Terrorism is probably the most common word flowing out of our tireless lips these days, closely followed by recession and job losses.
There is little doubt that acts like these need to be condemned and stopped. Most of us may agree that there is no justification in killing innocent, unarmed civilians in a country that is not in active war with any nation. It may be hard to believe, but some people actually disagree!
We have been exposed to mass terrorism in the last 15 odd years, though it has been there in one form or the other for much longer. Let us try and give it a realistic perspective by relating events that we remember or recollect.
Was 9/11 the first act of terrorism? or was it the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai? or was it the 1984 assassination of Indira Gandhi?
Can we term the insurgency by Pakistani militants into India since the early 1980s as the beginning of terrorism? or did it take root with the original Afghan Mujahideen during the soviet invasion of the late 1970s?
Did it start during the World War? Was Hitler a glorified terrorist? what about the native American wars and the reservation problem? what can we call the Holy war of the Crusades? what about the merciless armies of Chengiz Khan or Kublai Khan? What about the marauding armies of Attila the Hun?
The Spanish invasion of South America in quest for Aztec gold cost the lives of countless natives. What shall we call the genocide in Vietnam, Cambodia, Rwanda, Angola, Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and the countless other strife torn regions across the world?
What should we call that? War? Colonisation? Anarchy? Merciless killing? Terrorism? Tough luck?
Closer to home, millions of Hindus were massacred over many years on both sides of the Hindukush mountains (Afghanistan), in what was known as Hindustan during the 1st Millennium. Hungry armies have mounted countless raids across the Arabian desert and through the Khyber Pass, leading into Hindustan.
With a blood soaked history such as this, one cannot be blamed for thinking that terrorism was born and thrives in the golden triangle of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Today, the world's people have the liberty and capability to discuss heinous acts such as the one witnessed recently in Mumbai. Similar incidents have taken place the world over since the dawn of time. The only difference is that today we have dramatic effects like crumbling towers, exploding aeroplanes, heroic commandos and senseless newsmen clamouring for misplaced public attention.
Earlier, there was no 24-hour coverage about Alexander's conquest across Babylonia and his tryst with India. I doubt if Sri Rangachari Mudaliar sitting in his veranda sipping strong South Indian coffee in front of Srirangam Temple in Trichi got to hear of a certain Alexander wreaking havoc half way across the world.
Faster communication, technology and travails of the modern world has given violence a new name and dimension that we have now come to recognise as "global terrorism".
United States went about addressing its first "terrorist" attack by waging a "legal " war with a people whose land was already ravaged by consecutive wars. Whether the war on terror did appease the kith and kin of the victims is something that needs introspection, but there is no doubt that it depleted their stock of expired military arsenal and gave the armed forces a chance to flex its muscles against an enemy they haven't found in 7 long years of battle.
As people who tend to be less violent (when our husbands and wives aren't around), what we could do is to understand the root cause of actions that attract the name "terrorism", and try to address those issues.
In truth, we have always had individuals or a group of people willing to harm others for a variety of reasons like profit, hatred, conquest, greed, anger, power and quite dangerously, in the name of God. What makes incidents like these stand out is the unprovoked killing of civilians by armed gangs from a foreign land with no apparent demand or specific intent other than striking fear in the hearts of people.
Although the terrorists who stormed Mumbai on that fateful night could have been blackmailed, misled or brainwashed into committing the crime, they sacrificed their individual thinking for a school of thought that few people in the world can identify with.
Where is the problem?
The perpetrators of this crime harbour the same negative thoughts we know all too well. Their mind breeds anger, hatred and intolerance for others. Out of these three, i would single out intolerance as the key suspect. Be it LeT, JeM, Al-Qaeda, Taliban or Mujahideen, they are unable to accept the existence of people who may not agree with them. The same is true for many others across the world who spread hatred and violence.
They preach a system of intolerance and violent justice towards everyone who do not accept their beliefs. To add to their misery, misinterpreted religious doctrines and economic hardships have completely distorted their minds into following "laws" or "orders" that could not be any further from the absolute truth.
Where did this intolerance come from? my personal belief is that it comes from misguidance. "A" misguided "B" who misguided "C" and so on. It is another matter whether this was deliberate or a consequence of blind faith in whatever was dished out. I am not saying that the religion taught to them is wrong, but i do believe that its interpretation went horribly wrong somewhere. The right word would be, Lost in Translation.
Sounds like an Eskimo hired to decipher Tamil literature from the Sangam period and re-write them in Vedic Sanskrit.
Incorrect information, inculcating inaccurate, illogical and inane ideologies in a certain section of the society over an extended period of time has led us to this situation.
Deliberate or not, misguidance comes from a single source, Ignorance. If i deliberately hit my neighbour with a stick because i feel good, then i am showing my ignorance because the real "good feeling" does not come from hitting my neighbour, but by showing compassion, friendliness and tolerance.
By ignorance, we mean "Agyan" or lack of knowledge about the absolute truth. In this case, ignorance about many basic virtues of human life can be noticed.
If i have been threatened and misguided by someone to hit my neighbour, then it is again ignorance because i have surrendered to a thought that does no good to anyone.
The hapless terrorist and his mentors suffer from the same mental afflictions like anger, hatred, jealousy, intolerance, greed, lust, desire, etc. that we already know about. We ourselves are victims of these very same "terrorists" within our mind, although we could claim that the degree of our suffering is much lesser.
Other than these problems, they have been extremely unlucky to have been,
1) In a highly volatile environment that has a tradition of narrow minded and oppressed thinking.
2) In a region already torn apart with extreme religious and cultural beliefs, with stunted social development.
3) In countries suffering from acute economic and domiciliary challenges.
How to solve the problem?
The first Intifada or Jihad has to come from within. If more and more individuals take up arms against the ills that the mind suffers from, then the revolution from within will lead us to a source of knowledge that will douse the fire once and for all.
It is said that Islam teaches many good virtues and preaches non-violence. Pity that many of these killers are not taught to follow the very same good virtues mentioned in the Holy Quran. History has show us that there have been many saints and samaritans from the Islamic world. Sufi saints are very popular for their heart warming poems, all in the name of God.
They need not necessarily look outside their own society for answers. Following the lead from their own saints, they could accomplish a lot more than the western civilisation has, in terms of humanity and social cause.
Until each misguided person realises that he or she is doing wrong and needs to correct himself, there will be no end to the violence within, and outside.
If the people from these societies begin to shun violence and look at easier methods of finding inner and external peace, then their ignorance will begin to fade. Hopefully, a social structure and a system of education that teaches tolerance for other faiths and people can be established in these troubled countries.
Undoubtedly, they should be taught that violence is not the answer for a missing piece of bread from their plate.
Now comes the point of God and Grace. If these unfortunate souls had the great opportunity of having a peace loving saint explain to them about good, bad and eventually about the absolute truth, there is a good chance of them reforming.
With God's Grace and Will, such an event could definitely take place and a revolution of epic proportions could be in the making.
Imagine what could happen if their society at large is led by a strong, peace-loving Sufi saint? His easy flowing philosophy could be explained to them in a way that will dispel all their doubts and misconceptions about God and help develop tolerance for other religions.
Imagine how content they would be to find out that the answer to their own suffering lies in putting an end to the ignorance they have about people, societies and most importantly, the ignorance about the true path to eternal happiness.
A very ideal situation would be that they begin to find solace in the tenets of "Sanatan Dharm" or the Eternal, Universal Religion. But that is a far cry, since political and religious boundaries will ensure unbearable taxes on such an import across the border.
If i could mention another critical point as the cause of their woes, it is the case of a missing leader. The region has missed a strong and balanced people leader with the highest ideals.
It would definitely help if the society creates a calm, serene environment free of violence and hatred. They should be taught the basic virtues of friendliness, compassion and so on. God has to be introduced as a form of love and affection, not as the leader of marauding killers. This will bring about a change in their outlook and eventually a huge turnaround in overall behaviour.
This shift should happen at the grass root level, in the streets and by lanes of the very same cities that churn out killing machines by the dozen.
If they get it all right, they should be picking up a copy of Tom & Jerry instead of their beloved hand-held rocket launcher. 
Readers might find that this article has a moderate and soft view of the situation amidst war cries from various quarters. War is not a solution all the time, especially in a dangerous region like ours, and in a delicate situation such as the one we are in today.
Probably the best tribute to peace was paid by Led Zeppelin in their immortal song, "Battle of Evermore".
The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath.
As usual, i must add that these are personal views and does not reflect that of any other individual or community.
Khuda Hafiz
Anand
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written by captainjohann, 2009-02-09 21:11:45
The dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir has been lingering for more than half a century. A major hurdle in the resolution of this conflict is the self-styled jihadists based in Pakistan, who insist that the conflict over Kashmir is an Islamic jihad and that, therefore, war is the only solution. They claim that participation in this so-called jihad has become a farz-e ayn, a duty binding on all Muslims, and some of them, most prominently the dreaded Lashkar-e Tayyeba, even go so far as to claim that the war in Kashmir is nothing but the ghazwat ul-hind, the 'war against India' which is mentioned in a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. By this they want to suggest that waging war against India is an Islamic duty, something prophesied by the Prophet Muhammad himself.
..
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written by Anand Rao, 2009-02-05 15:24:55
Thanks all for the comments. When a discussion veers towards religion and faith, there are plenty of booby traps around
The biggest problem is that, since the last 2000 years, God has become a subject of rationalisation and allegory. The problem has become more acute and critical in the last 100 odd years.
Fundamentalism lies within the mind. It is the people who created Sati, caste system, the dowry system and other discriminatory systems. Hinduism or the tenets do not say that, "Push your wife into the fire". It does not say that a Brahmin priest should look down and shun a shudra. This caste system was made to identify and distinguish and NOT TO discriminate.
The person who discriminated might have been a highly placed priest. So the flaw is in the person and not the system. Even in Hinduism, misinterpretation and misguidance have cost us a lot, as a society and as a religion.
Ignorance and misguidance has given Hinduism a rather fundamentalist outlook with the emergence of certain radical groups. Those groups may be called "fundamentalists" but not the religion itself!
Why blame the basket when one or two apples are rotten
So, when we have so many religions and most of them falling short of satisfying this intellect driven society, the need for a comprehensive solution has never been this grave. Why i mentioned Hinduism as 'One size fits all' is because it has the capacity to answer every person's questions.
Coming to the indescribable aspect of God, the Vedas say that because God cannot be understood so easily. There are no words to describe him. It is the magnanimity of God that makes it impossible for anyone to grasp him. Now, the word "him" would surely draw the attention of women's rights groups. You could also say "her"
Even in daily life, we come across events or people that we say are "indescribable". Why not God then?
Anyway, this discussion might get into a "religious" tangle. We could use another thread or blog to debate it and clear the air if you will.
I would also like to draw the attention of readers to a blog that has some insight into this "God" thing.
http://kripaludas.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Anand
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written by mogambo, 2009-02-05 12:52:12
So, in my view, there is a one size fits all solution and Hinduism is the answer. If we are lucky to find the absolute truth, like innumerable have done in the past, then we could say it with conviction abound. (Just like the unshakeable conviction of the Mumbai terrorists that it is God's will that wants them to spray bullets and vanquish the infidels)
If people develop the same level of conviction (albeit in the right direction !), then the world would be a much better place to live in smilies/smiley.gif
Hence, it is a matter of faith as to what we "believe" true religion or spirituality is smilies/wink.gif
mogambo thinks that this kind of logic leads to the bajrang dalis and shiva sena type mentality that we see in prevalent in india today.
who are we to decide or say which religion or system is the best one? and why is hinduism the one size fits all, mogambo wonders.
isn't hinduism also the root of a great deal of social evils such as dowry, sati and caste?!!
when a religion says God is indescribable, does it not indicate a lack of understanding or depth?
mogambo does not mean to hurt anybodys feelings. mogambo is wondering
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written by karigar, 2009-02-05 07:53:02
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written by karigar, 2009-02-05 07:35:37
The trouble is with the language we speak. In English, the word Religion comes laden with explicit Judeo-Christian roots. It is another matter that non-Abrahamic people have now been cultured to talk about their own systems as "Religions" due to the dominance of "Western" values in today's society globally. This externailzed expression / statement of allegiance / belief is definitely a social construct.
The Abrahamic world (Judaism-Christianity-Islam) has been the one that has historically been most insistent in making sure that ideas regarding "Worship of Divine", "God" , "Spirituality" etc be pushed into all aspects of society, through a centralized dogma that is supposed to be Irrefutable.
The rest of the world, and Indian traditions in particular, have never historically observed these peculiar "Insider/Outsider" distinctions seriously(i.e. One man One Religion, One path to "God", etc...) Hence it had been easy for the non-Abrahamic people to say ok to more than one way to divine.
It is another matter that having accepted the outsider given definitions, and living in a world not of their own making, People from the Indic & other traditions have been slowly been morphing the social side into the Western style "Religions", if only to survive in society.
So in a sense, traditional "Hinduism" is not really "One Size fits All" but "Many sizes, a plethora of them, tested and available for each according to temperament & inclination." Indic traditions (Hinduism-Yoga-Vedanta etc, Jainism, Buddhism etc) are not "Belief Systems" where one just pledges allegiance (like "Jesus is my Savior, period" or "Allah is the Only God & Mohd is his prophet, or Else" ) but are more like systems to develop one's own Self & 'faith' (Utterly Theistic, or Non-Theistic).
Hence when one turns to Spirituality, one more often than not foljows the path treaded by "Hindu" sages of yore, and made available to humanity, via Meditation & other Yoga, etc..Most "New Age" systems owe their coherence to their appropriation of Indic (Hindu/Buddghist) systems...
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written by Anand Rao, 2009-02-05 05:11:50
Yes, it would seem rather short-sighted to say, "One size fits all". The challenge is to clearly demarcate Religion and Spirituality. How many of us can do it?
Where can we find a lucid explanation about what is the exact meaning? In general, religion seems to encompass or represent the faith of a large population. Religion defines the philosophy, practices, rituals, methods and doctrines followed by a group of people who "follow" the religion.
Spirituality tends to be more individual in person, though it is not a rule. A spiritual person could come from any faith or religion.
Spirituality or Religion, it is a matter of FAITH or BELIEF in a system.
God is all about faith. It starts and ends there.
Christians believe in God, Jesus, Abraham, Mother Mary, Heaven, Hell and so on. Islam has Allah (God), Prophet Mohammed and so on. Many other "religions" have some established order and believe in God.
In every religion, the practices are different, the rituals elaborate and cumbersome, rules and dogmas so complicated that people get confused.
The point to remember here is that, all these religions "believe" that God is either formless or has a form. The concept of Heaven and hell occupies a lot of prominence and many "believe" that that is where it all ends.
Now for the one size fits all solution.
It is ONLY Hinduism or 'Sanatan Dharm' that has the capacity to explain all the virtues of God, be it a formless one or the one with innumerable forms. Infact, the Vedas also say that God is indescribable
They are all described in the Vedas, Upanishads and the other sacred texts. Heaven and Hell is not the end for Hinduism.
In a large context, be it the Advaita (non dualism) philosophy as propounded by Adi Jagadguru Shankaracharya or the Dvaita philosophy of Jagadguru Madhavacharya, Hinduism is able to satisfy the search of every type of believer.
This special feature is not found in any other religion or spiritual practice that can absorb all types of thinkers and believers.
The Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Bhagvat Gita and the Bhagvatam clearly specify the nature of God and all the aspects about the absolute truth. It has enough for the Advaitvads and the Dvaitvads.
So, in my view, there is a one size fits all solution and Hinduism is the answer. If we are lucky to find the absolute truth, like innumerable have done in the past, then we could say it with conviction abound. (Just like the unshakeable conviction of the Mumbai terrorists that it is God's will that wants them to spray bullets and vanquish the infidels)
If people develop the same level of conviction (albeit in the right direction !), then the world would be a much better place to live in
Hence, it is a matter of faith as to what we "believe" true religion or spirituality is
Best Regards,
Anand
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written by advocatus D, 2009-02-03 11:49:35
I am wondering why we should all accept that one size fits all and that there is a single universal reality to social circumstances of many?
Like the old saying goes, "there is more than one way to do things, but not all the ways are equal or right"!
NOTE:- I consider religion a social phenomenon and not a spiritual journey
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written by Anand Rao, 2009-01-27 20:43:24
Yes, society always faces this challenge of finding a suitable answer. The elusive 'One size fits all' exists, but we need to willingly accept such a universal solution.
Regards,
Anand
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written by Dwai Lahiri, 2009-01-27 17:46:07
Let me first commend your extremely well articulated and lucid article.
I have something to say about Intolerance, perhaps add to the concept of "Agyan" that you mention here.
This intolerance is rooted in the notion that there is "ONE" exclusive way to attain spiritual salvation. There are certain religious denominations that tend to think that theirs is the only way and that they can and have the right to dictate/proselytize/convert and if all else fails, kill those who don't believe anything different.
So that's why you see in the history of the world so much bloodshed and mayhem in the name of God.
There has been conflict as soon as perhaps the first single-celled organism multiplied and evolved. the nature of the conflict has only grown more complicated as the organisms grew more complex themselves.
Is there a solution? I shudder when I think of it...because it is obvious. Until these exclusivists don't acknowledge that their ways are perhaps one of several to unite with God, there will be no solution!
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written by Mita Das, 2009-01-23 08:37:57
Thanks for the article expressing your views on terrorism and what can be done to arrest it's growth. It is undoubtedly a complex problem spreading like raging fire through the world, ready to overtake it, unless we address the problem systematically. I liked your solution that it needs to come from within. May I also add that to encourage mutual respect and engagement between civilizations, we need to start engaging these misguided youth in participating in political and civic society as they will be the future leaders. Healthy, well-educated, and engaged citizens are more invested in their societies and are less likely to be swayed by radical ideologies.
Mimi.
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written by narensomu, 2009-01-23 04:52:46
Thanks for the article.The light tone and humour adds value to the message.
It is indeed sad that instead of spending this precious human life in the pursuit of God, some of us waste the time and oppurtunity to do so. And the cause is mindless hatred for those who dont agree with what one believes in.
I too join in the prayers of fellow Medhavis here .
Sarva Jano sukhino bhavantu.
Regards
ns
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written by Anand Rao, 2009-01-22 16:40:32
To answer the question from AS, multiple religions or sects were created by humans. At the same time, i have to add that there are unknown or undecipherable reasons for this phenomenon. Place, era, people, environment, etc. all play a role in the creation of various religions.
For ex., oriental people (Japanese, Koreans, Chinese) tend to like a calm and serene form of worship. Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto and similar religions seem to flourish here. Similarly, every place and people has developed its own way of worshipping God.
If you are looking for a spiritual answer, God is so benevolent that he has allowed us to reach him in any way we want to. The paths are different, but the destination is the same. This is a very "broad" philosophy, and i am afraid there is way too much to explain when we start talking about the "Absolute path" and the "Absolute Religion". We will then have to start comparing religions and the philosophies, which i am sure will lead to another blood bath right here
In my opinion, it is impossible to gain spiritual benefit without associating with a particular belief. Be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam or any of the 11 major religions that exist in the world today.
Spirituality is the answer for one's own problems. As a society, it is extremely challenging to force the doctrine down everyone's throat unless everyone is willing to accept what is dished out. The other alternative is to point a gun at your head, like it is being done in some parts of the world
Partha, your breath sounds like you are thinking of a "transformation" based leader from the silicon valley of India
Hope that helps.
Regards,
Anand
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written by Sreeparna, 2009-01-22 16:39:39
Thanks for this nice article..which went from terrorism to terrorist within
Doesn't matter with the title change, the message is the same
Dear Partha,
I will try to join in the prayer to bring out unity in positive thoughts..
Regards,
Hatimtai
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written by P. Desikan, 2009-01-22 15:36:31
Warm regards. Partha
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written by Arya_supremo, 2009-01-22 06:05:57
As you indicated, one should believe in spiritual enhancement over religion. Religion represents politics, ego and spirituality enhances humility/kindness..
People who believe in no religion such as maoist and communist, go down in the blood path as well..
So what could be the solution? Could one be spiritual, without belonging to a particular religious belief?
Rgds,
AS
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7896943.stm
Regards,
Anand