The Beauty of Religious Coexistence in India

The Indian Muslim Culture

I had one of the most wonderful experience recently when I was invited over to a house warming function of my office administrator in the city of Hyderabad, India. I will call him SS. I have known SS for over six years. His first name is a popular Hindu name while his last name is a popular muslim name. When out of curiosity I asked about his name, he mentioned that he grew up in a culture where muslims do not differentiate between Hindu gods or the muslim god. My curiosity piqued even more when he asked for time off to take his family to Tirupati to visit the Hindu temple (Tirupati is a popular Hindu pilgrim center in south India). He claimed that it was a family tradition to visit this temple after children write major exams (this again is a Hindu tradition among south Indians).

Few days back we were invited to his place for house warming party (Gruhapravasam). As we approached his house we could hear the loud chanting of a hindu priest. Inside the house we saw his family and that of his brother's seated obediently, dressed in traditional hindu attire, and performing many hours long pooja (Satya Narayana Vratam. Ironically it is a hour long story narration telling what ill will happen if you don't worship Lord Satya Narayana). I sat amazed looking and hearing a traditional Hindu pooja being performed in a muslim house. I was afraid that the local mosque's imam would show up any moment and protest. 

SS father-in-law sat next to me and as I struck conversation with him, he patiently explained the situation. He said that this is very common among the muslim families that belong to "backward caste" (people that belong to the lower rungs of hindu society) in the coast regions of our state (Andhra Pradesh). Muslims are part of the committee that take care of local temples. SS once told me that his family in his home town was in charge of the local temple's keys. He claimed that more recently Muslims of their region celebrate Hindu festivals along with Hindus and vice versa.

Borrowing of other religion's gods or tradition is not accepted in Islam and could be severely punishable. People have been lynched for far lesser religious mistakes.

It is very common in India for Muslims and Hindus visiting and praying to each other gods. Durgahs (muslim saint's tombs) are usually filled with people of all religions. Such simplicity, without minds clouded with religious bigotry is so refreshing to hear in a world filled with anger, hatred, and violence in the name of religion. These emotions are not new to India and may be worst in India. After 9/11 such emotions run amok all over the world. 

My ignorance about Islam especially the subcontinent muslim culture became evident when I was a graduate student in central Texas (College Station). My interaction with Pakistani students and later with Pakistani nanny who brought up both my sons in New Jersey was an eye opening. Growing up in a small town in India I was constantly fed by the media about the "evil Pakistan next door" and by the right wing political parties about extremism of Islam only to know that our muslim neighbor (Pakistan) lives out of as much fear about the Hindu neighbor as we do of them. 

It is after reading about Islam in a chapter in a book written by famous Indian writer, Khushwant Singh, about Sikhism that I understood the beauty of Indian flavor of Islam. Indian islam is not the traditional islam that one is aware of coming out of Arabia. Indian Islam has strong Indian roots of respecting wise people (saints), giving more credibility to those who can quote and teach from many religious books. This is an Indian way of living not just Hindu way. This lovely co-existence allowed India to give birth to more religions than any civilization did and most of them continue to flourish. This fever of co-existence influenced even the most fervent muslim invaders that came to live India. Moghuls, who came to rule India from central asia and Afghanistan were prime examples. Even many of Delhi Sultanate rulers before the Moghuls were tolerant. 

The most beautiful outcome of this is the flowering of Sufism in India. Most Indian muslims, whether Sunnis or Shia follow Sufi flavor of Islam. A Islam that coexists with local religions, traditions, and draws from local culture to build a beautiful peaceful and exciting way of life. Saints like Guru Nanak (founder of Sikh religion), Kabir (muslim brought up by Hindu foster parents), Shiridi Sai Baba (muslim saint more venerated by Hindus) are all products of Sufism. A true muslim from Arabia would be aghast to see an Indian muslim praying in Dargahs, allowing people of other religions into the mosques or donating money for construction of Hindu temples, tying threads to their wrists (thaayathu) and many more traditions that have common roots with India way of praying.

It is said that Indonesia did not convert to Islam because of Arab traders but only after the coming of the benevolent muslim traders from India (said to be from Gujarat) that they connected with Islam and discarded their Hindu and Buddhist religions. They continue their traditions with their Hindu and Buddhist roots to this day.

You can see this fragrance of secularism in India when you visit certain places like Fatehpur Sikri where one of the most secular illiterate emperor of India (Akbar) lived and debated about theology. One wonders why India was the only nation that was spared from the onslaught of Islam conversion from Spain to Indonesia. Indian's philosophy of "Live and Let Live" must be the reason. 

Not everything is as rosy as I potrayed till now. There have been incidents of religious intolerance in Indian history. The worst being the last powerful Moghul emperor Aurangazeb. Whose long rule of intolerance has sown the seeds of distrust and anger between muslim and non-muslim population. One wonders how India would have turned had Aurangazeb had not hounded and killed his elder brother, Dara Shikoh, the heir apparent, who was a Persian and Sanskrit scholar,  knowledgeable about most religious scriptures, translated many Hindu scriptures to Persian and Persian literature to Indian languages, and promoted harmony between muslim and hindu population. The scar of Indian partition on religious grounds and subsequent riots will remain on the Indian psyche for many generations to come. 

But the incredible India of religous diversity and tolerance is not visible when one comes on a quick visit or as a tourist. This is the India I was ignorant of even after living for last seven years. This is the India that hides behind the snarling traffic, polluted cities, and daily struggle for simple things in life like clean water, electricity, transportation, affordable housing.  In a struggle to survive under crushing population and eagerness to catchup the developed societies, is India losing the unique identity, character, and way of life that it built over centuries? As towns and villages become more like the cities of India will it lose the tolerance that is in-built? I am afraid it will as long as Indian schools emphasize more on academics like Math, Science and not on the achievements of its scholars, thinkers, religions and make the younger generation aware of its own achievements especially religious co-existence and diversity.

Few months back, when the gated community I live in Hyderabad, wanted to build a temple, one resident proposed including a mosque and church. This resident was shut off and his suggestion ignored and mocked. This is a community of educated, high worth, well travelled individuals. Is this the new India shining?

As we left our office admin's house after the house warming ceremony, his father-in-law mentioned that had they grown up in the city of Hyderabad (which has a significant population of muslims) they may not have been tolerant.

I have my doubts how long India will keep up with its tradition of secular living. As much as I detest the ruling congress party in India, I have to admire that they have steadfastly held on to the platform of secularism.

[I came across an article recently from a Pakistani newspaper titled "Democracy and Indian Muslims" by Tafail Ahmad. I suggest you read the article in context with my blog here.