Takeaways from Udaipur Mishap
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
5 July 2022
Problem
with the 'Modern' World Is That ' Respect For Religion ' Has Become a Code
Phrase Meaning ' Fear of Religion
Main
Points:
1. Qur’an also
states that killing an individual amounts to killing the whole humanity.
2. Follow your
religion and god in the precincts of four walls.
3. We must also
reinterpret the scriptures in a humane and relatable way and purge them of the
outlandish 'truths' they're rife with.
4. To
encapsulate, we all need to be latitudinarians in terms of religion.
------
“If
there’s life on other planets, then the earth is the Universe’s insane asylum.”
~ Voltaire
There's a Finnish adage, “Let etoni, z'in
men't maroni” (Explosion paves the way for implosion). What happened in
Udaipur was an explosion, which certainly paved the way for implosion (internal
churning and introspection).
And this
inner rinsing is not just for Islam and its followers, but for the followers of
all faiths. This extremely sad incident should teach all of us that it's
neither god nor religion, but what matters most is man. Qur’an also states that
killing an individual amounts to killing the whole humanity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At this
juncture of human civilization, we all must ponder that we cannot accord
religion and god the over-exalted status of being unimpeachable and irreproachable.
All religions, their gods and revered characters must be respected, even
venerated, but giving excessive or undue respect is not desirable. Nor is it
required.
The problem
with the 'modern' world is that ' Respect for religion ' has become a code
phrase meaning ' fear of religion.' Religions like all other ideas, deserve
criticism, satire and yes, our fearless disrespect. Salman Rushdie aptly
pointed out that the moment you declare a set of ideas to be immune from
criticism, satire, derision or contempt, freedom of thought becomes impossible.
We all need to be socially and religiously mature and at the same time,
discreet as well. But that doesn't mean we should throttle the throat of
freedom of speech.
It was
because of people like Martin Luther, Rousseau, Voltaire, among others,
Christianity underwent a sea-change and today, it's not as savage as it used to
be in the Dark Ages. Christianity allowed itself to changes, reformation and
reinterpretations. Bible is not the oracular truth anymore. Many so-called
'Gospel truths' were detonated. Today, no one faces the plight and predicament
of Galileo and Giordano Bruno for doubting the veracity of Biblical verses.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's
worthwhile to mention that Bruno was tried for heresy by the Roman Inquisition
on charges of denial of several core Catholic doctrines including eternal
damnation, the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the virginity of Mary
(Immaculate Conception) and transubstantiation. He was executed by burning!
Today, the same doubts are amicably discussed among sceptics, agnostics,
atheists and Christian apologists. No one is burnt at the stake or beheaded.
I must
share a personal experience with the readers to ram home my point. A few years
ago when I visited a foreign varsity, I delivered a lecture on Talmudic literature,
I told the audience, mincing no words, that the whole 'story' of Moses
receiving Ten Commandments from god was a fib. One Rabbi in the audience calmly
said, “Well, it's your viewpoint. We may not necessarily agree with you."
This is religious, nay spiritual, maturity! No uncivilised reactions, no
abuses, no threats to my life and no condemnation. We all must emulate that
Rabbi's wisdom in these terribly volatile times.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Religious
dogmas shall remain till the end of human civilization as most of the humans
are still not so evolved as to discard the ideas of god, religion and
supernatural, but killing someone for the sake of those dogmas and irrational
beliefs is not just regressive, it's a throwback to our cave-dwelling, desert
past.
Humans need
to understand that enough is enough. We've been killing our brethren for all
imaginary books and their fabricated gods for ages. This asinine behaviour
cannot go on unabated. Follow your religion and god in the precincts of four
walls. Killing others for the sanctity and sacredness of your religious beliefs
will relegate the whole world down to an ever-active battlefield of faiths.
Remember, faith is mankind's inexorable fate.
Most of the
humans cannot wriggle themselves out of it, but we can at least remain
civilised humans to make this world a tad better place to live in. We must also
reinterpret the scriptures, though all are bogus, in a humane and relatable way
and purge them of the outlandish 'truths' they're rife with. We must also stop
searching for imaginary references to plastic surgery and Big Bang in our '
Holy ' books. Instead, we should strive to ameliorate the collective lot of
humanity, we're a part of.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Futile
discussions on heaven and hell will not lead us anywhere. But discussions and
brainstorming sessions on earth and ecology will have some positive and
practical results. To encapsulate, we all need to be latitudinarians in terms
of religion. If we're still blind to taking a lesson out of it, we're doomed
forever.
----
A
regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative
religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to
world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/udaipur-killing-religion/d/127406
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism