PraNaam !

Yesterday, I was watching a video-clip of a Maulana in India (viral on "Whatsapp") who was giving fatwa on "Whether Muslims should wish Hindus on Diwali, Holi etc.". His opinion was, "It is un-Islamic to wish a Hindu on Diwali because the occasion is related to Lord Rama and historically it cannot be proved that He existed. He felt that by wishing a Hindu on Diwali, one accepts the authenticity of that story and therefore it was Un-Islamic". Similarly on Holi his opinion was, "The authenticity of the story behind Holi is suspect and therefore it cannot be accepted and therefore it was again Un-Islamic." On a Hindu wishing a Muslim on Eid his opinion was, "It was correct as Eid was linked with all historical events and are verifiable and therefore, even though Muslims don't want their wishes, it was in right direction."

Usually, Hindus try to ignore such utterances as one's extreme and most ignorant views. I also was in the same mood after seeing this viral video but this led me think "Is it not giving rise to extremism in the society and making life of a common man difficult on this planet ?". This may be his personal opinion and I cannot say whether it has the sanction of Q'uran or not (as Q'uran says, "There is no compulsion in religion" and "Your religion is yours and mine is mine"". However, such thinking that "My religion is better than all other religions and other religions are all false and illogical" is actually, supremacism in religion. Saying, "My religion is very good" is harmless but saying "other religions are illogical and false" is dangerous because all hatred starts with some sort of feeling of Supremacism against "the others". If we analyze critically :

a) Why did Hitler kill the innocent Jews ? Because he hated them as he considered that Aryans were the best race in the world and they had right to rule over the inferior Jews community in whatever manner they wanted.
b) Why did Brahminical order in Hindu Society breed untouchability in Hindu society ? Because Brahmins felt that they were superior to other castes and they were purer than all others and they would get dirty if others touch them.
c) Why Male species in humans tried to put so much restrictions on females and decide how they should live i.e. try to subjugate them ? Because they felt that they were superior to women (even though they had advantage in physical terms but that alone doesn't decide the superiority).
d) Why did the White people of Europe try to subjugate the black people and make them their slaves ? Because they felt that White as a race was superior to black.
e) Why do ISKCON people say derogatory words against Advaitins ? Because they feel that their belief system is superior to those of the Advaitins.

.... so on and so forth !

This is supremacism in one form or the other. Whenever such supremacism raises its ugly head in the society, there will be atrocities on innocents, mindless killings and there is no end to that.

That way I am proud to be a Hindu as Hindu Dharma doesn't teach you to feel superior over the people of different faiths and therefore, people have less blood on their hands as compared to people of Abrahmic religions. It is not unusual to find a Hindu going to a Muslim Dargah and bowing to the saint's place in reverence, a Hindu going to a Church and bowing to the Murti of Jesus Christ with full reverence.

Let's come back to supremacism in religions. So, what I was saying that these religious teachers, even though they might not be instigating people to be violent against people of other religions, they give them reasons to become so when the time is favorable. There is a need to stop such people from spreading such feeling of supremacism in people of one community against the others. People say that Zakir Naik and people like him didn't teach extremism or terrorism ....OK. But when feelings of supremacism are very strong in any person, he is more likely to act in an extremist way. He genuinely feels that he is superior and if he is nice to others, it is his magnanimity and it is not that the "others" deserve that magnanimity. This is nothing but teaching first lesson of extremism passively to unsuspecting minds. We should be careful against such people and society must take care that people who try to fan such feelings are controlled before it is too late.

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Before I finish, I would like to answer that Maulana's questions raised against Lord Rama's existence etc. :

1. Let us agree for argument's sake that Lord Rama's existence has no historical evidence and that it may be a false story (though many scientific evidences are coming which may prove existence of Lord Rama without any doubts but let's forget that here). That means, "It is a matter of faith". You may believe in existence in Lord Rama and may not believe. It is a matter of belief and a a matter of faith. So, per that Maulana who was trying to show Hindu religion in bad light, "As it is a matter of just belief without any historical and scientific basis, it must be false and not worthy of Muslims' respect".

So, let's agree for a while with him and accept that unless there is historical proof / evidence ... nothing should be accepted as True. I would like to ask only one question from that Maulana saheb :

"Islam is based on acceptance of Mohammad saheb as the prophet and Q'uran as word of God. What is the basis of accepting that Mohammad saheb was truly a messenger of God and that he was not making up things for misguiding people ? As Q'uran was told to the world by Mohammad saheb alone, Q'uran cannot be accepted as a valid proof for acceptance of his being the prophet because if a person himself is a suspect, any evidence given by him would remain a suspect alone. So, can Maulana saheb give any acceptable evidence to prove that Mohammad saheb was really a prophet and the book that he gave to the world was really word of God ?"

I am sure, he cannot answer the above question because it is simply a matter of belief and faith only and there is no evidence which can be relied upon without any doubt. Still Hindus don't say anything wrong against Islam and wish them "Happy Eid" ... such is the humility of the Hindus and that is why Hindus respect all religions. Will there be any man in Islam which will show these people the true path and help make this planet become a peaceful place to live in ?

2. There are other questions which keep bothering me, like :

"Let me agree that I follow a false religion and worship false God or various gods. OK. For argument's sake, I accept that I would go to hell for doing so (though I have strong reasons to prove otherwise). But how does that give you reason to kill me ? You are going to heaven. Fine. OK. Very good. I am going to hell, agreed. But that is my problem and not yours. Why should that bother you ? Will I be entitled to go to heaven if you kill me because of my faith ? Or just because you think that you are going to heaven and I am going to hell, you acquire rights to kill me ?" My deciding to go to heaven or hell should be my own decision and not yours. If those who kill innocent people in the name of religion are going to heaven, I will never like to be in that heaven and I would never ever worship a God who is so merciless and heartless that He feels happy over killing of innocents just because they worship Him in form and not in His formlessness. I would rather prefer to live in hell for eternity with those innocent people who believed in some other book and would try to help them than choosing to go to heaven.

But why should that disturb your peace, my friend ? Is it not my right to make choices for myself ? Let God deal with me directly and settle any dispute that He might have with me instead of taking your help in a matter which is purely between God and me ? ... And if God is really Omnipotent, why did he create me and my mind like that at all ? If wants to punish me, why should He need weak humans to help carry out His job ?

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Let's be watchful against any such thoughts. If anyone or anything exists in this universe, it is His wish. If anything has certain characteristics (which may or may not be liked by me and for that feeling only my thoughts are responsible), it is His wish. Such pseudo-religious scholars are the source of all such feelings of supremacism and all hatred in the society. Let's banish them !!

OM