Hindu Dharma Newsletter Issue # 4

10th Dec ’04
Issue # 4

Dear Friends,
Namaskar,

I am now on my fourth issue and I wish to say a BIG thank you to everyone who encouraged me along the way.
I look forward to your on-going support. Please continue to comment, criticize and give feedback – these are gratefully received.

As always, do let me know if you do NOT wish to receive this OR send a reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject.

Otherwise, please pass on to friends and fellow Hindus who may be interested.

Dhanyawaad and Jai Hind,
Shantanu
hindu_dharma@yahoo.com

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A HINDU IDENTITY – REVISITED

In my last issue, I raised the issue of how a symbol needs to be an important element of our identity.

Since then, as I have discussed this idea with others and thought more about it, it has begun to evolve.

But first, why is a symbol important?

Ÿ A symbol is the most overt way of reflecting an identity

Ÿ A symbol can be a powerful differentiator

Ÿ A symbol can be a very potent aid in trying to create a feeling of community and belonging.

Indeed, I would argue that it is very difficult (generally speaking) to identify with something or someone unless we have a manifestation of what we believe in or what we want to represent.
Not surprisingly, military units have had their insignias since thousands of years and court seals have been found in the excavations of ancient civilizations.

In a socio-cultural context, *symbols* (in the form of brands), create a feeling of community amongst the owners/ wearers and at the same time, distinguishes them from the rest.
If one delves deeper into Hindu philosophy and thought, although we find ample (and widespread) evidence of symbols in tradition and history (think the swastika, “Om”, the tilak), the nature of modern life have made most of these irrelevant or inconvenient (although, even to this day, the first thing that most people will do with a new car or machinery for instance, will almost always be drawing a “swastika” on it).

So while symbols are still very strong in our subconscious, their outwardly manifestation has become less and less conspicuous and in many cases, for perfectly good reasons.

Nevertheless, somewhere along the line, this has led to a blurring of certain overt symbols which even fifty years ago would have been extremely commonplace – such as the “tilak” amongst men. Today, however we have lost these – at least in an outwardly manifest way. It is a shame that in spite of rich repertoire, we are left with hardly any external manifestation of our belief or our identity.

This point stuck home to me when the day after the festival of “Rakhi/ Rakshabandhan”, I saw several men with a “rakhi” tied around their wrists – and it occurred to me that this was what we are missing – a simple, external, visible manifestation of our belief – that is also practical enough for the modern world we live in.
What could this simple, external, visible manifestation be? Thus was born the idea of a *red thread* around the wrist.

The idea had several virtues. It was:

§ Simple

§ Universal

§ Distinctive

§ Convenient

Why were these important?
1. Simple: An identity needs to be simple – so that it is easy to adhere to and does not make strenuous demands on the believer.

2. Universal: A red thread can serve to unify our fragmented beliefs. It can transcend the intrinsic diversity in Hinduism. Instead of debating whether a Shaivite “vibhuti” (a tilak applied horizontally) is a true act of piety or whether a red tilak mixed with sandal paste applied vertically is more correct, a red thread around the wrist (which is almost universally considered to be religious amongst Hindus) does not conflict with any other beliefs one may have.

3. Distinctive: The colour red (to be precise, saffron), amongst Hindus, has a deeply religious significance. In most other religions (as far as I am aware) red is considered either inauspicious (being the colour of blood) or not having any particular religious meaning.

4. Convenient: By definition, a simple red thread around the wrist can not be considered burdensome or inconvenient. It has the added advantage of not being so overt as to complicate your day to day existence (unlike a tilak for example). By being inconspicuous, it is particularly appealing to several of us who live and work abroad or in societies / professions where overt religious symbolism would be professionally inappropriate.

I would welcome comments and thoughts on this. In the meantime, while this idea is still evolving, do tie a red thread around your wrist – and try and persuade other Hindus to do so too.
It is a simple gesture – but hopefully, it would go a long way in resolving the question of what does it mean to be a Hindu?

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ARC OF ISLAM*

One of my favorite pastimes is trend-spotting. The fascinating thing about *trends* is that they can be quite difficult to spot, at least at the beginning, but as they gain momentum, they become more and more obvious. The important point is once a trend becomes apparent, it is often too late to influence or moderate it – and although most trends have short life spans, they can sometimes trigger profound changes in the environment – the impact of which persists well after the trend has died.

This is the context in which I would like you to read the next few paragraphs.
Looking back, I find it hard to pin-point a specific event that set me thinking about this trend. What I am referring to are the increasingly conspicuous, yet rarely discussed, aggressive, pan-Asian Islamic movements that are taking roots around our borders.

Over the last few weeks, I read a series of unrelated articles that made me aware of the grave danger being posed by, what I will call, the “Arc of Islam”* that is now emerging around us.
I am not referring to Kashmir or Assam or even Pakistan. The countries that these reports talked about might surprise you – Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
Incidentally, all of these have a similar situation as India: a majority non-Muslim population with a very vocal and increasingly aggressive Muslim minority.

What did these reports say?
Some of the headlines were:
“Nepal at Cross Roads Threatening Indian Interests – II” (by Lieutenant Colonel Thakur Kuldip S Ludra(Retd) – a relatively old article dating back to July ’01 which, for example, describes the strategic importance of Nepal and mentions the increasing Pakistani activity in the country (including that of ISI). Amongst other details, it mentions that “Next to India, Pakistan has the largest Embassy in Nepal.” Odd (not to say worrying) when you consider that Nepal does not even share borders with Pakistan and is the only “Hindu” country in the world.
Another headline:
“Sri Lanka: Sufi-led mosque demolished by Wahhabi mobs” , Oct 31, ‘04
And then: “Revenge threat over Thai deaths”, Sunday Times, Oct 31, ‘04. (For a well-documented background to the Islamic insurgency in Thailand, have a look at “Thailand – Islamic Insurgency” at

Taken separately and if viewed in a disaggregated way, these reports rarely look alarming. However, when you begin to look at the whole picture, things get clearer and worrisome.
Across almost all our borders now, the most serious threat is less the neighboring country but more the cross-border insurgency groups hell-bent on creating trouble and mayhem and most of them having the avowed objective of creating an Islamic society (Incidentally, even in the case of Pakistan, I believe that the current government is relatively well-disposed towards India but the ISI, the Military and the terrorist groups that they sponsor will never let the border remain calm)

Until now, there is little evidence to suggest that the groups may be acting in tandem or that they have any commonality. Their differing levels of sophistication and their inclusion of regional grievances also seem to suggest that there is no common purpose amongst them. The most likely common factor may be their sources of funding in the Middle East – which is not surprising when you consider that most of these groups are inspired by Wahhabi orthodoxy.

But this is where trend-spotting becomes relevant. Even a cursory analysis reveals the influence of extremist Islamic ideology amongst these groups. I am not so naive to bundle them all as al-Qaeda offshoots – at the same time, there is no denying that they can all be loosely grouped under militant Islamic movements.
Political movements frequently have a militant tag attached to them -but in these cases, they carry an additional adjective – “Islamic”.
The Islamic angle (and its influence) to (on) terrorism (and political violence) in other parts of the world is well-documented (witness the continually decreasing influence of moderate, relatively-secular outfits like JKLF in Kashmir and PLO in Palestine and the parallel ascendance of more extreme groups e.g. Hamas) – but there has not been enough analysis of this in the context of our neighborhood.

Today, we see the spectre of militant Islam looming over regions (such as Nepal and Thailand) which one would never have associated with any militancy, let alone Islamic .

Consider the slow but inexorable march of Bangladesh towards a more Islamic regime (e.g. see an excellent analysis that appeared in the Wall Street Journal by Maneeza Hossain titled “Islamists vs. Democracy” [OpEd page on September 27, 2004]
Bear in mind that Pakistan forsook all its pretence to be a modern democratic country by adopting Islam as the guiding principle of statecraft more than 25 years ago **
Add to this an increasingly assertive Islamic minority in Thailand (where there is now a demand for an Islamic state in the 3 southernmost provinces. And finally an increasingly restive Muslim minority in Nepal (almost entirely made up of immigrants from Bangladesh/ India crossing across a porous border) and you can begin to appreciate what I mean by the “Arc of Islam”

With an Islamic Pakistan and a volatile Afghanistan on the west, a militant Muslim minority in Nepal, an Islamic Bangladesh on the east and increasingly aggressive Islamic groups in Thailand and Sri Lanka, should not we be taking notice?
Sadly, trend-watching is a relatively sophisticated activity (which means it is unlikely to influence any political discourse) and politicians are notoriously myopic – which means that even if this threat is recognized, nothing much will be done about it – until the danger becomes obvious – and then it will be to late.

Someone writing about this 50 years from now will wonder how could we have missed such an “obvious” thing.

* This phrase has been in use before and is often used to (loosely) describe the region encompassing countries in North Africa and stretching deep into Central Asia covering the entire Arabian peninsula, the Persian Gulf, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

** (The process began in1978 when Gen Zia announced that Pakistani law would be based on Nizam-i-Mustafa. In 1979 Zia decreed the establishment of shariat courts to try cases under Islamic law. A year later, Islamic punishments were assigned to various violations, including drinking alcoholic beverages, theft, prostitution, fornication, adultery, and bearing false witness. Zia also began a process for the eventual Islamization of the financial system including prohibition on charging of interest or riba)

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JAGADGURU SHANKARACHARYA’S ARREST

Amidst all the furore that has been generated by the arrest of Shankaracharya, here are some excerpts from one of the most balanced opinion pieces I have seen on this topic so far. It is by the respected columnist, Shri T V R Shenoy [“Why Shankaracharya’s arrest was in bad taste?”]
and was published on Nov 17, ‘04.
Amongst other things, Shri Shenoy makes the point that he was aggrieved not by the arrest per se but by the manner in which it was carried out, the behavior of the authorities and the ham-handed attempts post the event by the Governments of India and Andhra Pradesh to wash their hands off it,

Some excerpts:
“…He, a diabetic in his seventieth year, was thrust into jail, refused permission to prepare his own food, and a fuss was made over his lawyers meeting him. Does anyone care to compare this treatment with the way that politicians are treated, how they manage to get admitted into hospital at the murmur of the word ‘arrest’, and the special facilities showered upon them?
I support the basic principle that everyone is equal before the law. But why is there one treatment for a Laloo Prasad Yadav and another for a Jayendra Saraswati?”

The circumstances of the arrest and the ridiculously clumsy way in which the whole affair was handled was sure to have drawn fire – and that’s exactly what happened.

Organizations across the Hindutva political spectrum got into the act.
The BJP having realized that the issue can be usefully leveraged for political gains decided to launch a major campaign against the arrest. Shri Advani announced a day of fasting to show support ( – to me such acts appear, at best, as half-hearted attempts at protest, and at worst, cynical attention grabbing ploys) and several other organizations immediately declared this as an insult and outrage against “Hindus”.

As an example, have a look at this excerpt from India News, Nov 15: “Varanasi/Kanpur : Workers of several frontline Sangh organizations, including VHP, today staged demonstrations to protest the arrest of Jayendra Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti peeth in connection with a murder case.
In Varanasi, nearly 200 activists of the VHP and other saffron organisations led by the Kashi Sumeru Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Narendranand Saraswati staged a demonstration here near Assi Ghat, pledging to intensify their agitation if the arrested pontiff was not released at the earliest.
Calling it as an “affront” to the Hindus, the activists also demanded that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa issue a public apology on the issue.”

Regardless of circumstances and evidence (or lack of it), what I don’t understand is that how can an arrest on suspicion of criminal activity be cited as an attack against Hinduism. It is sad (and reflective of the level of our political discourse and maturity) that the arrest of an individual is construed as an attack against an ideology.

Are we so bereft of ideas and convictions that an arrest of a single individual – even as influential and respected as the Kanchi Shankaracharya threatens to destabilize our belief and conviction in a broader ideology (which, by the way, is hardly based on any particular individual)?
Hindutva is certainly more robust than this and such careless and ill-considered criticism plays into the hands of critics who label the Hindutva movement as a ideology led by ignorant religious bigots.

P.S. It now turns out that the statement from the key witness may have been extracted under duress. See for example, “Key witnesses turn hostile in Shankaracharya’s case”, PTI News story, Nov 25 ‘04

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THE ISLAMIC AGENDA AND ITS BLUEPRINTS

Next some excerpts from a well-researched piece that analyses the roots of Islam. The full story is accessible at . The article starts by noting the unusual lengths that the failed shoe-bomber Richard Reid went to conceal his identity.

“… one of his (Richard Reid’s) tricks was to hide his religious fanaticism by scavenging empty alcohol bottles (Muslims generally do not drink alcohol) and cigarette ends from rubbish bins to leave in his hotel rooms….

Why would someone do what is a betrayal of his own belief system, and be deceptive about it? Was it his own idea? Is it what he was taught and, if so, by whom and why? Could it be part of the Islamic belief system?

To understand Richard Reid’s behaviour one needs to have grasped the basics of Islamic teaching: its maxim is that Islam should dominate the world. Whatever means are required to achieve this objective will be used, including deception. Of course, if Richard Reid was part of an Islamic radical movement, he did not act alone.

Islam is socio-political
The majority of people hold the view that Islam is one of the world’s major religions, but they know hardly anything about it. Since September 11 it has received a lot of media attention, and is portrayed as a peace-loving, peace-preaching religion. That may be true of many Muslims, but is it true of the ideology and doctrines of Islam itself?

Indeed, Islam is a religion but it would be most misleading to stop at that. The heart of Islamic teaching is that religion is not just a part of life, but life is a tiny part of religion. Thus everything in life is dominated by this religion. As such, Islam is a system. It is a socio-political, socio-religious, socio-economical, educational, legislative, judicial, and militaristic system garbed in religious terminology.

The Qur’an teaches that Muhammad was sent not only to all mankind but to the demonic world too, many of whom have submitted and become Muslims according to Sura 72 of the Qur’an.

His mission was universal, and with the declaration that ‘the religion before Allah is Islam’ (Sura 3.19), it was his mission not only to preach, but to change the existing society into an Islamic society governed by the revealed laws of Allah, ‘the Shari’ah’, and also by his personal example, known in Islam as Sunnah (sometimes spelt Sunna).

Leaders agree
As such, Islam grants radical Muslims a mandate. It is a mandate to change the existing society into an Islamic society. This isn’t about building a few mosques for the needs of Muslim congregations, or schools, or a few cultural centres. It is to make Islam supreme, and thus dominate every aspect of society. This is not only the desire of fundamentalists like Osama bin Laden, but, from their teaching, preaching and publications, would seem to be the desire of a large number of Muslims all over the world.

One such document, authored by Khurram Murad as far as back as 1980, was entitled The Islamic Movement in the West. The late Khurram Murad was then the head of the Islamic Foundation with branches around the world. He outlined his Islamic revolution and the blueprint of how to bring it about in the West.

On page three of his document he posed the question: ‘What is an Islamic movement?’ He goes on to answer: ‘An Islamic movement is an organised struggle to change the existing society into an Islamic society based on the Qur’an and the Sunna, and make Islam, which is a code for en-tire life, supreme and dominant, especially in the socio-political spheres.’

Further he says: ‘The idea of the Islamic movement is inherent in the very nature of Islam.’ The chilling fact is made clearer by saying: ‘It is not necessary to give any arguments about this here but innumerable Qur’anic verses amply bear it out, like those laying down the concepts and objectives of Jihad.’

You can find some of the Qur’anic verses that Murad quotes: Sura 9.19-21, 40; Sura 48.28; Sura 2.216 says: ‘Fighting is prescribed upon you, and you dislike it, but it is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, that you love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows and you know not.’

Dominance
As distinct from other forms of Islamic activities, in an Islamic movement, the emphasis is clearly on the four elements:

1. of total change,

2. the supremacy of Islam,

3. the socio-political aspects,

4. and the organised struggle.

The Islamic Foundation and similar Islamic institutions are not just concerned about their community needs, for that very matter is addressed on page 9 of Murad’s document. He states: ‘But it would be equally tragic if the tall and noble claims to the objective of a world-wide Islamic revolution and the ushering in of a new era are reduced to mere fulfilment of religious and educational needs. After all, these needs have always been catered for in varying degrees and by various people. There was no need to launch an Islamic movement for merely meeting community needs.’

‘I have no hesitation in suggesting that, despite its seeming unattainability, the movement in the West should reaffirm and re-emphasise the concept of total change and supremacy of Islam in the Western society as its ultimate objective and allocate to it the highest priority.’

His writing goes on to deliberate on a range of issues from terminology to Islamic missions and strategy.

Under strategy he considers various kinds of literature: from special literature for non-Muslims to literature for the elite in the West, like journalists, politicians, academics and writers whose opinions usually have an important impact.

He continues to talk about the various forms of organisations, internal structures, recruiting various kinds of people for the movement such as immigrant youth and foreign students.

What is interesting is the points he lists under ‘Other Objectives: Worldwide Islamic Movement’:

As a part of the same ultimate objective of an Islamic movement, that is, to change the society into an Islamic mould and make Islam supreme, we need to pursue three more objectives at three different levels of operation, which relate to the world-wide Islamic movement:

Ÿ Support and reinforcement of the ‘home’ movement.

Ÿ Growth of an international Islamic movement.

Ÿ Support of the movements in all other countries, specially Muslim.

According to Omar Ahmed, Chairman of the Board of CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations): ‘Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Qur’an should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth’ (Report in the San Ramon Valley Herald of a speech to California Muslims in July 1998; quoted by Daniel Pipes in CAIR: Moderate Friends of Terror, New York Post, April 22, 2002)

The issue of the supremacy of Islam leads us back to the basics of the Islamic worldview, that is by seeing the world either as Dar al-Islam – the abode of Islam, or Dar al-Harb – the abode of war. All those countries and societies not dominated by Islamic supremacy are the abode of war and thus Jihad is justified.

The article was originally published by “Evangelicals Now” in March 2002

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MEDITATION AND NEUROPLASTICITY

A few weeks back, I came across a very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal, “Scans of Monks’ Brains Show Meditation Alters Structure, Functioning”, Science Journal, [Wall Street Journal Europe, Nov 5 ‘04]

The article described recent experiments conducted in Dharamsala in which five neuroscientists from the US tried to study and analyze the impact of meditation on the structure and functioning of the brains using Buddhist monks as subjects.

Prof Richard Davidson, University of Wisconsin, who lead the research said that when brain scans of Buddhist monks who had each typically spent more than 10,000 hrs in meditation were compared to those from novices meditators, the monk’s scans showed a dramatic increase in high-frequency gamma wave activity – which is the “signature of neural activity that knits together far flung brain circuits”- of a magnitude that “has never been reported before in neuroscience literature”.

The result, said Dr Davidson, “gives us confidence that the changes are actually produced by mental training”.

While the research was limited in its focus and doubtless, there is so much more that is not very well known about the brain, I was glad to see independent validation of the link between meditation and mental capability – which partially explains (and supports) why meditation has had such an important position in Hindu rituals and practice.

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LAST WORD

Geert Wilders, Dutch MP and one of the strongest critics of militant Islam in Netherlands quoted in The Times of Nov 20th ’04 [”Death threats force controversial Dutch MP underground”]:

“I believe we have been far too tolerant for far too long, especially being too tolerant of intolerance, and we only got intolerance back”