Mumbai !

The terrorist attacks in Mumbai raise an interesting question. Why are there Muslims living in India ?

When the British Raj ended in 1948 Hindus and Muslims agreed that it would be impossible for the two religions to coexist together in a single country with a single rule of law.

As a result, the existing country was split into two totally independent states. India for the Hindu and other religions - and Pakistan for the followers of Islam.

The decision resulted in great upheaval - and bloodshed. There was an exodus of Muslims to Pakistan - and a corresponding exodus of other religions to India, but the separation of religions was not complete.

Many with property or a business on the wrong side of the border elected to stay and many Muslims remained in India because they were not convinced that an Islamic state would remain peaceful - given the split between the two main branches of Islam.

The bloodbath in Mumbai - one of several recent similar events in India - must awaken a desire in many to banish all Muslims in India to Pakistan. That was the original intention of partition - to create a Muslim state to satisfy the followers of Islam.

It could be reasoned that if Muslims choose to live in India they should respect the fact that they live in a non-Muslim country - and respect the laws and customs of that regime.

Every act of terror perpetrated on Indian soil by Muslim extremists will harden the attitude of Indians to having Muslims in their midst - and if that ever progresses to a pogrom to rid the country of Islamists the world will become a more dangerous place.

It could lead to Muslim countries expelling followers of other religions, and if ever the world divided into a Muslim half and a combination of the rest of the world's religions in the other half - then a war would be inevitable.

The answer must rest in the hands of the vast majority of Muslims who simply want to follow their religion, earn a living - and live in harmony with those around them.

The fundamentalists are a relatively small group of people following an extreme version of Islam. They wish to force their religion on all others at the point of a sword - and declare that it is their given task to kill all those who refuse to yield.

Their greatest protection is the tendency of other Muslims to " look the other way " and do nothing - claiming that it is " not their business ! "

If Islam wants peace ordinary Muslims need to pay attention and root out these extremists. Extreme views do not go unnoticed in the Mosques and all it takes is an attitude of mind by peace loving Muslims for the extremist group to be in big trouble.

The future of the religious world rests on that support taking root !