28. S. Omkar

I refer to the document ‘Time For Stock Taking’. I am surprised that the Sangh Parivar has been popularizing these eight slogans. Obviously, the leaders of the Sangh Parivar have not read either the Bible or the Quran. If they had read them, they would not be making such ridiculous statements. With friends like these, Hindus do not need enemies.

1. What is the harm in adding Jesus and Muhammad to the 33 crore Hindu gods and goddesses?
I do not know where this number 33 crore came from because even a language rich in vocabulary such as Sanskrit does not have 33 crore words. In any case, all the Hindu deities are different representations of the one God, and believing in one does not involve denial of others. Jesus and Muhammad do not fall in the category of deities. Also, according to the New Testament and the Quran, if one does not believe in Jesus or Allah (together with Muhammad) respectively as the only saviour, then one is doomed to eternal hell. If one believes in Jesus or if one believes in Allah (with Muhammad), then it is not permissible to worship any other deity. Therefore, Jesus and Allah (with Muhammad) cannot be included in Hindu deities.

Will the Muslims or Christians agree to include a Hindu deity as part of their worship?

2. All religions (including Islam) lead to God.
Why is it that only Hindus are asked to make this statement which indirectly implies that all religions are the same? Christians call Hindus heathens and some Christian preachers refer to Hindus as ‘devil worshippers’. Muslims refer to Hindus as kafirs and the Allah of the Quran exhorts Muslims to convert or kill all non-Muslims. The openness of Hinduism does not mean that we should teach our children the myth that all religions are the same when they are not. Also, if we do not criticize the faults of Islam and Christianity (obviously Muslims and Christians are not going to do so while they continue criticising Hinduism), then Hindu children get a mistaken notion that only Hinduism has faults. There is nothing wrong in telling the truth.

This type of statements which even Hindu preachers make (without having read the Bible or the Quran) soften Hindus for conversion to Christianity and Islam. If all religions are the same as only Hindus are taught, then what is the harm in conversion to another faith? Of course, no other religion makes this statement. They teach that only their religion is the right one, that all other religions are wrong, and that they must convert everyone else by hook or crook or even kill them.

3. Islam is good but Muslims are bad.
Muslims are the product of Islam and behave the way they do because of what Islam (Quran) teaches them. One of the basic tenets of Islam is Jihad i.e. waging war against all non-Muslims with a view to converting or killing them. There are many verses of the Quran in which Allah asks Muslims to wage wars against non-Muslims. The manner in which Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan were killed and expelled at the time of partition was no accident. Muslims of Pakistan were following the teachings of Islam. Muhammad himself had treated the Jews of Arabia in exactly the same way.

I am not making any comments on the other five items. I endorse Mr. Godbole’s comments and ask the misguided Hindus to read the Quran, the Sunnah, and the Bible before they make ridiculous statements of the type mentioned in this document.

Finally, while I am giving my name and address for your information, it is to be clearly understood that they are not to be published or revealed in any form. If this is not acceptable, then you may not publish my comments under my name.

Footnotes:

The writer is a Hindu settled abroad. He has asked us not to reveal his real name and address. We have given him a pseudonym.