i really don't know if the issue is as simple as saying terrorists have no religion, like ujjwal says here. we all say it for we all need to say it to ensure that the atmosphere does not get more vitiated. we are scared of the stereotyping and the stigmatising of certain communities. but can we truly say that religion has nothing to do with terror? religions per se or by definition are not non violent. not all anyways. otherwise how do you explain animal and even human sacrifices that have been part of religious rites?

 

in times gone people of one religion tortured and killed people of other religion and in fact even different sects of the same religion, like the sects of hindus, did this to each other. the shaiv-vaishnav animosity is quite well known. there are many stories that are part of our mythology that tell us of this. like that of prahlad. and look what was done to that little boy. so many people were made to go through so many horrible things only because some god or goddess wanted to be recognised as part of the ruling pantheon at that time. that was proabably not called terrorism!

 

but now it has become fashionable to say let us detach religion from everything. that is understood as secularism. in fact keeping religion out of all aspects of life except the very private affair of 'faith' or 'belief' is not only imparctical, it is an absurd idea. religion is part of our lives and those who believe in it are informed by it in all aspects of life. they eat diets prescribed by religion. they don't eat on prescribed days. so do you think when it comes to killing people or going on suicide missions people don't think of religion? or whether god will like it? or whether they will be punished in after life? or do they cold bloodedly plant bombs thinking they will reap rewards in parlok or afterlife?

 

i am not saying that any religion today, in its modern version, promotes terrorism. they don't. however terrorists do seek inspiration from religion and religious texts. we must engage with this, deal with it, not turn our faces away and say meaningless things like religion has nothing to do with terrorism. it certainly has something to do with terrorism. i am not equal to propounding a theory on this but it would be helpful if we had a debate on this. dispassionately. not start abusing each otehr and suspecting motives. face reality and find a way to deal with it.

 

anjali deshpande

 

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