Remembering the Babri Mosque

“If that is civilization, I prefer savagery.”
--Dessalines, Haitian Revolution leader

December 6 is the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Mosque by Hindu mobs in North India. It is an event of enormous international significance; yet most Americans, seem wholly unaware that it ever happened.

The Babri Mosque (also known as the Masjid-i Janamasthan) was built some time between 1100 and 1600 c.e. Its construction or refurbishment--it’s uncertain which--is attributed to the first Moghul Emperor, Babur during his reign (1526-1530).

The largest mosque in Ayodha, (Uttar Pradesh Province, India), it exhibited classic Jaunpuri architectural style, characteristic of the period commencing with the Delhi Sultanate and subsequent to it. The sturdy exterior of the mosque relied on rectangular sandstone bricks. It had one large, and two small elegant domes, and a beautiful fountain for the performance of ablution. Long walls enclosed the main courtyard, lined with intricately decorated pillars and arches characteristic of the period.

The acoustics of the Babri’s main hall were the stuff of legend: a whisper from the mihrab could be heard clearly at the opposite end of the hall, 200 feet away. The Babri’s well of curative water, said to heal all manner of ailments, drew people of all faiths from far and wide.

The Babri was older than the Taj Mahal, the other famous structure built by a Moghul emperor. It pre-dated the Arc de Triomphe, and was approximately the same age as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.

No matter.

On December 6, 1992, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP, or World Hindu Council) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a rally outside the Babri, inciting Hindus to tear down the c. 900-year old mosque! Although, Muslims and Hindus had peacefully shared access to the site for decades, and the Muslims had not denied the Hindus claim to it, the VHP and BJP leaders claimed that the mosque must be removed, so that an ancient Hindu temple, which lay beneath the site, might be re-constructed there.

Mobs of Hindus amassed outside the mosque. Over the course of the day, their numbers gradually rose to around one million! As members of the ruling BJP openly incited members of the mob to violence, destruction of the mosque began in earnest.

While the Babri was being demolished, as well as for hours afterwards, Hindu mobs pillaged the town of Ayodha, killing, burning, looting, and destroying. Only two of Ayodha’s many mosques escaped damage or destruction in the rampage.

Following the destruction of the Babri, the BJP continued to maintain excellent relations with the U.S. government, as well as with other Western nations. Remarkably, the BJP’s popularity skyrocketed immediately after the demolition. The party remained closely allied to the Bush administration--and to Israel--for the duration of its term in office.

International Significance of the Destruction

On the anniversary of its destruction, a comparison of the Babri’s “death” with the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan--at the hands of Afghanistan’s Taliban government—is useful. Several major differences between the two incidents of artifact destruction exist:

Publicly Declared Motivation
* The Taliban said: the destruction of the Buddhas protested the fact that UNESCO, NGOs, and the West were pouring money into restoring statues, when Afghanistan’s people had endured more than two decades of war, and vast segments of the population were literally starving.
** Acharya Dharmendra, VHP leader, said: “Although the local Hindu residents did ask me to hold the crowds from burning Muslim homes I would have never stopped them. This is the only way in which Ayodha could become like the Vatican." (Quoted in the Times of India).

Sanctity of Human Life
* The Taliban attacked no human in the process of their action.
** Hindu mobs attacked Muslim households, torching and plundering for nearly twelve hours (per BBC reports) that day. They also attacked journalists.

Time of Construction
* The Buddhas of Bamiyan were built in the fifth or sixth century.
** The Babri mosque was built c. eleventh century.

Right of Worship by Indigenous Populations
* Afghanistan has no known Buddhist population; the Taliban action did not violate the religious rights of any local population which may have used the statues for worship.
** Uttar Pradesh province has a Muslim population numbering roughly thirteen million; the Babri was in active use when it was demolished, violating the right of worship of the Muslim population.

Reconstruction Efforts
* UNESCO and various NGOs were pouring money into restoring the statues—prior to the destruction by the Taliban. Currently, the Japanese government, and many other contributors are funding the rebuilding of the Buddhas.
** Currently, no initiatives have been put forth by the Indian—or other governments or NGOs--for the reconstruction of the Babri Mosque. The only efforts to this end have been by the local population, who are very poor.

Aftermath
* After its destruction of art, the Taliban government was largely destroyed by the U.S., and many of its leaders tortured or killed.
** After its destruction of art, the BJP is regarded as a friend and ally of the U.S.

The Babri mosque destruction once again reveals the hypocrisy of the West in its putative concern over the protection of art and artifacts.

(Background information on the Babri taken from Wikipedia)