More in Religion
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Mandira’s Bedi’s EkOmkar Tattoo
Mandira Bedi recently was at a dealers meet of Jaypee Cement at Zirakpur, near Chandigarh, which she attended with Sachin Tendulkar. She was spotted wearing the Ek Omkar tattoo on her back (nape).
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Activism of Indian Courts on Marriage and Religion
Marriage is a strange thing. And the way the courts have been deciding recently in India, they seem to be doing a lot more activism than citizens of other countries may allow.
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When Boobs quaked the world!
A low-cut protest rocked the world this week. The epicenter was the facebook page called “Boobquake”.
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Can Hindus Self-Govern Competitively? Lessons from the Nithyananda Scandal
The Christian Church has the longest continuous history of governance, with a tremendous track record of protecting its interests under all circumstances.
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Now, why has Nithyananda been arrested?
So, today Nithyananda was arrested in Himachal Pradesh on a “Non-Bailabl
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How to save Acceptance and Inclusivity in Societies?
In this day and age its important to see the societies the way they are. There are ONLY two types of societies: Inclusive and Exclusive.
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Obama invited to Islam
You can fault these guys for anything, but for having nerves and being blatant. These guys are standing right in front of the White House and mouthing all sorts of stuff against US and Obama.
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Swami Nithyananda Scandal: The Story that Media never told
When the sex scandal of Swami Nithyananda suddenly erupted on March 2, 2010, I was already in Delhi as part of a group to go toKumbh Mela.
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Intolerant India?!
(These views were written with reference to the viewpoint of Salil Tripathi in Wall Street Journal titled "Intolerant India")
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MF Hussain’s Crooked Art
All forms of art are genuine expressions of love. When a dancer dances, she forgets her own self, and her love translates into a passion that can be felt by all those witnessing a performance.
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My Name is Khan: A Review
Last night, I went to watch "My Name is Khan". A lot has been said about the movie by many parties, and it is best to see things for yourself to make a sound judgment than to trash it or eu
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France’s Burqa law will Challenge Discourse at Upper Crust
A new law in France in underway. This law will make Burqa unlawful and impose a fine on the wearer.
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Last Rites of Deceased in Hinduism
In the last week, I performed the last rites of my Mother.
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Righteousness of Intolerance
I recently had a very interesting exchange on facebook. Spirituality and Love, are concepts, that have been so bastardized by people and are handled on just the surface…
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Swiss Vote against Minarets and the Three Narratives
Narrative of victimization is a very easy one to create and build upon and use it to unleash unilateral terror on the rest of humanity and claim equivalence with peace-oriented narratives of others.
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Disturbing traits of Nidal and its larger implications
Some new and disturbing news has come out about Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who killed his comradesin Fort Hood last week.
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God as the “Creator”
An Old Testament scholar now seems to suggest that it is a wrong interpretation to believe that God created Earth when “He” created the animals etc. on it.
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The Mango Loving nation and the Trader
Once there was a nation whose people loved mangoes. In their love for the fruit, they had found countless varieties of mangoes and rejoiced all of them.
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Are Americans becoming Hindus at their Core?
एकम् सत्, विप्र बहुदा वदन्ति
Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti -
Honor Killings and Islam
An interesting article here deals with the issue of “Honor Killings” and its sanction in Islam – since these killings are almost exclusively done in Islam only.
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One Rule for Hindus.. another for Muslims?
Vir Sanghvi is one of my favorite analysts on the Indian scene. Most like to get branded and then leave their principles. They would change their arguments and principles because they are
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Sufism as a counter to Islamic Terrorism
In my analysis on Mumbai Attacks on November 30th, 2008 – while they were on-going – I had suggested 3 “Internal measures” that we, in India, need to take against Islamic terrorism. They were:
- Engage Muslims
- Close madrasas and make secular schooling mandatory
- Give State encouragement to Sufism and other Spiritual practices and put down Wahabism.
I know many people wouldn’t have thought much about these three suggestions at that time. But it had taken a lot of thought and thinking to come up with these three things. I have had the benefit of engaging with Muslims at the grassroots in UP during, what I believe was one of largest studies of its kind for Minorities Welfare Board, where we went to over 60 villages talking to youth, elders, Maulvis, teachers, intelligentsia in Masjids, Wakf boards, Madrasas etc. We even visited Deoband and other major schools. Our perspective was different and from a detached standpoint, and so had its own merit.
Today, I was amazed to read an article which suggests that Pakistan itself – in view of the Taliban’s offensive and regular blasts and suicide bombings as the country plunges into more and more darkness – has started to move on the 3rd suggestion I had made for India. The move to Sufism!
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Woman, Burkha and Sarkozy
A woman walks into a store and sees trousers and short skirts. Decides to buy both. One for office and another for her party. She has a choice. Some guys see her in the trousers and admire her figure while some guys see her in short skirt on the dance floor and admire at her dance moves.
Is the attitude of the beholder based on the dress of the object or the situation and the beholder’s response to it?
However, in another culture, a Prophet uses the pretext of divinity to enforce a dress code. [Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: "The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil." Book 2, Number 0641]. Now, this lady can no longer wander into a shop and buy the dress from the shelf she pleases. She has been told by one “Messenger of God” whom somehow the God, formless and un-named that he insists, somehow keeps speaking to in his ears. That this formless and un-named is somehow so bothered about the dress code of a special category of a special species in one of the tiniest specks of this entire Universe, is intriguing and probably a discussion for another time.
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Shahrukh Khan’s Comment on Mohammad and Al Taqiyyah
Shahrukh Khan is in trouble. Because the Muslims believe that he said something insulting about the Prophet. He was asked by a magazine “According to you who is the most impressive figure in history?” He replied “There are lots of them, some negative ones like Hitler, Napoleon, Winston Churchill and if I can call it history, then Prophet Mohammed and from recent time Nelson Mandela.” “And there are nice ones like Gandhiji and Mother Teresa.”
Now, Muslims say that he clubbed Mohammad along with Hitler, Napolean and Churchill. Shahrukh Khan replied back to Mid-day on this:[1]
“Obviously, I think there is no figure in history more important than Prophet Mohammed. Also, being a Muslim and standing up for the tenets of Islam is my most important agenda… and if they have seen my interviews, etc on TV about Islam, then the people who are objecting, should realise that what has appeared is a writing error not a thought or view that I believe in. Prophet Mohammed is the most important positive figure in Islam… and anyone who questions my view on that, is doing it just to create a controversy.”
Shahrukh had sometime back started asserting his Muslim identity since past few years and after 26/11, he made a grand statement about Islam and expressed his anger against the attacks.[2]
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New Gurudwara in Houston
Today we went to a new Gurudwara in Houston. It is very well made and very nice. The shabad and path was very nicely done… by, who I initially thought was a career Pathi. But it turned out that he was a realtor in his day job and on weekend he would do the path in Gurudwara. Here are a couple of pictures from inside the Gurudwara.
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Jesus and Torture
Against, ostensibly, the tide of scriptural wisdom of the day – a frail but Saintly Jesus proclaimed:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:38-39)
and as if not satisfied… reiterated:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. (Matthew 5:38-44)
Churches, we are told, preach the gospel of this Saintly soul.
Well, if a recent study by Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is any indicator.. then the propensity to back up torture amongst regular Church-goers is significantly higher than those who seldom or never go to any services.
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Pseudo-Secularism and Teesta Setalvad’s Cooking up Skills
59 Hindus were returning from a pilgrimage in Ayodhya when on February 27, 2002; their train bogies were set to fire. Men – young and old, women, and children were burnt alive. Teesta Setalvad a self-proclaimed Secularist told Washingon Post (published on February 28, 2002). The people were returning from Ayodhya after pilgrimage a full 10 years after the Babri Masjid was demolished.
‘Let us not forget the provocation. These people were not going for a benign assembly. They were indulging in blatant and unlawful mobilisation to build a temple and deliberately provoke the Muslims in India.’
Argument: If you are a Hindu and on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya then you are fair game. Even when you are a one year old. Worship in Ayodhya is a sin for which you could be killed at any point.
It is like someone saying something similar of some Muslims returning from say Haj on a train.
2002-2004 – Best Bakery Case
In November 2004, this lady Teesta Setalvad was to resurface again when a “victim” of Gujarat riots – Zaheera – was to accuse her of coercing her and her family at knifepoint to press charges against the accused. There was a lot of drama where in the end, Zaheera got one year in prison for perjury in the murder, after being found guilty by the court of lying. She had changed her statement about the happenings in the case. The Supreme Court at that time acquitted Teesta of the charges and put Zaheera behind the bars.
Cut to 2009
She may have been acquitted by the Supreme Court for being right on Zaheera, but a report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Government of India now puts her back in the dock and also brings up a feeling – “Was the Supreme Court correct in Best Bakery?” The question that one grapples is – Was Zaheera bribed by Teesta or BJP Legislator? Was Tehelka “used” to help cooking up Zaheera’s case as well??
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Mohallel: a religion-sanctioned “One Night Stand”?
How ridiculous can customs get can be understood from this rather strange custom followed in Islamic societies based on some Islamic law.
There is a clause in the religious laws on marriage according to which: if a man divorces his wife, he cannot marry her again unless another man marries her next, spends one night (have sex), and then divorces her.
This temporary or contract husband – is called “Mohallel” or middleman.
One person whose account I stumbled across while googling about this custom calls it a “One Night Stand” – probably the only religion-sanctioned one-night-stand in the world.[1] It is fairly obvious what problems such a custom can create. As this lady discussed when it happened in their family and the divorced wife was actually very pretty and from a big family. So the husband had the “recruit” this worker in someone’s factory to do “the job”. The worker spent one night with his wife, had sex, and the errant husband actually paid him a lot of money to divorce!
What if – just what if the one-night-stand “contract hubby” does NOT divorce? What would happen then?? Well, this interesting angle was the subject of an award-winning movie called “Mohalel”.
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Sikhs in Pakistan pay Rs2 crore in Jizya for their safety
The Shariat followers and the Islamic rulers (from Mughals, except Akbar, to Taliban) have always subjugated the non-Muslims. Any discussion of Islamic “love” for non-Muslims somehow does not bear itself out in practice in practical governance around the world.
Now, that Pakistan is under Taliban in the Swat and NWFP areas, the nightmare of the non-Muslims will come alive. Hindus have already left or are leaving the area. Now, the news comes that Sikhs have paid Rs. 2 crores (20 million) as Jizya to escape Taliban brutality. Taliban was occupying the houses of the 35 Sikh families for days and demanding a sum of Rs 5 crores, before they negotiated and agreed to a ransom (ok, they call it by that crooked and derogatory term – Jizya) of Rs. 2 crores.
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Religious Zealots and Declaration of Human Rights that are Truly “Universal”
There is a liberal-left British journalist and writer – Johann Hari – who writes for Independent and Huffington Post. One article of his appeared in the Statesman in West Bengal – actually reproduced. It hurt the local Muslims so much that they attacked the newspaper office and the Editor of the paper was arrested.[2] What was his topic?
UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights – which is the foundational statement on upholding freedom of speech.
His argument was that these people are fighting against.. yes, against this statement to make sure that it is changed and not kept as is! [1]
Chinese dictatorship calls it “Western”, Robert Mugabe calls it “colonialist”, and Dick Cheney calls it “outdated”
There is another bunch of people who are against it – the Islamic countries. Why? They think that it freedom of speech should be within the confined within the religious sensitivities – THEIRS! So, they have issued Islamic Declaration of Human Rights – which essentially says that until you are WITHIN the confines of Shariah – and obey its rules.. you are ensured the “Freedom of Speech”.
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Sister Jesme’s “Amen” on Sexual Harassment in Church and Our Fixation with a Better Desire!
Swami Vivekananda was a non-vegetarian. When once asked by a questionner if being vegetarian is important for spiritual advance. He replied that when you reach a certain level, you automatically lose all the cravings and same goes for the desire to eat non-vegetarian foods.
However, when it came to the subject of “Sex”, he was emphatic that one has to shun it to advance. To me, this dichotomy has never made sense! How can lust of one ORGAN be different from that of another? And ultimately it is NOT about organs… it is about the MIND! Desire of ANY kind is a symptom of attachment. Attachment will not set you free. By suppressing ONE idea and clinging to another.. has ALSO not set you free! By saying that I will “detach” myself from sex – forcibly, if required – and “attach” myself to stern and disciplined celibacy…. and that alone will set me free from attachment is utter nonsense! You are changing the SUBJECT of attachment. Attachment however… remains! There is no such thing as a “better desire”!
A nun from the Catholic Church in Kerala – Sister Jesme has come “out of the closet” and has disclosed the “dirty secrets” of the Church administration. How, under the hood of nun-hood and priest-hood, and the entire celibacy thing, sexual harrassment and abuse is rampant!
We have seen it in the US as well. My thumb rule is that the guy who talks the loudest against the gays is a confirmed gay and has been screwing young boys in the church premises itself. To take the guilt off his mind he rants so much. Every gay scandal among the conservative evangelists and church leaders in the last few years demonstrated that.
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Case for Sufi Islam over Salafi/Wahabi Islam for peace
During the hours after the Mumbai Attacks, i had written an analysis, where I had suggested that it is important for India to emphasis and promote Sufi Islam within the Muslim society. For, I believe, it is entirely hypocritical on part of everyone to praise and eulogize Akbar and Dara Shikoh’s spiritual paths but follow Aurangzeb’s radical Islam. Now, it is no longer a question of “faith” and religious instruction itself – but the very foundation of Islam.
Take for example the word “Jehad”. The “moderates” are wont to say that Jehad’s real meaning is self introspection. Well, the news for such moderates is that in Wahabi and other radical Islamic traditions, Jehad has been PRACTISED exactly how the terrorists potray it as!!
So, If they are looking for the spiritual meaning of Jehad, it has ONLY really (as in…. practised) existed in Sufi traditions as an inherent practice! So, to follow the radical strains of Islam that are so symptomatic of popular Sunni Islam over the centuries, is to FORCIBLY restrict the meaning of Jehad to mindless and senseless violence. If that is where you faith lies, then you lose the moral right to brandish the other meaning as the real one! Because you cannot rubbish an ideology as false to start with and yet use its peaceful tenets as a cloak for the more extremist tenets of your own ideology!!
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Ayan Hirsi Ali, Bill Maher on Islam
Here is a piece from the program of one of my favorite Bill Maher’s programs. It has parts from other programs and films too… and is very interesting. It simply begs the question, if you see something that inherently distinguishes between Us and Them, and calls Them as bad and worthy of discrimination and indeed killing and to be dominated upon… then how can it be spiritual or peaceful? I am convinced that there is nothing wrong in challenging and debating the theology and the reasons for violence in the world. Lack of money or power also have reasons .. and these two cannot be reasons for war.
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Wafa Sultan on Honor of Women in Islam
Here is an interesting clip of Wafa Sultan talking about the Honor of Women in Islam (will need free registration). As you can see, she is pretty strong in challenging the authorities that be.
Some excerpts:
“If Islam really treated women with honor, we would see the positive consequences of that honor over the course of the past 14 centuries. Islam did not treat women with honor. On the contrary, it has distorted the concept of honor.
“My brother Rashid, I can call this pen a knife for 14 centuries, but it will never become a knife. It will remain a pen. Islam has turned these concepts upside-down, and has forced its followers to see things as their opposites – to view killing and beheading as an act of tolerance, to view taking a woman captive as an act of compassion, to view the plundering of spoils of war as their right, and to view masturbation against a little girl’s thighs as marriage.