Stem religious intolerance
Tahir Mahmood
The world has been a battleground of bigotry communal hostilities, persecution, religious chauvinism and ethnocentrism. All that continues to this day, with a veneer of sophistication.
Modern-day racists still believe in their superiority over others. Since the expression 'racism evokes criticism, they couch their arguments under the euphemism 'clash of civilizations'. Those belonging to inferior civilizations are subjected to humiliation based on prejudice.
Wishy-washy peace-brokers are so busy crucifying those they deem to be crucifiers that they forget the tenets of human dignity, which they have introduced into international human rights instruments. People claim exclusive privilege to promote world peace, but are ready to break the heads of those who do not listen to them. Condemnation of terrorism and violence is selective. Private and state terrorism are not treated on an equal footing.
Communal stereotypes are created by a tendency to regard a chosen faith as superior to others, or as the only natural religion of a region or country. Christ was born in the Middle East, not in Europe or America, and yet the Middle East looks at Christianity as a western religion while the West regards Christianity as its only natural religion. Despite the existence of Christianity for 2,000 years and Islam for 1,500 years, Hindus in India look upon them as alien faiths. Everywhere, patriotism is identified with the followers of the dominant religion who doubt the loyalty of others to the nation.
Minority bashing is a favorite pastime of opinion-makers everywhere. Hindus in the West feel constrained to be apologetic about their religion because misinformed propagandists have given those societies wrong ideas. Most Muslim women are not veiled and 99 per cent Muslim men hate the sword but that's how they are pictorially depicted. Most Christians have no missionary interests, but mere utterance of a Christian name creates the image of an evangelist out to convert others to his own faith by using coercion and even deception. Most Sikhs excel in wisdom and intellect, but the community is subjected to fun-poking and ridicule. All this stereotyping is sheer nonsense. Religion is part of every community's identity and offers it a code of conduct. Seen together, religions have a lot in common and teach respect for individual differences. Followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are more alike than different in their religious beliefs and practices, yet they are intolerant to each other. For Muslims, the favourite way to alienate other communities is to regard them kafir or mushrik, in total disregard of the historical context in which Islam had used these Arabic expressions 1,500 years ago. In India, all religious communities are more similar than different in rehgio-cultural practices and equally share the nation's social ethos; yet they stress differences rather than similarities. People worship the same God but view Him through their own prisms. Some protagonists of monotheism, while having images of their revered figures all around them, denounce others for idolatory Tomb-worshippers belittle those viewed by them as idol-worshippers; and practitioners of religion-based social stratification ridicule egalitarian beliefs of others.
Portrayed as absolute zealots who would expunge everything that doesn't fit their brand of religion, Muslims are the most misunderstood community Without acquiring adequate knowledge of Islam people mock even the most revered personalities held in high esteem by millions of Muslims. When the Muslims react in a state of anger and desperation they are branded as fundamentalists and terrorists. Ignoring the mainstream thinking of the Muslims, outsiders judge them by the ideology and actions of a handful of individuals who are misled by fanatics. This thoughtless stereotyping of Muslims serves only to reinforce forces of bigotry the modern world's legal theory promises social equality, religious tolerance and non-discrimination, but naked violations have called the edifice into question. Our goal should be to defeat terrorists of all faiths by isolating them from their societies.
November 1, 2007, The Times of India |
