the cause of Arabs at heart. In another passage, speaking of those Egyptians and Indians whom he had met in Germany, Hitler describes them as ‘gabbling pomposities’ and ‘inflated Orientals’. So much for Hitler’s opinion of the Arabs and Moslem peoples, whose friend and saviour he now pretends to be. 215 Similar sentiments are expressed in ‘Are the Germans friends of the Arabs?’, although it offers much more history of the conflict itself, explaining Germany’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland and invasion of Poland. 216 Unsurprisingly, by the end, ‘Ahmad’ concludes ‘it is the duty of Moslems not to have anything to do with men who are liars and unjust tyrants [i.e. the Nazis]’. 217
Page 1 and 2: Ties that Bind How the story of Bri
Page 3 and 4: 2 | policyexchange.org.uk About the
Page 5 and 6: 4 | policyexchange.org.uk Appendix
Page 7 and 8: 6 | policyexchange.org.uk Executive
Page 9 and 10: Ties that Bind 3 See: http://www.cp
Page 11 and 12: Ties that Bind 17 Stolen Valour: Ho
Page 13 and 14: Ties that Bind 12 | policyexchange.
Page 15 and 16: Ties that Bind 27 Omissi, The Sepoy
Page 19 and 20: Ties that Bind 41 Ibid. p.28 42 Ibi
Page 21 and 22: Ties that Bind 47 Geoffrey Bennet,
Page 23 and 24: Ties that Bind 58 Ibid. Also see, M
Page 25 and 26: Ties that Bind 64 Punjabi Musalman
Page 27 and 28: Ties that Bind 74 Omissi, Sepoy and
Page 29 and 30: Ties that Bind 84 The Comrade, 7 No
Page 31 and 32: Ties that Bind 90 Ibid, p.5 91 Ibid
Page 33 and 34: Ties that Bind 107 Ibid. 108 Supple
Page 35 and 36: Ties that Bind 128 Ibid. 129 Ibid.
Page 37 and 38: Ties that Bind 146 Ibid., p.90 147
Page 39 and 40: Ties that Bind 159 Punjabi Mahomeda
Page 43 and 44: Ties that Bind 181 CAB/24/54, Natio
Page 45 and 46: Ties that Bind 187 India’s contri
Page 47 and 48: Ties that Bind 191 Judith Brown, Mo
Page 49: Ties that Bind 200 Ibid. 201 Ibid.
Page 53 and 54: Ties that Bind 224 Omissi, Sepoy an
Page 55 and 56: Ties that Bind 238 Ibid, pp.70-72 2
Page 57 and 58: Ties that Bind 252 Ibid. 253 Ibid.
Page 59 and 60: Ties that Bind 265 CAB/66/58/25, Na
Page 61 and 62: 270 The Gallup Coexist Index 2009:
Page 63 and 64: Ties that Bind 278 Note that Al-Muh
Page 65 and 66: Ties that Bind 286 http://www.times
Page 67 and 68: Ties that Bind 299 Hans Wehr, A Dic
Page 69 and 70: Ties that Bind 308 http://www.dohad
Page 71 and 72: Ties that Bind 315 http://web.archi
Page 75 and 76: Ties that Bind 329 http://www.indep
Page 77 and 78: Ties that Bind 340 Keynote Address
Page 79 and 80: Ties that Bind 350 http://www.publi
Page 81 and 82: Ties that Bind 364 Humayun Ansari,
Page 85 and 86: Ties that Bind 390 Ibid, p. 49. 391
Page 87 and 88: Ties that Bind 406 Policy Exchange
Page 89 and 90: Ties that Bind 419 http://www.musli
Page 95 and 96: 439 London Gazette, 3 July 1945, ht
Page 97 and 98: 96 | policyexchange.org.uk Bibliogr

ties that bind - sep 11

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