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Monday 14 January 2013

Vivekananda on Islam, Part 3


 Tracing a brief history of the Tartar and Turk races which were converted
from Buddhism to Islam, and then they went to conquer the Hindus, Persians,
and Arabs, Swami Vivekananda then speaks how these Tartars (now Mohammedans)
had conquered other kingdoms:"The Tartars seized and occupied the throne of
the Arabian Caliph, took possession of Jerusalem, the great Christian place
of pilgrimage, and other places, would not allow pilgrims to visit the holy
sepulchre, and killed many Christians. The heads of the Christian Chruches grew
mad with rage and roused their barbarian disciples throughout Europe who in
turn inflamed the kings and their subjects alike. Hordes of European barbarians
rushed towards Asia Minor to deliver Jerusalem from the hands of the infidels.
A good portion of them cut one another's throats, others died or disease, while
the rest were killed by the Mohammedans. However, the blood was up of the wild
barbarians, and no sooner had the Mohammedans killed them than they arrived in
fresh numbers - with that dogged obstinacy of a wild savage. They thought noth-
ing even of plundering their own men, and making meals of Mohammedans when they
found nothing better. It is well known that the English king Richard has a
liking for Mohammedans flesh. (V:529-30)
    Islam accepts that Mohammed and Jesus were both prophets sent by Allah.
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy spirit in the
womb of virgin Mary. But muslims deny and ridicule the doctrine of the virgin
birth of Jesus. For christine Jesus the christ was divine as well as human.
But allah the unique creator of the world, the Father, has no daughter and
sons. Angel Gabriel addressed Mohammed as the only "Messenger of Allah". This
is beautifully expressed by Swami ji, "Mohammed is not worshipped in the same
sense as Christ. Mohammed believes in Christ but denies he is God" (II:478).

    Regarding the fact that in Muslim countries the non-Muslim religious
communities had difficulty in performing their religious duties and the
theocratic governments do not allow to build temples or churches, no wonder
Swamiji said: "It is here that Indians build temples for Mohammedans and
Christians. Nowhere else. If you go to other countries and ask Mohammedans or
people of other religions to build a temple for you, see how they will help.
They will instead try to break your temple and you too if they can (III:114).

    Ramajanambhoomi Movement: For the last 500 years the struggle to regain
the birthplace of Lord Rama in Ayodhya has been going on and off, and recently
it had reached to its final phase. The Muslims and pseudsecularists have
demanded proof of Rama's birth forgetting that they are most vulnerable if a
counter question was put forth regarding similar beliefs in other religions.
Yet Hindus paraded plenty of proofs to demonstrate the fact that there was a
Rama temple at the site of disputed structure, which was destroyed at the
orders of an invader, and a mosque-like structure was built at its place using
the temple-material. But no avail, Hindus continued to endure, presevere, and
wait to prevail the wise counsels, and ultimately when all failed, the limits
were transgressed, enough was enough, a volcano type situation was created, and
as a result Dec.6th of 1992 happened! Let us see what Swamiji says related to
such situations:
"...You have withstood the shocks of centuries simply because you took great
care of it, you sacrificed everything else for it. Your forefathers underwent
everything boldly, even death itself, but preserved their religion. Temple
after temple was broken down by the foreigner conquerers, but no sooner had the
wave passed than the spire of the temple rose up again. Some of these old
temples of southern India and those like Somnath of Gujarat will teach you
volumes of wisdom, will give you a keener insight into the history of the race
than any amount of books. Mark how these temples bear the marks of a hundred
attacks and a hundred regenerations, continually destroyed and continually
springing up out of the ruins, rejuvenated and strong as ever! That is the
national mind, that is the national life-current. Follow it and it leads
to glory. Give it up and you die; death will be the only result, annihilation
the only effect, the moment you step beyond that life-current. (III:289)

    Swamiji was very much pained by the cast system, untouchability and the
unspeakable social tyranny. Swamiji was concerned at the deplorable lack of
unity and corrupted social customs. Islam too has castes like the Shia, Sunni,
Ahmaddiya, Dawoodi Bohra, Sulemain, Bohra, Ismailli Khoja, Memon, Moplah, the
Sufi, the Chisti, and so on. Swamiji advised the Hindus: "How could Mohammedan-
ism have lived, had there been nothing good in its teaching? There is much
good. Mohammed was the prophet of equality, of the brotherhood of all Muslims.
(IV:133). "..Why amongst the poor of India so many are Mohammedans? It is non-
sense to say they were all converted by sword. It was to gain their liberty fro
m the zamindars and from the priest, and as a consequence you find in Bengal
there are more Mohammedans than Hindus amongst the cultivator because there
were so many zamindars there. (VIII:330)

   The heroic resistance of Hindus against Islamic imperialism the growth of
many sects, the supreme sacrifices of Guru Tegh Bahadur and the Bhakti Saints
checked the Muslim proselytizing activity. Swamiji said: "Again it is in an
undoubted fact that if there had not been the advent of Kabir, Nanak and Chait-
anya in the Mohammedan period, and the establishment of the Brahmo Samaj and
the Arya Samaj in our own day, then, by this time, the Mohammedans and the
Christians would have far outnumbered the Hindus of the present day in India.
(IV:463)

     Swamiji was right when he said: "This Vedantic spirit of religious
liberality has very much affected Mohammedanism. Mohammedanism in India is
quite a different thing from that in any other country. It is only when
Mohammedans come from other countries and preach to their coreligionists in
India about living with men who are not of their faith that a Mohammedan mob
is aroused and fights. (V:310-11)

   Swamiji treated all children of this land, irrespective of their religion
as Hindus which is a cultural concept, he reminded: "The word Hindu, therefore,
covers not only Hindus proper, but Mohammedans, Christians, Jains and other
people who live in India." (III:118).

   Finally Swami Vivekananda summarizes the Hindu way of thinking, the
Sanatan Dharma, and a mission for the mankind in the following words:

SUCH A RELIGION WHICH WILL HAVE NO PLACE FOR PERSECUTION OR INTOLERANCE IN ITS
POLITY, WHICH WILL RECOGNISE 'DIVINITY' IN EVERY MAN AND WOMAN AND WHOSE
WHOLE SCOPE, WHOSE WHOLE FORCE WILL BE CENTERED IN AIDING HUMANITY, TO REALISE
ITS OWN TRUTH - DIVINE NATURE; IS ONLY FOUND IN OUR ANCIENT WAY, NOW KNOWN AS
HINDU WAY OF THINKING. OFFER SUCH A RELIGION AND ALL NATIONS WILL FOLLOW YOU.










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