It is tempting to declare that religion causes more problems than provides solutions. My personal fascination with religion begins and ends with trying to understand why people believe. But like all woolly-headed liberals I also know that people have the right to put their faith in some divine benediction and look for solace where they want. But in the whole Salman Rushdie-Jaipur Literary Festivals, it's difficult to exactly determine where religion ends and where political expediency and official cowardice begin.
Being human has to allow a balance -- albeit delicate -- between being sensitive to beliefs and challenging existing ideas. It is also necessary to distinguish between prejudice and perceived hurt sentiments. There is little doubt here that the Rajasthan government either capitulated to pressure from a few Muslim groups or manipulated the Muslim dislike of Rushdie to scuttle the writer's visit to the festival. Did Rushdie upset believing Muslims with Satanic Verses? Of course he did. Has he paid the price for that? The answer to that is also yes. He lived in fear of his life under a fatwa for years and even came up with some sort of an apology. But was Rushdie the first to challenge, mock, scorn existing beliefs and will he be the last? An emphatic no is the answer to that.
Like every human -- or divine -- conceit -- or concept -- religion has been questioned and challenged several times and many of those threats have come from within the religion itself. Look at all the schisms in almost all major and minor belief systems. So the idea of blasphemy itself has been used for political gain more than any greater understanding of God. And that is what it seems to be the case here as well.
Politics, faith and maturity - Mid-Day
Being human has to allow a balance -- albeit delicate -- between being sensitive to beliefs and challenging existing ideas. It is also necessary to distinguish between prejudice and perceived hurt sentiments. There is little doubt here that the Rajasthan government either capitulated to pressure from a few Muslim groups or manipulated the Muslim dislike of Rushdie to scuttle the writer's visit to the festival. Did Rushdie upset believing Muslims with Satanic Verses? Of course he did. Has he paid the price for that? The answer to that is also yes. He lived in fear of his life under a fatwa for years and even came up with some sort of an apology. But was Rushdie the first to challenge, mock, scorn existing beliefs and will he be the last? An emphatic no is the answer to that.
Like every human -- or divine -- conceit -- or concept -- religion has been questioned and challenged several times and many of those threats have come from within the religion itself. Look at all the schisms in almost all major and minor belief systems. So the idea of blasphemy itself has been used for political gain more than any greater understanding of God. And that is what it seems to be the case here as well.
Politics, faith and maturity - Mid-Day
