There is perhaps no other pair of nations on earth, which share such similar dangers, concerns, hopes and aspirations for the future of their people, as do India and Israel. There is an incredible amount that these two countries have in common, when one goes beyond the superficial differences. Just as today, the Hindus of India are fighting for their survival in the very land of their origin and forefathers, so too are the Jews of Israel confronting the very same threats to the nation that is theirs by historical and religious birthright. Hindus and Jews both face exactly the same danger; Islam. And it is at this very point where so many of the similarities between the Indian nation and the Israeli nation converge in an incredibly reflective manner.
Islam is not a new threat to either the Hindus or the Jews. The most amazing aspect of all is that it was these very two religions that were sought to be exterminated by the founder of Islam; Prophet Mohammed, over 1300 years ago. The history of Arabia is littered with the blood of the Jews and Pagan Pre-Islamic Arabs, who were none other than Hindus. For every Jewish Medinah, there was a Hindu Mecca, and both of them in their own turns were decimated and desecrated by Mohammed's followers. These were the two belief systems that Mohammed stole all his religious concepts from, and then proceeded to distort so thoroughly, that all elements became entirely unrecognizable. It is his legacy that the Muslims of the present day plan to live out in its minutest bloody details. The millennia old legacy of hatred and violence against Jews and Hindus, is very much alive and kicking in the heart of thousands of committed Mujahideen, willing to martyr themselves any day, with a suicide bomb or two.
The similarities between the present and past situations of these two countries in reference to Islam, is too striking to overlook or dismiss as mere coincidence. Let us look at a few examples.
It has become increasingly evident over the years, that the Pre-Islamic Pagans who were massacred by Mohammed were none other than Hindus. Islam began with the genocide of these Hindus. They were exterminated thoroughly along with every possible trace of Vedic culture in Arabia. The "Idolaters" , "Unbelievers", or "Kafirs" as Muslims fondly refer to Hindus, had to bear the brunt of the vociferous amounts of violence unleashed by the prophet Mohammed in his bid to attain complete power over Arabia and beyond. If there is one word that spells Anathema to the devout Muslim, it is the word "Hindu". The incomparable hatred and hostility that Allah's followers bear for Hindus, find their source in the wellspring of intolerance the Quran.The Islamic viewpoint of the Jewish faith is just as sharply antagonistic and decisively hostile. Prophet Mohammed originally was inspired by many of the concepts of the Jewish faith. However, being an illiterate person, he completely distorted the meaning of those concepts and presented them in a twisted way that suited his own needs at the time. When it became clear to him that the Jews of Arabia were wealthy, he tried extortion and persuasion to win influence over them; but when it became obvious that Jews are incredibly committed to their faith and willing to protect it with their lives, the Prophet was enraged. The Jews were apparently a rather large thorn in the flesh, in view of Mohammed's imperialistic ambitions of bringing Arabia to his feet through religion. Thus, Quranic injunctions that directly exhorted Muslims to kill Jews and treat them as born enemies, became the order of the day. Every Jewish settlement in Arabia was raided, and thousands of Jews massacred in cold blood.
Apart from each having suffered the shared history of Islamic genocide, Hinduism and Judaism are clearly the two ancient most religions surviving on earth today. Millennia before Christanity or Islam were born, Israel was the land of Judaism and India the land of Hinduism. In contemporary times as well, the histories of both Israel and India run closely paralell. Both were the victims of Islamic occupation for centuries together. And just as thousands of Hindu wonders such as Taj Mahal were plundered and rechristened by the Muslims in India, so too were scores of Jewish structures such as the beautiful Temple on the Mount, plundered and grabbed by the marauding hordes of Islam. What stands out about the history of these two peoples however, is the fact that all along they have stubbornly clung to their roots and painstakingly maintained their pride in their ancient languages, customs, traditions and spiritual practices. In spite of all odds, the greatest disasters have always somehow strengthened the Jewish people's faith in themselves. Hinduism, which has suffered the longest record of inhumane crimes and genocide against it, by the Muslim invaders, still brims over with the unalterable confidence of its believers. The unshakeable foundations of both of these massive spiritual traditions have braved many earthquakes and landslides, but never caved in. Trees which are entrenched as deeply in the soils of India as Hinduism and Judaism in Israel, simply cannot be uprooted.
Judea and Samaria are consistently referred to as "West Bank" in a deliberate attempt to distance the region from its Jewish past.
The Indian state of Kashmiri is presented as "the land of the Great Islamic Sufi Tradition". Not a mention is made of the fact that Kashmir has been home to Hindus for over 5000 years. The Hindu sect of Kashmir Shaivism was exerting its beneficial influence all over India, millennia before Islam was even born! Hinduism is constanly referred to as an alien religion, brought to India by the conquering hordes of "White Skinned Aryans" wheras the Muslim invaders are referred to as the "harbringers of culture, arts and peace". The Mughal rule of India was the bloodiest and most wretched period of India's history. During this period thousands of temples, idols, universities, libraries, etc were razed to the ground and millions massacred. Thousands of Hindu palaces and treasures like the Taj Mahal were captured, defaced and renamed with a Muslim name. And yet the Aryan Invasion Theory which has been thoroughly rescinded and rejected by the world, still holds hypnotic sway over the minds of India's Journalists.
However, this type of unfair portrayl has not gone unnoticed and added to both nations' experience of decades of unrest, rioting and murder by Muslim mobs . Consequently Jews and Hindus feel more and more threatened and frustrated in their own lands. As always, this direct attack on Judaism and Hinduism has only motivated their respective followers to reassert their individual and collective confidence in their ancient spiritual traditions. The desire to reassert what is their rightful pride in land, culture and religion has awakened in the heart of the common Israeli and Indian. The results are obvious, the unabashedly Jewish Likud Party was voted into power in Israel and the political party that represents the re-emergence of Hinduism; the BJP, has been voted into power in India. These developments have of course caused untold heartburn and anger in Pro-Islamic circles. Therefore the media onslaught has begun in dire earnest. European, American and Islamic media have started unleashing their tide of anti-Jewish and anti-Hindu bombardments. What has really set the alarm bells ringing internationally however, is the emerging closeness between the two nations.
As events unfold, this close relationship between India and Israel is bound to deepen. The Islamic influence which threatens to undermine the tolerance and harmony of the world, is increasingly focusing on these two nations as targets. Considering the import of shared experiences, ideas and situations that links Indians and Israelis, it is about time that solid chains of friendship were forged. Although politics may slow down the process, if the people of both countries reach out , an invaluable friendship can be created and nurtured between India and Israel.
No comments:
Post a Comment