TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING ISLAM

Historian Toynbee wrote ‘The void created by the failure to communicate is soon filled with poison, drivel and misrepresentation’.
He said this in another context but I believe this is very relevant now in the context of the so called clash of civilizations.
I have always believed that in order to understand another viewpoint one has to listen without any preconceived notions .One has to start with a clean slate and listen to genuine representatives of the other viewpoint. Nowhere is this more critical than in our need to understand Islam .
When George Bush told the world that it was God who directed him to attack Iraq I knew that the man was a megalomaniac and a dangerous and bigoted one at that. I am deeply suspicious of anyone who claims to have a direct line to God. Usually the person is deluded and needs help.
How does one even begin to understand Islam? The best place to start is to ask what the common Muslims across the world have to say. The Gallup organization has done just that and the results are likely to be startling for those of us who have access only to our limited understanding and what the westernized media tells us.
The findings of this poll—covering Muslims in over 57 countries was –to me an eye opener and I believe all of us have to take the trouble to read this book[WHO SPEAKS FOR ISLAM by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed] if only to open our minds to what a major chunk of humanity thinks on issues of far reaching consequence to us all.
Just a few of the findings is all that I can enumerate here.
 It may be a shock to read that less than 3 % of Muslims approve the actions of terrorists. Osama Bin Laden may not win an election anywhere in the Muslim world.
 It is absolutely wring to refer to ‘ clash of civilizations’ as if Christianity or any other religion and Islam were in a do or die battle. Muslims do not seek to eliminate any religion.
 They do not hate the US. George Bush and several others in the western world never tire of telling us that Muslims hate the western values of democracy meritocracy, women’s’ rights, technology prowess etc . This is not true at all. On the contrary most Muslims admire these qualities of life in the west and eagerly await the day when their societies will emulate these values.
What they seek is as follows
 The world should try and understand their problems and world view with an open mind.
 Muslims want peace and economic development like people anywhere
 They want democracy, meritocracy, equality, technological advancement in their societies.
 They abhor violence and disapprove the mullahs who preach an outdated explanation of Islam.
 They object to the US talking of democracy and propping up dictatorships in the Islamic world—Egypt, Saudi Arabia for example
 They object to the US blindly supporting Israel in the middle East conflict. If only the US were evenhanded the crisis can be solved
 People all over the world could make a genuine attempt to understand that Islam is not a monolithic religion and each Islamic nation has its own culture and traditions and practice of Islam. It would be erroneous to tar all these people with one brush [I can attest that a Muslim in Tamilnadu has more in common with his Hindu neighbour than with a UP Muslim]
 Muslim women are fighting for their rights and some Islamic nations including Saudi Arabia are responding positively to this movement .Given time things will change
 Let the media hear the voices of moderate many instead of focusing on the violent few

I recently came across a study that pointed out that while we keep on ridiculing Muslim nations for being ‘ backward’ the oil rich nations are going ahead with serious reforms that will put to shame countries like India who claim to be modern. Thus Dubai is poised to become one of the most important trading and financial centres in the world in the nest three years. Contrast this with Indian politicians talking of Mumbai becoming the next Singapore Hongkong, Shanghai—the list changes every time a new city forges ahead ! If the Shiv Sena has its way and drives away ‘outsiders Mumbai will become the next Sangli or Kolhapur.
Saudi Arabia has put in motion what is called PLAN 10/10 This states that by 2010 the country will be among the TEN most advanced nations in the world ! India are you listening?
Nations in the middle east are setting up I.T parks Industrial zones and even ‘Education cities’ on a scale and of a kind that ‘Modern’ India has not even conceived Thus these education cities have already attracted some of the finest Universities from the US—Carnegie Mellon .Stanford and Georgetown for example. Contrast this with what Harvard and Stanford experienced when they wanted to set up base in India. The enlightened HR Minister directed that the hallowed Harvard and the much admired Stanford would have to abide by UGC rules in respect of syllabus, recruitment of faculty and selection of students! The middle east countries directed that meritocracy shall prevail while our Honorable Minister is insisting on quotas as usual..
I can go on but space constraints prevent me from doing this
I suggest as follows
–Open your minds and hearts to your Muslim friends You will find that they are no different form you.
–Islam has differences from say Hinduism but that ought not to prevent us from agreeing to disagree. I personally believe that maybe God desired diversity in everything religion included.
–Yes the Holy Koran may have some statements that others may not find acceptable . But let me tell you a secret. I can point out objectionably statements in Holy Books of most religions Hinduism and Christianity included. Most Muslims have not read the whole of the KORAN and not understood every statement. In any case their day to day life is as liberal as anyone else’s.
As a parting shot let me narrate a few vignettes
-a decade ago a friend and I decided to travel to Peshawar to witness an India Pakistan Cricket match. Even as awaited the High Commission’s response we made some enquiries about the advisability of traveling to that country especially whether we would face any hostility from ‘ backward’ people there. My enquiries revealed that on the contrary I would be welcomed with utmost affection and most restaurants would not accept money from me. ’How can we take money from our brothers ‘ would be the common response I was told. As for backwardness I was told that there were more ‘ burkha ‘ clad women in New Delhi than in Lahore.
– A visiting Indian friend of mine went to a temple in Lahore. As she was entering the precincts she was accosted by some young Pakistani girls who told her that they would like to see the insides of the temple but the authorities refused entry. However the girls asked my friend to pray for their success in their exams!
- An American journalist travelled to the interior towns of Iran. At one place she met with many young jean clad boys and girls enjoying an evening at a coffee shop like their counterparts anywhere in the world . She started talking to them and found them very knowledgeable about the US and in fact they admired the US. What shocked her was a question from one teenager ‘ How does it feel to live in a theocracy like the US? Your President seems to be a religious fanatic!’[See the irony]
–Islamic nations have learnt to adapt ancient Islamic concepts to a modern age .Sharia complying banking has taken off in a big way One of these banks has an Indian Hindu in a very senior position!
–A Bombay Entrepreneur has set up a sharia compliant broking business so that Muslims can benefit from the boom in India stock markets.
- a Mullah in India announced that taking out an insurance policy was un-Islamic He was promptly ignored.
The Islamic world is changing and it is time we changed our mindsets too.

K.R.RAVI
USA