Faith and Religion

"Tehelka

Dr Krishan Kumar, the young District Magistrate of Kandhamal, thinks it’s actually about jobs, land, and only then religion. Kumar has studied medicine (hence the Dr prefix), and was given overnight charge of Kandhamal when the Hindu militants began attacking the Christians.

Kumar works out of a suite in the Circuit House at Phulbani, the district headquarters of Kandhamal. He has gone two days without sleep during the crisis. After Saraswati’s murder, he was told of the killing of a pastor in Raikia, an area in Kandhamal where the Christians outnumber the Hindus. He drove with a full company of the Rapid Action Force and a contingent of the Orissa State Disaster Management Agency. “It took me 11 hours for a journey that normally takes two hours. There were so many trees cut and laid across the road,� Kumar says.

He explains why he thinks jobs are the first cause of war in Kandhamal. He says his administration has 1,000 cases of fake caste certificates to investigate. Apparently, many non-tribals, which in Kandhamal usually mean the dalits, have submitted fake certificates showing them as members of the Kandha tribe.

The certificates enable government employment in the reserved quota. This is possible because the law enables job reservation for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) even though they have converted to Christianity, while the Scheduled Castes (SC) are deprived of this quota if they convert to Christianity or another religion. This is a principal reason why the Dalit Christians are seeking reservations as well.

Government jobs are precious in Kandhamal, since there are barely any private outlets offering employment. So, the STs seethe with resentment against the SCs over jobs. Often, they fight. Since the STs are Hindus and the SCs form the bulk of the Christians, the battles can easily take a religious turn.

Then, there is land. “The tribals have been around forever. They are the original dwellers here. They never had to prove that they owned the land. I mean, why should they? In the early 1900s, the tribal land opened up. Pattas, a certificate indicating ownership of land, began to be given out. The tribes have a complex social structure. Within themselves, they had given land to neighbours for various reasons. When they had to prove ownership of land, they couldn’t. Others came in and the tribals couldn’t integrate with the market economy,� says Kumar. Loss of land could, therefore, be a cause for the fighting between the STs, who are Hindus, and the SCs, who are Christian.





A new dimension emerged in November 2007 when the Orissa Government said both the dalits and the tribals were part of one family, the Kui Samaj. Kui is the dialect spoken in Kandhamal, and the government intended to bring the dalits and the tribals on a common platform using language as glue. More importantly, it intended to give dalits job reservation and other social advantages that the tribes were given, even if they had converted to Christianity. The tribals objected strongly.

Into this mix enters religion. “Nobody fights over spirituality,� says Kumar. The war is over theology and the power that comes with organised religion.

--

Goverdhan and his family converted to Christianity. They were given a Bible, and told that Jesus is the only God who gave his life for others. After six months, they were baptised. Narmada says Goverdhan was paid Rs 800 the first month, and Rs 2,000 for six months afterward. Stories like those of Goverdhan and Narmada have helped the Church to spread.

"

Conversion Conundrum

Lookback: Udayan Namboodiri

For the second time in a year, Christian evangelists and Hindu zealots have reduced civil society in Orissa to its knees. The refusal to admit to the deeper problem is emerging as the root cause

A lot of issues are mixed up with the Khandamal carnage. Just describing it in terms of "Hindu communalism" and hoping that liberal castigation would send the damned Hindutva scurrying for over in shame or fear or both won't ensure that this is the last time Christians are victimised in Orissa or Gujarat or any other place in India.

Saturday Special, which upholds journalism of balanced reflection, recognises the possibility of the truth hurting both parties. Though we invited Father Dominic Emmanuel, the spokesman of the Catholic Church in India (Main Story) and Hindutva ideologue Praful Goradia to articulate their respective positions (The Other View), it must be conceded that the true story lies far beyond their mutually exclusive perceptions.

At the outset, it must be admitted that it is extremely difficult for any Indian, including most people who find themselves on the anti-Christian side, to take a hostile view of Christianity and "conversions". A Lal Krishna Advani, or an Arun Jaitley, or even a BP Singhal and Goradia himself, cannot deny the role played by the educational apostolate of the Church in moulding their minds. Swami Vivekananda admitted to constructing the organisation of the Ramakrishna Mission on St. Ignatius Loyola's model. A lot of BJP leaders are actively working with frontal organisations of the Church to spread education, immunisation and environment awareness.

Similarly, the Church finds it impossible to turn away from the fact that Hindutva holds no grudge against any Christian precept and principle. Some rabid publications notwithstanding, the RSS and its fronts have acknowledged the Church's social apolstolate. On occasions, Church leaders have admitted that Hindutva is eminently more tolerant -- even "secular" as the head of the Syrio-Malabar Church of Kerala said earlier this year -- than Communism.

Yet, what do we see since the beginning of the latest episode of the ongoing "Hindu-Christian conflict" of Orissa? We have newspaper columns betraying their writers' supreme ignorance and professional dishonesty. For, not only do they regurgitate stuff long discarded by the Sangh Parivar itself, they actually struggle to manufacture new passions in the ordinary Hindu. Then, driving past the Gol Dakkhana circle in New Delhi, we saw this week banners with messages like "Stop Killing Christians". These go a long way in confirming stereotypes about Christian missionaries being in cahoots with evil foreigners.

One side refuses to answer how come, if "conversion" was indeed such a flourishing practice, the proportion of Christians to the Indian billion is actually dropping? Demographic change has happened in four districts of West Bengal and will soon overwhelm the rest of that state thanks to the Election Commission's delimitation policy which insists on giving political power to Bangladeshi infiltrators. We are waiting for the day when a Sangh Parivar outfit would emerge to take on the might of the Communist-Jihadi combine in Changrabandha and Raigunj. But that's another matter.

On the other hand, you have the All India Christian Council, whose web site makes even casual onlookers wonder as to how much the rhetorical flourish on the home page about "discrimination" against Dalits have to do with making Christians good Christians. Casteism is the bane of Hindu society, of which Hindus themselves are aware. It is good to know that the scepter of caste does not hang over Indian Christianity, but why this strange interest in the well being of "untouchables"? When juxtaposed with the literature churned out by the underground presses of foreign-funded missionary outposts in Orissa, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, does it or does it not raise some justified posers over intent?

Exacerbating the tenuous link between sanity and Khandamal is the Orissa government. It admits that Swami Lakshmananand had been complaining of threats to his life from his known enemies. Yet, not only did it fail to give protection, but also went to the ludicrous extent of claiming that it was a Maoist job. Since when do the Maoists give repeated threats? Even if it were the Maoists, why wasn't the state police sensitive to the entreaties of an old man who represented greater threat to society when dead than alive?

This leads us straight back to the original question: are conversions really going on? And, if so, why does Orissa hesitate to use its Law against the merchants of religion? The Church would not give an honest answer, while its opponents go to any extent to whip of ill-will over numbers not reflected in official censuses. Problem is, the Catholic Church, which assumes leadership over all Christians in India, is quite anti-conversion itself. Yet, why does it suffer in silence when their priests and nuns, who, incidentally, are the most visible faces of Christianity, get killed and raped?

Much of the confusion can be resolved if the Catholics disassociate themselves from the issue and allow the real evangelicals to step forward. This is a demand of ordinary Christians and Hindus, all of who recognise the wider conspiracy hatched by those who profit from the festering sores. It must be recalled here that evangelical activities were discouraged even under British rule. Mahatma Gandhi had written extensively against the importation to India of the Semitic tradition that promotes competition among Faiths. Unless everbody, including the left-lib zealots, whose role in the Khandamal episode has been enigmatically mischievous, own up to the truth, a lot more bloodletting may be unavoidable.

"SC-ST tussle: the sinister subtext to Kandhamal communal divide

The Panos, who lost SC status on conversion, want ST tag; this is being opposed by the Kandhs

Phulbani: On the face of it, the communal unrest in Orissa’s Kandhamal district was triggered by the 23 August murder of a man considered to be a saint by Hindus who then went on the rampage in the area, torching and looting Christian homes and prayer houses.
The swami, also a senior functionary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), had been opposing, for more than 40 years, the proselytizing activities of Christian missionaries. So, when he was killed by unknown assailants, the suspicion fell on the Christians.
But, if people familiar with the demographics of the district are to be believed, there is a far more sinister subtext to the rioting.

“It’s the politics of reservation and the benefits that come from being a member of the scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) that have played their role in these riots,� said a past principal of the Phulbani Girls’ College who didn’t want to be named. “The SC-ST divide has further fanned the communal fires.�
The Kandh tribals, after whom the district is named, are an ST community. “They are the original inhabitants of the area and were animists and even practised human sacrifice till the British came and put a stop to it,� said the academic. According to him, though the STs were animists, they had a cultural affinity with the Hindus. “Lord Jagannath, revered by Oriyas, is derived from the tribal Neelmadhab cult,� he said, adding, “Similarly, the goddess Sambaleshwari, patronized by the erstwhile king of Sambalpur, has tribal origins.�
On the other hand, the Christians of the district are converts from the Pano scheduled caste. The Panos, according to the academic, were originally Hindus who, centuries ago, came from outside the district and were also animists. “But, under British influence, they converted to Christianity in large numbers.�
So, over the years, the Kandhs embraced Hinduism in large numbers, while the Panos, who make up about a fifth of the district’s population, have turned Christians. “Tensions have always prevailed between the two with the Kandhs looking down on the Panos and very little social relations between the two,� said a senior state civil service officer who also didn’t want to be named.
However, in line with a government rule, those Panos who embraced Christianity lost their SC status and all the advantages that came with it. “For the past few years, however, the Panos are lobbying that they be given ST status,� said the same officer, adding, “Naturally, this was vehemently opposed by the Kandhs, who felt it was an encroachment on their turf.�
The genesis of the rift lies in a decision to expand the scheduled tribes list in the early 1990s to include the Kui and Kuvi communities in the ST category. “Many Panos speak the Kui language and hence demanded ST status for them as well,� said the academic. “They even formed an organization called the Kuijana Kalyana Sangha in Bhubaneswar but its registration was cancelled after the riots last December,� he said.
According to many Kandh and Hindu leaders, the demand for ST status is being made by the Panos so that they can benefit both from reservations as well as the sops doled out by the Church.
“They want reservation in seats in educational institutions as well as government jobs and also want to benefit from the money from the Church�, said Priyanath Sharma, an office bearer of the VHP. “Let them choose one, they can’t have both.�
Trust between the two communities, which was always low, is at its lowest. “The Panos would take away our land fraudulently or misrepresent themselves as Dalit Hindus even after becoming Christians to retain their SC status,� said a Kandh priest, who refused to identify himself. “Even now, they want reservation for Dalit Christians or ST status,� he said, adding, “Where will their greed end?�
Matters were made worse when the delimitation of assembly constituencies meant Kandhamal moved from a seat reserved for SCs to STs. “They sensed their power slipping away and could have fomented trouble,� said the academic.
Another ominous note is the shadow of the Maoists. “Religion and an SC-ST tussle are ideal situations for ultra-Leftists to take advantage of,� said the state bureaucrat, adding, “God help this place if they too get mixed up in all this.�
"

Murarilal Lakhanpurkar G,

Who should check whose money speaks from the mouth of Parera. There is big difference between Ribero and this Parera character.

But more important is what you personally going to do? Are you ready for complete ban on alien Abrahmic legions in India? Just as China was put into stupor by selling ganja, not just India but the world is being destroyed by this Abrahmic imperialistic and enslaving legions. Give us Yogi Yeshu and core spirituality, if any, but not the enslavement to distant popes and Mecca-Madina.

I am advocating that you own your local-ness of Lakhanpur and not Kotha culture of Lucknow. Since you like history so much instead of learning about distant Greek and Persian go and find out if there were rishis and Mutts on the banks of Gomati who were expert in Math, Ecology and Chemistry and bring their knowledge for common good of all and to solve the todays problems.
========
or Christ's sake

I am writing this from Orissa which, quite uncharacteristically, dominated national news space during the last week of August for altogether wrong reasons. Bhubaneswar, the State's neatly planned post-Independence Capital, is tranquil enough but interior districts are still simmering from the fallout of the heinous assassination of the venerated monk Swami Laxmanananda, 80-year-old messiah of the poor and downtrodden in one of Orissa's remotest and least developed districts -- Kandhmal.

To my surprise, I found passions running high even in the Capital particularly over what people allege is the biased and undeservingly negative publicity the State received in the aftermath of the murder and the violence that predictably followed. It is a trying time for the State's usually unflappable Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who appears set to be elected for a third straight term in office when Assembly polls happen next year. The fallout has also been a test for his coalition partner BJP, whose Hindu constituency is outraged by the killing of the Swami.

Fortunately, the BJD-BJP alliance is holding firm despite hotheads periodically seeking to stir up trouble. The violence, which ominously affected villages rather than cities -- unlike the pattern of other communal disturbances -- is also simmering down. But the questions it has raised dramatically all over again need to be addressed if recurrence is to be contained in the future.

What has agitated average middle class people in Orissa is the manner in which a one-sided perspective is being peddled as fact in the national media, to the courts and even among school children. There is consternation over the one-day strike called by Christian organisations that shut down many schools and colleges across the country. "The Courts are quick to denounce strikes and bandhs everywhere. Political parties are even fined for calling a bandh. Why hasn't anybody condemned the enforced strike in Christian educational institutions?" asked an angry teacher.

Apparently, some school authorities even distributed a circular among students explaining why the bandh had been called. The letter complained in a high-pitched tone about the attacks on churches, priests, orphanages and ordinary Christian villagers by rampaging mobs. The circular, admittedly also regretted the murder of the octogenarian Swami, but only in a proforma fashion. The purpose of the explanatory letter was not really to explain but to condition young, impressionable minds into a particular line of thinking.

A parent told me about the following exchange with his school-going daughter: "Why is your school closed tomorrow?" he had asked. Pat came the reply, "Because Hindus are killing innocent Christians in Orissa." When he persisted and queried why Hindus are supposedly doing that, his daughter looked nonplussed and confessed she had no idea, but after some thought added, "They did that to Muslims in Gujarat also, No?" The brainwashing of children, especially in urban India, has acquired a new dimension.

Sometimes I get the feeling that a diabolical section of proselytising missionaries are determined to milk the post-Laxmananand violence to the hilt to further their cause. Significantly, as even diehard secular TV channels have revealed, the violence in Orissa, unlike post-Godhra Gujarat, was hardly one-sided. Christian-dominated villages persecuted Hindus as much as vice versa and, in any case the disturbances were confined to just two districts. And, by the way, no nun was burnt to death; it was a Hindu woman who was unfortunately trapped in a hut set on fire by vandals. No wonder large numbers of Hindus, especially women, converged on a relief camp for Christians in Tiklabari in Kandhmal last Wednesday, demanding that either everybody get official relief or the Christians-only camp be shut. They told visiting politicians and the media that they too had suffered in the violence. Besides, the police was strictly enforcing curfew preventing them from going to work to earn a livelihood. "Why are Christians getting all the attention while we are starving?" the charged crowds demanded to know. I am referring to this incident only to underline that the issue is not as simple as the counsel for Christian organisations made it out in the Supreme Court last Thursday.

It is a measure of the efficacy of the Christian network that within hours of the disturbances happening, the Pope issued a strong denunciation of the "persecution" of Christians in India. Worse, the Italian Foreign Office had the temerity to summon India's Ambassador in Rome to admonish him and demand an immediate end to the harassment of Christians in this country. Incidentally, both these actions have contributed to the anger of people in Orissa.

I was repeatedly asked why New Delhi had not issued a strong statement telling Rome and the Holy Seer that Orissa is India's internal affair and they should keep their mouths firmly shut. "Each time there are some problems between Hindus and Muslims, Pakistan too makes gratuitous noises about Muslims in India. But Delhi tells them to stay away from our internal matters. Why does the Government lack the guts to do the same with Italy?" asked an irate journalist, hinting that the reason for being deferential towards Italians, resident or non-resident, would not be very far to seek.

In fairness, though, the venerable Pope, as spiritual head of the Roman Catholic world, has a right to express concern if his co-religionists face insecurity in any part of the world. But the pontiff would have done well to appreciate the gravity of the situation and also recognised the root cause of the friction. There would be no trouble between Hindus and Christians, who are mostly a peaceful community living in harmony with Hindus for centuries, but for the aggressive campaign to "harvest souls", meaning, convert poor Hindus. It is the influx of massive funds, mainly from Europe, to further a renewed evangelical offensive in India that is the cause of mounting tensions between Hindus and Christians in many parts of India.

An Orissa legislator (not BJP) narrated some instances of glitzy audio-visual campaigns by Christian missionaries in the State's interiors. Although the State Government was forced to ban the entry of foreign evangelists following protests some years ago, there's no stopping the funds. Promises of good education, jobs and even careers abroad are freely made, tempting many impoverished villagers.

Dispensing with the usual paraphernalia of baptism, some priests apparently preside over mass conversions whereby those willing to change their religion need only to take a dip in the village pond to expiate their past sins. As many independent sociologists have pointed out, new converts in villages become particularly aggressive towards their erstwhile community and the resulting social cleavage eventually spills over into violence. This is probably the strongest argument for enacting watertight anti-conversion legislation.

The Government is required to preserve and promote social harmony, rebuffing the Church's ambition to "harvest souls". In the final analysis, however, Hindu society too is to blame for the steady expansion of Christian missionary activity. Why are their so few Swami Laxmananands among us? Why don't Hindu organisations work more effectively in backward and tribal-dominated areas? That is the only way to deny non-Indic religions a foothold in sensitive parts of the country and thereby preserving social harmony.

Re: # 113

Satya100

How do you justify the attached excerpt from an article by Maxwell Pareira former DIG Delhi.

On Christmas Eve 2007, while Christians in Orissa were preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, gangs of fanatical elements in Kandhamal District, in a series of pre-planned and well organised assaults, attacked churches and Christian institutions, damaging them, desecrating statues and Bibles, and even burning houses in Christian bastis.

The atrocities continued for a month, and left 107 churches destroyed in arson, at least six people dead and thousands homeless. Though instances of violence were spread across the State, the bulk of it was concentrated in Kandhamal District. The district has a population of 6 lakh people of whom almost 2 lakhs are Christians. Practically all tribal, very poor and exploited.

By February although the brutality seemingly subsided, the persecution never stopped. Fanatical elements kept up pressure on Christians to renounce their faith and convert to Hinduism. Christians were taunted at work, boycotted socially, women were harassed, children caught and shaved bald.

In the forefront of the movement to force Christians to abandon Christianity was Lakshmananda Saraswati, a Vice President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Though a sadhu, he was known to be deeply involved in politics. On the night of August 23rd, a band of 20 to 30 masked men, armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, attacked Lakshmananda Saraswati’s ashram and shot him and four of his associates dead. The operation was typical of the Naxalites - with the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army, a Maoist Communist outfit, even claiming credit for the killings – as Lakshmananda Saraswati they said, had been mixing politics and religion too much for too long.


So who started the killings?? And was it a dharmic act that Hindus could approve of???

Re: # 119

I have no problem with any scripture revealed or non revealed. They all contain words of great wisdom relevant for their times but I do not consider any of them more sacred than the words of many great secular philosophers.

It was the professional priests of all faiths who made the scriptures sacred to become powerful weapons in their hands used to subjugate the common people with threats of great otherworldly pain if they disobeyed. The alliance between priests and rulers made the rulers powerful while the grateful rulers rewarded the priests with wonderful churches, mosques and temples plus many material benefits

". And much later there were several revisions of the Bhagavat Gita. In any case Hinduism was not known as a religion till 1826 when Ram Mohun Roy applied the label Hindu to unite a wide variety of varied beliefs, myths, rituals and customs that the Brahmins managed."

Actually murad, just because the term "hinduism" was coined late does not imply that the Dharmic system of Aryavrta did not exist. Muarad, you need to read more because you understanding of hindu dharma and its texts is poor.

Also, Vedas are considered by us a revealed and NOT wrritten. Vedas were apaurushya i.e. not of human origin. Just because you claim it so and non-hindus say it so does not turn revealed nature of Vedas into human origin.

Vedas were transmitted through shruata tadtion - i.e. it is learnt by hearing and not reading. Vedas are mainly oral and that is why it has remained the same over thousands of years.

just because muslims love to deride others and claiming revealed status of their own humanly compiled Quan does not nullify the revealed nature of Vedas.

Re: # 114

Ah....all this was a product of a kashmiri Brahmin........hmm ....... no wonder we were all fooled.....

Kaale Khan,

It seems that Murad's rejection of your wahabi supremacist thought has rubbed your poor Islamist ego.....

Murad is a Shia and he has nothing to do with your Jehadic nonsense.....but he does believe in the Mandi taking care of idolators like me in future........so just relax...... he has no use for your jehad.

tesst

NKG, Ladduji, Pinkuji and Sanataniji

Please help in writing the script for the real movie on how and why recent converts become the most fanatic folks. Why they cause more harm to their native land, language and culture. Why do they were their faith on their sleeves.

Murarilal G,

I would like to take some real skill after spending about half an hour on this website on daily basis. I proposed to other folks to collaborate on writing a script for the movie depicting the progress from Sahaj Ram to Allha Ki Maa. Since you are good historian you can critique the script for its authenticity. You might be a good hand in digging some dirt out. But we will write the script of the movie to hold the mirror in front of our Shantic aka Islamic brothers. In all those yearly Affirmative action (AAA) meetings in corporate America first we learned was to beware of the folks who claim that they are progressive non practicing religious/supremacist folks. These so called intellectuals are the biggest bigots and racists. You can humanize five time Namazi but not these folks. I hope you are not one of these G intellectuals.

Since you are very good BA (Hon) how will you write the first scene depicting crook Sahaj Ram. Historical fact is:

"Iqbal's grandfather Shaikh Rafiq, was a Kashmiri Pandit named Sahaj Ram Sapru before his conversion to Islam and was a revenue collector. According to Dr R.K. Parimu, the author of “History of Muslim Rule in Kashmir" and Ram Nath Kak's book Autumn Leaves, Shaikh Rafiq had embezzeled state funds, and when his guilt was established, the Afghan governor, Azim Khan, gave him the choice of death or conversion to Islam. Sahaj Ram Sapru chose life, and assuming new names, he and his family moved to Sialkot in the Panjab."

My time is up!

Murarilal Lakhanpurkar G,

"But these are gross simplifications that I offer simply because you asked. "

What I asked was:

Why Dont you mention cold blooded murder of unarmed 85 year old swami and 70+ old swamini by Paulian/Popian/Christian, which was the cause of unrest in Orissa.

What do you mean by gentle? When last time Dharmic Prithwiraj was gentle, hot iron rods were put in his eyes, his children became male slaves/prostitutes and his wife became a randi.

You claim that you are so progressive non-practicing Shantic ie Islamic gentle-man. Would you please change your name to show where you come from and celebrate the local culture, history and pride to Murarilal Lakhanpurkar

But ask your self what will you do find the real culprit. The real culprit is your audience in the west who fund the arms such as AK47s which were used to murder the Swami and four others. You G never condemns these murders. Since you do not and high light the Hindu reaction so that more funds are sent to Christians from west to convert to divide and rule, your hands are red with Swami and other Hindu blood.

Murad bhai, thanks for returning.

Before we conclude what you believe, please confirm that we understand you right. You believe that -

1. The Quran, as it exists today, is (just like any other book) written by men (or women) dead long ago.

2. It does not deserve the sanctity people attach to it.

You have not told us what could be specifically wrong with the Quran's contents or with Islam's principles or practices, but for now, it will be good hear you either confirm or correct the above impression.

My objective is to be able to openly make the argument you make to the general Muslim public, so a proper and equally respectful dialogue can take place between Muslims and Hindus - a goal that you as a person of interfaith interests would naturally share.

Thank you.

Sometime after Godhra and Gujarat riots, I read in TOI a heart wrenching 'middle' written by one lady with Surname 'Beg' about her young son's painful experiences in school and otherwise. I wonder if they belong to Mr. Murad Ali Beg's family.
As an individual or as a family, Mr. Beg must be having a very egalitarian views on all matters pertaining to Religion. BUT when one writes an Article as a scholar for publishing in cyber space or otherwise then ONE SHOULD BE EXTREMELY DISPASSIONATE and SHOULD DETACH ONESELF FROM ONES OWN BEING TO HAVE AN IMPARTIAL UNBIASED OPINION. Some how, Mr. Baig's writings leave a feeling that this part is not being taken care of and that is why there comes the staements like Islamic world did wrong because of Afghans etc and Hindu world because of it being Hinduism.

And I do sincerely believe that Mr. Baig IS A WONDERFUL human being.
Regards

Re: # 102

Satya100 has a trick question that requires a writer to very carefully tiptoe through a minefield of religious sensitivities. But why should I only look for two bad things about Islam and two good things about Hinduism? Why not good and bad things about both?

But the first issue is to see how good and bad is defined in `Religion’ itself. My definition is a tradition of scriptures, customs and rituals that professional priests like the Maulvis and Brahmin priests manage and control. It is the scriptures that most define all religions and what they define as right and wrong so the innate sanctity of scriptures has to be our first concern.

History clearly shows that none of the scriptures of ANY religion were the words of God or even the exact words of the prophets or founders. The sanctity of the four gospels of Christianity (out of 102) is evident from the fact that they were only declared authentic by bishop Iranious in 185 AD or 153 years after the crucifixion. Good and bad were defined in the Jewish 10 Commandments (originally 612) that the priests reduced over time. This and other evidence clearly shows that the Testaments were Man’s creations and do not deserve the sanctity that people attach to them.

There is a similar story with the Quran that was written by Zaid Ibn Thabit and the definitive Madina version was released by Khalif Othman 33 years after the death of the Prophet. 200 years later came the traditions of the Hadis mainly compiled by Al Bukhari. There were several other revisionists over the years. So these too were neither the words of God, Gabriel or Muhammad but the pious efforts of human writers.

Hinduism is no different because there was a long transit with many revisions from the Rigveda to the other Vedas, Brahmanas, Ariyankas, Upanishads, etc. And much later there were several revisions of the Bhagavat Gita. In any case Hinduism was not known as a religion till 1826 when Ram Mohun Roy applied the label Hindu to unite a wide variety of varied beliefs, myths, rituals and customs that the Brahmins managed.

It was these clearly `man made scriptures’ and interpretations based on the scriptures that professional priests used or misused to define what they wanted people to consider good and bad. Heresy and blasphemy were based on these scriptures and used to terrorise all who tried to stray from the paths they had defined. For these reasons I do not think that any scripture deserves to be considered sacred.

The good that I see in Islam is that it was firstly the most unqualified adoration of the cosmic creator up to this time and that secondly it had such a clear code of moral and social rules that Muslim traders were the only ones that people could absolutely trustin midaeval times. This was more important for the spread of Islam than Muslim conquests. The bad was that Islam was a product of violent times where the pre Islamic Arab traditions of revenge and violence were condoned. But just see the evolution of the word Jihad. It is hardly mentioned in the Quran but occurs 199 times in the Hadis. Also bad was that many rules regarding food and behavior that were relevant in the 6th century were not valid in later times.

The beauty of Hindu philosophy (not Hinduism that means many different things) was that it was such an `inclusive’ philosophy that promoted the Karmic idea that there was a joyous divine speak in every mortal. It became ugly when some practitioners tried to make Hinduism rigid, angry and virtually Jehadi.

But these are gross simplifications that I offer simply because you asked.