Editorial Viewpoint
A faith-full tryst
After being engulfed in community controversies, it was a pleasant
change to attend the South Asia Inter Faith Harmony Conclave in New
Delhi on April 21 and 22, 2007.
For most of us the interfaith movement is a utopian concept that in
practical life has little validity. Yet when one saw religious heads
from various faiths gathered at the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Jawahar
Bhawan it was an impressive sight. More so when the meet was
inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh. That a
member of a minority community should head the government of this vast country is itself a symbol of religious compatibility.
The soft-spoken and benign looking former academician turned
politician told the select audience to “embrace and celebrate
diversity… we accept all religions as true.”
Stating that “harmony required tolerance,” Singh said, “each
generation (must) reaffirm the values” of tolerance and diversity. “All religions are equal as all individuals are equal.”
Adding to Singh’s remarks on tolerance the Conclave’s chairman Dr
Karan Singh noted that India was “the only country that has never
persecuted the Jews… religion is misused to create havoc and
destruction.” India, he said, had a “tradition of creative
interaction, fusion and living together.”
It was a view seconded by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit who
termed Delhi, “the cradle of many cultures… of great learning… a
confluence” of harmony and tolerance.
That confluence was further emphasized by religious heads of various
faiths — Bahaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism,
Judaism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and the Nirankari mission. They were an impressive looking lot and demonstrated the wide range of options worshippers could turn to.
White was the sartorial color of preference with two priests dressed
in saffron robes. Of the 10 religious leaders present seven had their heads partially or wholly covered while the Jain muni wore a piece of white cloth to mask his mouth. They spoke intelligently and
articulately and their message was of fraternity.
With such a plethora of choices one could see that the fear Parsis
have of converts converging by the millions to Zoroastrianism is
totally unfounded. Rather, the real fear is of people turning away
from Zoroastrianism to other faiths.
Perhaps Dastur (Dr) Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa had a premonition of this
concern as he spoke of the “right to practice the religion of one’s
birth” and the threat of “encroaching of one religion on another.”
If everyone kept to the religion of their parents, at least five of
the 10 religions represented would never have come into being. Even
Zoroastrians may not have existed. We’d still be worshipping plants,
animals and the deities of the various elements (which may not be such a bad idea considering the havoc humankind has played on nature).
But there is little doubt that the threat to Zoroastrianism is of
people looking outward to other religions, spiritual leaders and even cults. When the Rev John Wilson converted two Parsi youth to
Christianity in the 1800s, the community reacted by setting up
madressas, establishing oriental studies’ institutes and spreading
knowledge of the faith.
Today we are unconcerned about people drifting away. We are more
concerned with keeping people out. As a result many of our agiaries
are devoid of worshippers. Some have only a few while a handful
attract crowds.
Parsis often liken themselves to the Jews, but even the orthodox Jews accept converts. Chief Rabbi David Rosen, president of the
International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations stated in a chat that if a person were determined to convert to Judaism and was willing to unde
change to attend the South Asia Inter Faith Harmony Conclave in New
Delhi on April 21 and 22, 2007.
For most of us the interfaith movement is a utopian concept that in
practical life has little validity. Yet when one saw religious heads
from various faiths gathered at the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Jawahar
Bhawan it was an impressive sight. More so when the meet was
inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh. That a
member of a minority community should head the government of this vast country is itself a symbol of religious compatibility.
The soft-spoken and benign looking former academician turned
politician told the select audience to “embrace and celebrate
diversity… we accept all religions as true.”
Stating that “harmony required tolerance,” Singh said, “each
generation (must) reaffirm the values” of tolerance and diversity. “All religions are equal as all individuals are equal.”
Adding to Singh’s remarks on tolerance the Conclave’s chairman Dr
Karan Singh noted that India was “the only country that has never
persecuted the Jews… religion is misused to create havoc and
destruction.” India, he said, had a “tradition of creative
interaction, fusion and living together.”
It was a view seconded by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit who
termed Delhi, “the cradle of many cultures… of great learning… a
confluence” of harmony and tolerance.
That confluence was further emphasized by religious heads of various
faiths — Bahaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism,
Judaism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and the Nirankari mission. They were an impressive looking lot and demonstrated the wide range of options worshippers could turn to.
White was the sartorial color of preference with two priests dressed
in saffron robes. Of the 10 religious leaders present seven had their heads partially or wholly covered while the Jain muni wore a piece of white cloth to mask his mouth. They spoke intelligently and
articulately and their message was of fraternity.
With such a plethora of choices one could see that the fear Parsis
have of converts converging by the millions to Zoroastrianism is
totally unfounded. Rather, the real fear is of people turning away
from Zoroastrianism to other faiths.
Perhaps Dastur (Dr) Kaikhusroo JamaspAsa had a premonition of this
concern as he spoke of the “right to practice the religion of one’s
birth” and the threat of “encroaching of one religion on another.”
If everyone kept to the religion of their parents, at least five of
the 10 religions represented would never have come into being. Even
Zoroastrians may not have existed. We’d still be worshipping plants,
animals and the deities of the various elements (which may not be such a bad idea considering the havoc humankind has played on nature).
But there is little doubt that the threat to Zoroastrianism is of
people looking outward to other religions, spiritual leaders and even cults. When the Rev John Wilson converted two Parsi youth to
Christianity in the 1800s, the community reacted by setting up
madressas, establishing oriental studies’ institutes and spreading
knowledge of the faith.
Today we are unconcerned about people drifting away. We are more
concerned with keeping people out. As a result many of our agiaries
are devoid of worshippers. Some have only a few while a handful
attract crowds.
Parsis often liken themselves to the Jews, but even the orthodox Jews accept converts. Chief Rabbi David Rosen, president of the
International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations stated in a chat that if a person were determined to convert to Judaism and was willing to unde
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