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Fazle Karim
Whence are we?
And why are we?
Of what scene?
The actors or spectators?
Long and tormenting has been man’s search for meaning-
meaning of life and existence. Man has looked yearningly and
longingly to the skies and has delved deep into the hidden recesses
of self in the quest for meaning. Feelings of futility kept on
haunting man and abyss of meaningless threatened to engulf him.
Religion came to the rescue of man. It bestowed role on life and
gave it a purpose. Religion sanctified life. Religion elevated man
to the status of deputy of the
creator of the
universe. Philosophy questioned the religious interpretation of life
and universe and debate ensued. Science was yet another attempt to
comprehend ourselves an all that surrounds us. All three–religion,
philosophy and science–have exercised profound influence in
determining the course of human life and activity.
Religion and Science pervade every sphere of life. They are
great forces and world peace and future of man seems associated with
and dependent on them
In the present
paper religion is used as a term encompassing all belief
systems–large and small–collectively. Science refers to
branches of human inquiry based on empirical method. Peace
is used in the sense of state of mind and state of freedom from war
and violence.
Religion and
Peace
Religion systematized and organized life. Its contribution
in every sphere of life is immense. Will Durran, an atheist, opines:
“it (religion) has conferred meaning and dignity upon the lowliest
existence”. Religion sanctified life and inspired respect for
life in all its forms and manifestations. In fact religion as
vision, guidance, message and text has been the greatest force for
peace. All religious texts look beyond peace and induce their
followers to love life. Religion as vision is almost utopian and
idealistic in this respect. The Quran declares taking one life
tantamount to killing all humanity. Prophet of Islam said: “all
the creatures are family of God and He likes him most who loves
his creation best”.
The Bible affirms “No one has ever seen God but if we love one
another God lives in us and his
love is made complete in us…. For anyone who does not love his
brother whom he has seen can not love God whom he has not seen”.
Sikhism enjoins upon its followers “love passionately and all the
time”. Buddhism declared this existence to be pain and only love
could alleviate the pain. In fact Buddhism has been the most
idealistic in its veneration of life and inspired respect for life
even at botanical level. Religion as vision has tried to bring out
the best and noblest in man and inculcate in him the spirit of
sacrifice, charity and love–love for life in all its forms and
manifestations. Thus it has looked beyond peace and has been
perennial source of peace.
Religion as an active force through the history has been
much debated topic. No one can deny that religion has been a source
of solace and mental peace for countless individuals through the
millennia across the globe. It continues to invest life with
meaning, purpose and peace for restless humanity. Individuals have
always taken and continue to take refuge in the benign and
comforting lap of religion. Constant contact of millions of people,
at individual level, with religion today stands witness to that.
Lack of faith or religion agitates and agonizes even great minds and
deprive them of mental peace. I am tempted to quote Russell:
Through the long
years
I sought peace;
I found ecstacy, I found anguish,
I found madness!
I found loneliness,
I found the solitary pain
that gnaws the heart;
But peace I did not find.
Religion played and has been made to play an active role in
the story of man. So much blood has been shed and so many conflicts
have been bequeathed as legacy by succeeding generations of men in
the name of religion that we tend to forget the positive role that
religion has played in ensuring peace and progress. The womb of
religion gave birth to magnanimous and active messengers of peace.
It provided humanity with role models. Religion contributed Moses,
Buddha, Christ, Mohammad, Gurunanik and scores like them. They led
by example and demonstrated what man can be and is capable of if he
chooses to emulate their (messengers) precedence. In fact the
influence of messengers of peace has transcended time and space.
They had followers even in “Godless” 20th century. Mother
Teresas and Gandhis are the product of faith. What could be human
drama like if messengers of peace and their role- during their own
life time and ever after- is taken out of it? We are sure to be left
in the company of Halagues and Hitlers.
History is replete with many examples of religion
transforming barbarians into peace loving civilized society and even
humanitarians. Savage Arab hordes were converted into a peaceful
society by Islam. Wild ruthless and restless Tartars knew peace when
they came under the spell of belief. Ashoka- one of the most blood
thirsty butchers that humanity has seen- along with his millions of
subjects sought refuge in the peace of Buddhism. The Ashokan rocks
have bore the message of peace and love for the last two thousand
years.
Miracles and miraculous have always have been associated
with religion- in many forms. Mysticism appears to be one of them.
Monks, dervishes, ascetics, hermits, Sufis and mystics in all ages
and regions have traversed the globe carrying with them simple yet
profound message of sulhe-kul (universal peace).Amor vincit omnia-love
conquers all- whoever might have uttered it but it has been the
practical approach of mystics. Cutting across barriers of race,
language and even belief they have been the grandest of conquerors-
conquerors of human heart. They have been a great and unifying
force. Their emphases has always been on the Oneness- of man and
cosmos. When asked to what tribe he belonged, Bastami answered: to
the tribe of God. This is the representative approach of mysticism.
Religion in the form of mysticism has always fascinated man. It
beacons. Resurgence of interest in spirituality in our time is
heartening. It can become, as it has always been, the great force
for peace love and unity.
Multifarious, though in many respects unheeded, has been the
role of religion in organizing and ensuring peaceful sailing of
human society. Religion has played a great role in averting class
conflict. It reconciles man to his condition in life. “Religion”
said Napoleon “has kept the poor from murdering the rich”. It has
kept the man hopeful and peaceful. It harmonizes life as it
recognizes relations and ties and endows men with kith and kin.
Beliefs weaken ties weaken. Weakening of ties leads to disharmony in
life and thus deprives man of mental peace.
The preceding discussion presents religion as a great force
for peace and beyond-love. And yet religion, more than anything else
has been held responsible by many for blood shed and division of
man. On the surface, yes, it appears difficult to refute the charge.
But objective analysis point to reality beyond the reality.
Man is and has always been a warring animal. War is one of
the constants of history. Will Durant tells us that only 268 out of
last 3500 years have seen no war. For how much of these wars we can
hold religion responsible? In fact man has been finding one or the
other excuse for war and religion is one of them. How ironic it is,
and agonizing, that the greatest message and vision of
peace-religion- has been turned into most misused and exploited tool
by ever destructive man. It is said God made all things good, man
meddles with them and they become evil. True. Man did not even spare
religion. Man racialized God and tribalized prophets and corrupted
religion.
Individuals, tribes and races throughout history have
cloaked different motives and ambitions in the cloak of religion and
made wars in its name. Most if not all of so-called holy or
religious wars had very complex and diverse motives. Crusades will
serve for an example. It would appear naïve and simplistic to treat
them as caused only by religion. Egotistical, economic and internal
problems of Europe were also the forces behind the conflict. And yet
the false myth of clash of two great faiths left lasting legacy of
hatred and distrust.
Indian sub-continent has been the happy hunting ground for
soldiers of fortune for the last many thousand years. This region
has been scene of some of the bloodiest wars in the world history.
The garb of religion concealed ambitions and motives very mundane.
The waves of invasions that span six odd centuries- from 11th
to 16th A.D. involved the attempts of Muslims against
Muslims. Ghaznavide legacy was shattered by Ghurides, slaves were
routed by Khiljis, Tughliqs meted out the same treatment to Khiljis,
Tughliqs were annihilated by Tamerlane, his legacy was challenged by
Lodhis and they were effaced by Mughals. These ambitious attempts
brought two great religions into conflict and legacy of hatred abide
to this day. It is important to remember that religion was in no way
involved in these conflicts. One is tempted to refer to the present.
Even today religion has been dragged and is being dragged into
conflicts which are not religious fundamentally. To treat them as
religious wars would be a fallacy. Present opens many windows into
the past. Situation might not have been different then. Clever
individuals and groups have always exploited religion and assembled
men under the banner of religion. They have been playing the game of
cloak and dagger. Thus they brought religion into disrepute.
“War is a necessary evil” said Carlyle. We may not be in
complete agreement with him but the fact remains that war has been
there. Seen from this angle many wars fought in the name of religion
had tremendous results. Glorious civilization ensued after the
Muslim conquest of Spain. With a loss of around thousand lives in 23
years peace and unity emerged in Arabian Peninsula. We must not
allow ourselves to forget the wars of self defense, either.
Man corrupted religion like so many other things and twisted
it and used it as a weapon for different motives. Interpretations of
different religious texts giving birth to conflict and blood shed
within a faith bears testimony to that. Violent sectarianism is not
the vision of religion. Hassan bin Sabas have always been there and
are likely to be there. In fact religion has tried to humanize the
animal called man. Religion even humanizes war. Religion gave a code
of conduct for war- spare the non-combatants, don’t touch elderly,
women and children, don’t burn or cut the trees or crops, respect
the places of worship.
Science and
peace
Emergence of science- the approach to comprehend all that
exists through empirical method-is comparatively recent phenomena.
Its domain is physical world. Its systematic development started in
medieval Europe. It is, as it has been, an instrument in the hands
of man which can be used to ameliorate or deteriorate the human
condition.
Unfortunately the earliest scientific assertions were taken
by medieval Christian church as contradictory to basic tenets of
their faith and a parallel interpretation of man and universe.
Church was ruthless towards the early scientists. Galileo,
Copernicus, Bruno and John Wycliffe suffered at the hands of church.
In some cases they were killed “as mercifully as possible, without
shedding a drop of blood”-burnt alive. The insularity and cruelty of
the church set the tone of relations between two approaches for
centuries to come. Science developed and religion shrunk. Nineteenth
century gave birth to a new creed scientism. Science reduced man to
the level of an animal among animals struggling for survival.
Materialism expanded in the wake of scientism and bereft of faith
man suffered the bloodiest of wars and saw destruction. T.S. Eliot’s
is a representative voice of the early 20th century: we
are hollow and the world is a wasteland – spiritual wasteland. Some
even went to the extant of announcing the death of God. But sanity
prevailed. And the myth of conflict between science and religion
started giving place to contact approach between the two. It is good
omen for humanity. Science is neutral but divorced from faith it has
proved the most destructive weapon in the hands of man. Bereft of
faith, science can cause the annihilation of life from this planet
in all its forms and manifestations. It may appear exaggeration.
but history bears
witness to the fact that whatever man has invented or created has
been put to use. There is no logic in believing that man will not do
this time what he has always done. One lesson of history is man
cannot be trusted. devoid
of super human check man can and will disturb world peace.
Today man stands at a very crucial point in his story. It is
not the question of peace alone but the question of survival. Man is
the master of his destiny. Does he want to continue his existence on
planet inspired by the vision of oneness and turning science and
everything else into means of comfort and peace or he is fed up with
what he is and plunges into the abyss of annihilation? The choice is
his.
Bibliography
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Al-Bukhari.
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Armstrong,
Karen, A History of God, (Reading: Cox and Wyman ltd.,
1998).
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Durant, Will,
The Story of Philosophy, (New York: Pocket Books, 1961).
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Durant, Will
and Ariel Durant, The Lessons of History, (New Yourk:
Simon and Schuster, 1968).
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Khan,
Waheed-ud-Din, Islam and Peace, (Delhi: Nice Printing
Press, 200).
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Muhaiyuddeen,
Bawa, Islam and World Peace, (Philadelphia: The
Fellowship Press, 1999).
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Nasr, Syed
Hussain, Encyclopedia of Islamic Spirituality, vol. 1&2
(Lahore: Sohail Academy, 2000).
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Shelly, P.B.,
Poetical Works, (London: Penguin Books, 1978).
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Stavrianos, L.S.,
A Global History, (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1991).
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Smith, Vincent
A., The Oxford History of India, (Karachi; Oxford
University Press, 1988).
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The Bible.
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The Quran.
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