[Reader-list] Iconoclasm in Kashmir-Motives and Magnitude-II

[Aarti Sethi]

Dear All,

This is a very interesting discussion underway. In particular it allows us
to open out some questions regarding two troubling concepts which at least I
have been wrestling with for some time. These being the question of
tolerance and prosyletizing. In many many conversations now there has been
an insistence on the "tolerant" nature of Hinduism  in comparison to Islam's
"intolerance" by gesturing towards Hinduism's "acceptance" of other faiths
because it does not insist on, in fact within the doctrine itself there is
no provision for, conversion to Hinduism. This apparent liberal
broad-mindedness of the Hindu religion is then contrasted with the supposed
intolerance of Islam where the unbelievers are exhorted to convert to the
one true religion or perish etc etc.

I wish to make only a small intervention, because a deep category confusion
is underway here in my opinion. Only a faith such as Islam in which is
premised on absolute social equality can even make a claim as inclusionary
as an equal share in the brotherhood of god. And in that regard Islam is a
radicalising force and sees itself as such. It asks that everyone, all of
society, be similarly radicalised. You can agree or disagree with the terms
of this conversion, with the form of life it asks you lead and so on, but
you cannot discount the deeply democratic and egalitarian impulse that
informs it.

In contrast, Brahmanical Hinduism begins from exactly the opposite premise -
that of a fundamental social inequality, of hierarchy. Brahmanical
Hinduism's rejection of conversion is motivated by an exclusionary impulse.
How can it ask everyone to be Hindu when it deems most people: dalits,
women, tribals to name just a few categories - unworthy, unfit and unclean?
And so Brahmanical Hinduism is an inherently heirarchical religion.

Therefore when we hail Brahmanical Hinduisim for its liberal impulses, we
must proceed with caution for the simple reason that we are getting the
wrong end of the stick: it is not "liberality" and "tolerance" that motivate
Brahmanical Hinduism, but the opposite.

regards
Aarti
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