By V.A. Mohamad Ashrof,
Kochi, Kerala: “Indian Secularism is conducive to Indian plurality and religious fraternity, the core themes of the national ethos. Fascists are the real pseudo secularists and they are not only the real enemy of Indian minorities, but the enemy of the true Hinduism,” argued Justice Cyriac Joseph, former Judge of Supreme Court of India.
He was inaugurating the Interfaith Seminar on Religion and Human Rights at Kothamangalam which was jointly organized by Oruma (a consortium of students of colleges located at Kothamangalam sub-district) and International Interfaith Dialogue India (IIDI) centralized at Kochi on Saturday (6-4-2013).
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Justice Cyriac Joseph
He quoted Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, former President of India, in support of his claim: "No group of citizens shall arrogate to itself rights and privileges which it denies to others. No person should suffer any form of disability or discrimination because of his religion but all alike should be free to share to the fullest degree in the common life. This is the basic principle involved in the separation of Church and State. The religious impartiality of the Indian State is not to be confused with secularism or atheism. Secularism as has been defined is in accordance with the ancient religious traditions of India."
“To be truly secular, the Indian state had to promote all religions and cultural identities and to build them with the secular interests of the nation. By opting for secularism, the framers of the Indian Constitution opted not only for democracy but also for a harmony among different faiths and for a dialogue among different cultural traditions,” Justice Cyriac Joseph continued.
Justice P.K. Shasuddin, former judge of Kerala High court and champion of Interreligious culture in Kerala, who chaired the function, argued that only a real believer can be a real secularist in the true sense of the term. S. Radhakrishnan described secularism in India as “an attitude of true humility” which respected “the conscience of all individuals.” He considered Indian secularism “not irreligious and not narrowly religious, but deeply spiritual.” Gandhiji, the greatest Indian and a firm believer in Hinduism, declared that his Hinduism was “all-inclusive” and it stood for tolerance. In other words, religious pluralism and religious tolerance became the bedrock of the Indian concept of secularism. As such, mutual respect and tolerance became the most important values to keep religious pluralism in place in India. As a result, Indian secularism became a bridge between religions in a multi-religious society. It became a way for extending the principle of pluralism to religiosity, Justice Shasuddin said.
V.A. Mohamad Ashrof, Secretary of IIDI, presented the theme paper which read: “We are witnessing today a clash between two contrasting worldviews of human worth. Religion holds that human beings have an inherent dignity conferred on them by the Creator. Naturalism insists that human beings have no more claims to dignity than other animals, from which they differ only in the number and sequencing of DNA molecules. If there is no inherent human dignity, then there can be no inherent human rights. The world religions constitute a unique pool of wisdom and desire for a better living-together of mankind in friendship and peace and they all are respecting live as given by God to mankind. The dignity of the human person is at the core of all our religious traditions. Within various religious traditions respect for human dignity is expressed in teachings on responsibility, virtue and love for neighbor. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is an expression of shared values which are recognized across religions and cultures, and which we as leaders of diverse religious traditions emphatically support. The language of the Universal Declaration is unthinkable without the kind of moral universalism that religious ethics safeguards.”
Rev. Dr. Albert Nambiaparambil, Secretary General of World Fellowship of Interreligious Councils, stated: “Interfaith sharing is also enhancing as our personal friendship grows and the significance of this need to be emphasized at a time when religious differences are misused to foment hatred and violence. Our interfaith friendships ‘bind us together in love’ and in an affection in which our religious labels become irrelevant.”
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Justice P.K. Shamsuddin
Swamy Viswabadrananda Sakthibodhi, Gita Vijnan Manava Vedi, Payyannur, argued that reformation amongst Hinduism emerged out of their spiritual concerns of the rampant casteism and its resultant human right violations. There was no casteism in the Vedas and until the emergence of Manusmriti, egalitarianism was the mainstream idea of the Indian ethos. Sreenarayan Guru and Vivekananda represent the humanistic and universalistic spirit of Hinduism, Swamy said.
Rev. Dr. Zakaria Paranilam, Director of Interreligious Councils of Aluva Angamaly Diocese, made it clear that Genesis account of the Bible articulate precisely why human rights were universal; that the nature of humanity created in God's image requires both equality and an abstracted view of rights, independent of political and social systems. These commitments towards human rights are amply reflected in the Christian missionary hospitals and educational institutions. The fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind is the key theme of Bible, which is very basis of human dignity and fraternity.
Nasiruddin Alungal (Voice of Justice, Manjery) expressed hope in the new beginnings of the newly elected Pope towards interreligious dialogue. On Friday, March 22, 2013 Pope Francis first stated: “It is not possible to establish true links with God while ignoring other people,” adding categorically, “I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam.” Nasiruddin further argued that the Golden Principle is the core of the human ethics which is a shared theme of all spiritual traditions.
Professor Baby M. Varghese, principal, Eldo Mar Baselios College, Kothamangalam, said that religious supremacism has not any spiritual value and it is the very antithetical to core religious values. “Action that one performs for one's sake should also benefit other,” is the basic theme of religious spirituality. Despite of varied paths, religious orientation is the same – God the Almighty, professor Baby M. Varghese argued.
Maulavi Jamal Mankada, Palayam Imam and patron of IIDI, expressed his exhilaration as he observed that a new era of religious fraternity is in the process of emergence with new Pope’s dynamism and the whole Muslim world is hopefully looking forward with his activities. I am thrilled to report that while Popes have for centuries washed the feet of the faithful on the day before Good Friday, never before had a pontiff washed the feet of a woman. That one of the female inmates at the prison in Rome was also a Serbian Muslim was also a break with tradition. “There is no better way to show his service for the religious fraternity” said Maulavi Jamal Mankada.
Amjad, student leader of Oruma, welcomed the gathering and Mabrook (Oruma Secretary) expressed vote of thanks. More than 300 students from various colleges in and around Kothamangalam participated in the Seminar. This was the second interfaith Seminar initiated by students conducted in Kerala. The first one was conducted in the same venue on January 26, 2011, jointly by the same organizations.
(V.A. Mohamad Ashrof receives his mail at vamashrof@gmail.com)