The solution to the inter-religious problem

Sunday, September 24, 2006
The solution to the inter-religious problem
To find a solution to inter-religious problems, we have to first see that there are three elements to any religion: its scriptures, its interpreters and its followers. I feel that it is the way a scripture is interpreted that is vital.

It goes without saying that all followers of all religions are human beings and are basically alike. Scriptures are dead words till we lay our hands on it and try to understand it and comment on it.

Taking Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, we can see that Hinduism is in a different situation because it has a culture of freedom in interpreting religious texts. Both Islam and Christianity have always had an official version. Christianity has somewhat been freed from this after the Pope was put in his corner in a secularisation process. Islam unfortunately has not gone through this process.

I shall give an example of what I am trying to say. Islam says (that is, it is interpreted to say) that it is the only true religion. But if you have been to ISKCON, you will observe that its Swamijis too interpret Bhagwad Gita and all literature associated with Krishna to say that Krishna alone is the truth. What has saved this from becoming a problem is that in Hindu culture such claims are passé. All schools of thought thrive and there is no official religion trying to establish itself as the only true religion. Who knows, if ISKCON had a country all to themselves, they might have disallowed any other expression of the divine except Krishna. But the saving grace is that it says so in the background of the Hindu culture and therefore its claims of exclusiveness get submerged in the Hindu culture of inclusiveness. This is true of the Arya Samaj also. They say that idol worship is bunkum. But why did they not go around in an idol smashing spree? Again, because of the all-inclusive Hindu culture. (So much so that is said that what is true of Hinduism, its opposite is also true.) Islam does not have this saving grace. It is trapped in the tribal mentality of either I am right or you are wrong.

The only solution to the problem is that Islamic societies must be secularised. The first step of course is to democratise them. This is a big deal. But Bush must be appreciated for trying to do this. If he fails, it would be because he did not take the right measures to do it. (It has to come from within, external bombardment will not work. He might have, for instance, sought to give more space to the Sufis.) Maybe he should have studied the Hindu culture and taken tips from there on the art of being inclusive.

In conclusion, I would say that the Muslim societies ought to have space for interpreting Islam more liberally and this space can come about only with a democratisation of their communities, which in turn ought to lead to a secularisation of their polity.
12:08:25 AM
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