23AR28-22

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AR 28:22 - World religions and political tensions in Asia and the UK

In this issue:

HINDUISM - are India's political leaders promoting one "principal divinity" to emulate monotheistic religions?

ISLAM - does a conservative religious youth movement threaten Indonesia's secular unity?

+ fear of reprisals by Muslim extremists in the UK

Apologia Report 28:22 (1,619)
June 23, 2023

HINDUISM
"Why Hinduism Is Being Molded Into a Monotheistic Religion Like Islam and Christianity" by Kashmir-based freelance journalist Riyaz Wani -- the disclaimer accompanying this Mar 20 '23 report cautions that Religion Unplugged "believes in a diversity of well-reasoned and well-researched opinions," but this item "does not necessarily represent" its views.

   First, readers are advised that one of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's objectives is to "to create a version of Hinduism that shares many similarities with Islam, Christianity and Judaism." Looking at the bigger picture, Wani explains that behind this is an "all-encompassing effort to craft and sustain a larger Hindu identity across its diverse traditions and forge Hinduism into a structured faith with Ram [Rama] as its principal divinity." 

   At its root, "Hindutva — the reigning political ideology of the far-right government led by Modi, which took power in 2014 — has been systematically working to organize Hinduism along the lines of monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is otherwise more of a diverse way of life than a formal faith. ...

   "The electoral use of Ram is only tangential to the point being made here: His idolization as the foremost Hindu deity is both a political and a civil project.

   "Politically, rallying Hindus around one overarching religious figure has been a key component" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strategy to "create a new pan-Hindu identity that transcends its myriad traditions and caste hierarchies, which are considered a roadblock to Hindu political unity. 

   "In this pursuit, the BJP is supported by its ideological progenitor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or the RSS, a right-wing Hindu paramilitary volunteer organization. <www.bit.ly/4319uPe> Established in 1925, the RSS boasts over 80,000 branches and thousands of schools across India, with membership among nearly three-quarters of government ministers. Its worldview, which posits that India essentially belongs to Hindus and should thus promote a Hindu way of life, informs the BJP, which has zealously set out to realize this vision."

   According to Wani, the big idea here is "an attempt to make Ram a globally recognizable divinity.... However, unlike them, historians argue that there is not enough historical or archaeological evidence of Ram's existence so far, and moreover, he was not a founder of the Hindu religion. Furthermore, unlike the three Abrahamic religions, Hinduism does not have a single sacred text or a single god.

   "Hindus believe in Brahman, a formless entity and the supreme being who is considered the ultimate reality and omnipresent energy present in the universe. Everything is considered a form of a god or an avatar, including Ram. Hindus also worship nature, with everything from plants to animals being worshipped. Additionally, there are multiple practices and rituals in Hinduism.

   "The term Hinduism itself has contentious origins. Its etymology reveals that it is a Persian term from the sixth century used to refer to the people living alongside the Sindhu River (now known as the Indus). Because the Persians could not pronounce the 'S,' they called these people 'Hindus.' ...

   "By the time the British left India in 1947, Hinduism defined a large mass of Indians who were not Muslims or Christians. 

   "However, the sharpening of the Hindu identity clashed with the established Muslim identity, India's second-largest religious community, leading to the Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan.

   "Unlike Pakistan, which became an Islamic Republic, India opted for a secular constitution thanks to its founding fathers....

   "For seven decades after independence, India remained steadfast on its secular path, with successive governments generally steering clear of religion.

   "Modi's ascension in 2014 changed this. ...

   "The BJP-RSS worldview is based on the belief that India is the last remaining homeland of the Hindus.... They believe that the centuries-long 'slavery' of the Hindu community was due to its powerlessness and disunity.

   "Now, the BJP-RSS duo aims to consolidate Hindu power and culture in India, regaining control of what they see as a truncated India.... As such, the BJP seeks to ban religious conversions, with nearly a dozen states already enacting this policy with 'anti-conversion' laws. ...

   "According to these laws, non-Muslims from neighboring countries are welcome to obtain Indian citizenship, whereas Indian Muslims have to show proof of citizenship, or else risk being deprived of it.

   "A part of this project is also changing the demography of the Jammu-Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority region."

   Ultimately, Modi and the BJP hope to construct "a Hindu rashtra" - that is, an ethnic democracy predicated on the ideology of Hindutva - "connecting back to an imagined glorious Hindu civilization in an ancient past when Ram is believed to have lived." <www.bit.ly/43IjttO>

 ---

ISLAM
"A conservative religious movement, spread through social media, has taken hold among Indonesian youth. The government wants to curb its influence" by Sui-Lee Wee (New York Times, Apr 12 '23) -- "Islamic conservatism has been on the rise in Indonesia for years, even as the government has long tried to maintain a secular, religiously diverse​society. The current iteration in the Hijrah movement is distinct in its use of social media to spread the word, and in its appeal to the young. And its popularity is generating concern among government and religious officials, who fear it could erode a more moderate brand of Islam. ...

   "From the government's viewpoint, behind the Hijrah movement 'is a very threatening ideology called Wahhabism,' a fundamentalist strain of Islam that originated from Saudi Arabia, said Dadi Darmadi, a professor at Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University in Jakarta. He called Hijrah followers 'born-again Muslims.' ...

   "A 2019 survey of millennials and Generation Z youths, conducted by the Jakarta-based research firm Alvara, showed that 60 percent of the roughly 1,500 respondents surveyed across 34 provinces identified as 'puritan and ultraconservative.' A tally of the Instagram accounts of 12 of Indonesia's most prominent Hijrah preachers showed that there are at least 45.8 million followers. ...

   "Young people have become supporters of the 'Indonesia Without Dating' movement, which promotes arranged marriages. ...

   "Most of the 230 million Muslims in Indonesia practice a form of Islam that combines the religion with local rituals, like visiting the graves of ancestors. ...

   "The government, though, is concerned" and fears that the growing popularity of conservative practices "could upend the country's multireligious society. Mr. Kamaruddin [Admin], of the religious affairs ministry, said his office has encouraged young Muslim preachers to emphasize that Islam must 'appreciate diversity.' ...

   "Ulil Abshar Abdalla, a senior official with Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Islamic organization, said Hijrah followers 'want Islam to be a closed identity, a cultural marker that makes them separate from the rest of society.' ...

   "The majority of people who make up the [Hijrah] movement are Muslim by birth, and are rededicating themselves to their faith." <www.bit.ly/43ELEK2> 

"What Four British Students Being Suspended After Damaging a Quran Means for Freedom of Speech" by Jess Gill (Director, Reasoned UK) <www.bit.ly/3p0IKAt> -- "In the United Kingdom, four students have recently been suspended from their school after slightly damaging a Quran, despite there being 'no malicious intent by those involved' according to the BBC report. ...

   "The book was the student's own property. Yet this was deemed as a suspension-worthy offense by the school. ...

   Local government official Akef Akbar "addressed Wakefield residents, stating that one of the boys who damaged the Quran was 'rightfully expelled,' and that his mother 'has of course shown her remorse.'

   "Akbar went on to state that the fourteen-year-old has received death threats and threats to beat him up, describing nonchalantly that 'passions do flare,' and that the mother 'to her credit' doesn't want those sending her son death threats to be prosecuted. ...

   "Furthermore, the police have recorded the event as a 'non-crime hate incident,' which will be on the student's record."

   Included is the video "Why is it acceptable to say someone can burn a Bible but if someone damages a Quran they should be punished?" Foundation for Economic Education, Apr 6 '23. <www.bit.ly/3XdGlPb> 

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