Defend our faiths with gentleness and reverence

Jun 16, 2014 Letters

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Dear Editor,  
I humbly submit a response to the Swami Aksharananda letter dated 19th – 20th May, 2014 with reference to the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) press release on the violence between the indigenous Bodo tribe and the Muslims of Bangladesh in which 30 persons including women and children were killed; and the second entitled “CIOG denounces kidnapping in Nigeria”.
What should be stated is that communal violence has been going on for a long time in India and there have never been any “ramifications” in Guyana.
However, Sawmi has one question: “We are further told that such terrorists that make up Boko Haram are not true Muslims and that they misinterpret Islam when they claim that their actions are consistent with Islamic teachings. My only question is that how can a religion be so uniquely, consistently and universally misunderstood by millions of its own followers stretching from Indonesia to Morocco, including America and Europe?”
Dear Swami, questions, like words, can be used as ammunition. Questions are not deserving of satisfactory answers simply because they are asked. Not even God can answer your question, hmmm…
Here in Guyana, dear Swami, I know of Pandits who differ; I am sure you are aware of that. So the same question applies: How can Hinduism be misunderstood by its adherents? But it’s not about tit for tat.
Seeing toxic stuff like this should make our hearts sink further. Further than we knew was even possible; especially when we see “religious” persons engaging in verbal carnage.
Seeing such stuff should bring despair to our minds and a bad taste to our mouths. When we allow ourselves to cling more to dissent than to God, when we cherish words of death more than words of life, when we spend more time complaining about what is wrong than putting energy into being the good, this is exactly the “devil worship” experience we recreate—and there are always voices willing to shout their support.  Muslim for Muslim, blindly. Hindu for Hindu, blindly; and Christians for Christians, blindly.
In many circles religion has become synonymous with negativity. To both it must be said that in nature there is fundamental unity running through all the diversity we see about us. Religions are given to mankind so as to accelerate the process of realization of fundamental unity. Therefore both sides should sit at the table and like civilized humans deal with social justice issues here in Guyana (housing for the poor and medical services and empowerment through education) which definitely would have ramifications for poor people and the world at large.
And stop using language as scud missiles for this leads AWAY from the God you all think you serve.
In his sermon “The Weight of Glory,” C.S. Lewis took note of a subtle shift in the language of his day, which he felt was the first detour in a road leading far away from God. Writes Lewis, “If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old, they would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philosophical importance.” He goes on to explain the ideologies that grow out of subtle shifts of language.
The positive answer requires a perspective that looks outward at others. Those who are the recipients of the virtue or else the one from whom this virtue arises in the first place. Whereas the negative virtue shows that our concern is primarily with ourselves.
Our own self-denial and hence the “appearance” of good virtue. To put this in terms for the subject at hand: Religious Scriptures has lots to say about what is wrong with the world. But thankfully, this is never the end. And of course, they have a lot to say about complaining.
It is very true that we live in a world that is full of philosophical pitfalls, bad behavior, and wrong theology with which we could rightfully see fault. But so it is very true that we live in a world full of the glory and action of God. So why are we at times more excited to see fault than to see faith?
Why are we so quick to complain and so lamentably slow at showing the world our reason to be more fully alive and authentically graceful?
The same God who tells us to defend our faith tells us to do so with gentleness and reverence. The same scripture that bids us to do all things “without complaining and arguing” instructs us to do so because it is by our “holding fast to the word of life” that we demonstrate we are truly holding onto a different message than that of a crooked and perverse generation.
In the congregational worship services we create with our words and actions, with the things we do and the things we leave undone, might there be good reason for those around us to say to those of other faiths: “My brother”; “My sister” with genuine smiles.
Let those who have been writing letters that cause angst in the religious communities reach in person. Let them dialogue with words of life; and let these seeds be planted in our communities so that the flower of harmony can bloom.
Or are we willing to continue planting destructive seeds (religious GMO seeds) that poison the heart and soul of the coming generations?
These words of Gandhi are worth reading and teaching to young Muslim & Hindu children: “I am a Muslim and a Hindu and a Christian and a Jew and so are all of you.” As are these Divine Words from the Quran: “Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in God and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.” 2:62
Finally, whether it’s Assam, Nigeria or Guyana the only “ramification” should be one of JUSTICE. And that should be our lifelong struggle. Whether you’re from China, Russia, India, Africa any other country or continent. Whether you’re Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Atheist or Agnostic or any other JUSTICE ought to be the order of the day.
Here is an instructive discussion between Franklin and Paine: ”Where liberty is, there is my country,” Benjamin Franklin once said to Paine. “Where liberty is not, there is my country,” Paine replied.
For Paine, the role of a citizen extended beyond national borders. The fight of those living under any system of tyranny was his fight.
“When it shall be said in any country in the world ‘My poor are happy; neither ignorance nor distress is to be found among them; my jails are empty of prisoners, my streets of beggars; the aged are not in want, the taxes are not oppressive; the rational world is my friend, because I am a friend of happiness’. When these things can be said,” Paine wrote, “then may that country boast of its constitution and its government.”
Justice or tyranny…which one shall we boast of? When despair strikes, remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it – always. My Hindus and Christian friends will forever remain in my heart and nothing will break us apart – nothing.
Nazar Mohamed

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