Inter-Religious Understanding for Universal: Equality and Fraternity

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Preface

The most prominent characteristic of the virtual and real worlds is conflict. Its obvious result, if unmitigated and unresolved, is war, in any manifestation. In reality, the birth of any religion is to minimise conflict and prepare the mind to accept the prime human objective of mutual respect, harmony and cooperation in maintaining dignity. In the present-day world, forgetting this objective, religion is distancing itself from its actual objectives, creating a conflict situation between faiths, resulting in unrest, war and bloodshed. All sincere aspirants for peace and dignity are looking for a real understanding of religion and its adjustment and contribution to peace.

The frequent questions in this regard relate to the comprehension of: peace in the context of religion; religion and peaceful living; Islam and peaceful behaviour, Islamic ideals of equality and fraternity; Ahimsa and fraternity; religion and social justice; dialogue for social change and inclusiveness; Samvad and its Indian ethos; Sangat-Pangat and welfare; humanising dimensions of religion and development; peace for preserving progress and justice; Bhakti Movement and religious harmony; equality, fraternity and the Sufi ethos of India; Sikhism and ideals of equality and fraternity; Sikhism and its legacy of peaceful co-existence; concept of langar and idea of equality; Vivekananda and religious diversity; Buddhist traditions of equality and fraternity; gender and religious goals of social mobility; M. K. Gandhi and non-violence; equality and fraternity under the Constitution of India; Indian constitutional safeguards for the weaker sections of society; and legal safeguards for promoting a welfare society.

A sincere and serious comprehension of these related themes can lead to a meaningful dialogue for the elimination of intolerance and violence. Dealing with divergent denominational identities is a challenge, though the basic purpose of every religion is the same, i.e., peace and dignity for all. It is a truism that equality and fraternity are the main goals for which concerted efforts are required. In this regard, inter-religious understanding and programming is indispensable. The Institute of Objective Studies, in collaboration with the Department of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, with technical assistance from the Baba Farid Centre for Sufi Studies, Patiala, Punjab, organized a two-day national conference on "Inter-religions Understanding and Programming for Sustainable Goals of Equality and Fraternity", on October 10 and 11, 2022. A number of participants submitted papers for this conference which are included in this book in edited form.

The themes covered are: The role of equality and tolerance in achieving peaceful coexistence and sustainable development, the Qur'anic principles of tolerance; tolerance and its value in one's life; the Indian Constitution and the safeguards for minorities; gender equality in Islam; the nature of secularism in India; the feasibility of Gandhi's idea of peace; inter-religious understanding of Islam and Buddhism for a just society; psychology, gratitude, emotion and mindfulness therapy in harmonizing Islamophobic behaviour; Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) universal peace initiatives; social justice in Islam; Swami Vivekananda and religious diversity; Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi's role in strengthening communal harmony in India; there is no compulsion in religion, to realize societal peace and harmony; Islam and peaceful behaviour, religion and peaceful living; Indian secularism and its challenges; artistic responses to the communal violence through installation art in India; and religious pluralism in the public square: perspectives from South Asia, the United States, and Europe.

All these papers are expected to contribute to the inter-religious understanding and programming for sustainable goals of equality and fraternity. Opinions and comments are invited from readers to enable us to improve our efforts towards understanding the issues.

Introduction

The world is apparently preoccupied with the issues of discovery, invention, innovation and development. The bigger picture, though, is of extreme passions, intolerance and conflict resulting in unrest, abuse, excesses and instability. Sustainable development as a dream fostered by the United Nations appears overshadowed, while the goals do not seem to be close to realization even after seven and a half years of their declaration. Fitna (mischief) and fasad (chaos and confusion) are dominating the thought process in many important jurisdictions, defeating the sincere efforts for peace and harmony made by many. Yet such efforts to explore the possibilities of harmony and synchronization should be initiated and carried forward to, achieve the desired results.

Understanding, collaboration and cooperation are indispensable for bringing people of multiple hues together. Bringing people of multiple faiths closer to each other today is essential as there is too much distance between these groups causing serious conflict. The Institute of Objective Studies has taken many purposeful initiatives for better inter-faith understanding and action. This book also is a cutting-edge project to make people think, talk and cooperate for survival and sustainability. Formally, an empathetic discourse was held at Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, as a two-day conference culminating in this book. Inaugurating the conference, Professor Arvind, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, said that working together was necessary for an understanding of all religions. The conference focused on sustainable goals of equality and fraternity, stressing that being truly human was of paramount importance. Prof. Arvind pleaded for a dialogue with believers as well as 'non-believers' and also with co-religionists. He called for dialogue among members of different religions and efforts to bring all the stakeholders together. He also stressed that the stage for democracy and equality should be set for real, at the ground-level, without indulging false egos and biases.

Dr. Harmohinder Singh Bedi, Chancellor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala, observed that cultural legacy and religion could be used to connect people. Referring to Dr. Radhakrishnan, who laid an emphasis on dialogue among all religions, and Guru Nanak Dev, who first spoke of dialogue and believed that it was like a bridge which could be crossed by all, Dr. Bedi explained that the Guru Granth Sahib presented a model to the world, as the first such book involving an Indian language and Indian culture. When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was being reviewed, a scholar from Pakistan suggested that the views of Guru Tegh Bahadur also be included in it. Laying stress on saving water, he said that the Earth would survive as long as there was water. He warned that the water shortage was going to be a crisis in the near future.

Dr. John Dayal, Secretary-General of the All-India Christian Council and Member, National Integration Council of India, New Delhi, referred to some recent happenings on the ground, saying that he had spoken about the need for dialogue between different faiths on a lot of issues, but the unrelenting hate speeches now were a problem poisoning the atmosphere. This was not limited to India and was a global phenomenon. He asserted that hate against a religious group today is a solitary weapon of the political class to serve its purposes. He observed that the absence of wisdom was dangerous for democracy and its institutions. Shri Ashok Singh Bagrian, Former President and Founder-Member of the Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh, who prepared the Encyclopedia of Guru Granth Sahib, highlighted various aspects of the Sikh holy book about peace and harmony.

Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi, Member, AIMPLB, said that all human beings have been given a sense of self-respect and are treated with dignity by Allah. All humans are the children of one mother and father, and no one has precedence over the other. Islam shows respect even to a dead body and stresses respect for justice, protection of life, honour, education, employment and business. It prescribes equal punishment for similar crimes. Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President and Spiritual Head, Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, highlighted inter-religious understanding and stressed the need for dialogue among different. faiths, especially in the present-day context. Dr. Pramod Kumar Dash, Head of the Department, Philosophy, Nayagarh Autonomous Utkal University, Odisha, spoke of a wide gap between religious teaching and practice, saying that there was a need for dialogue with different religious denominations. Prof. Syed Jamaluddin, Director, IOS Centre for Historical and Civilizational Studies, mentioned sufis, saints, gurus and babas, describing Punjab as a fertile land for them. Sohni-Mahiwal said mutual love here was like the clean water of the rivers in Punjab. Dastan-e-Ishq and Mohabbat were its legacy.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Lheedan, Visiting Professor, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said that Islam called for equality regardless of colour and creed. There is no superiority of one race over the other. The idea of superiority represented the colonization or subjugation of others. He observed that equality was very important for progress, saying, "We made nations and tribes, but they colonized them. Tolerance meant acceptance and peaceful co-existence. Tolerance also meant mercy and compassion". Equality and tolerance are the two pillars of Islam. Islam called for dialogue among all religions. Cooperation was the key to the goals of sustainability and equality.