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The Ignorance Of Faiths And Ayodhya
By- Vijay Kapoor
1)The Universal Standards Of Faiths:
During my current trip to India, I have seen a torrent of
articles and 'scholarly' commentaries questioning the authenticity of
Hindu claims to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and even whether the story of
Ramayan is fact or fiction..
Let us consider the relationship between faith and verifiable
fact in other world religions. For example, do Christians require that
the concept of "the Messiah" be historically verified in order
to validate their faith? The concept of the Messiah is rooted in Old Testament
of the Jewish scriptures. Christians have borrowed the idea from the Jewish
scriptures and proclaimed that Jesus is the ONLY SON of God, and the Messiah..
Over last two thousand years, Christians have killed many Jews for not
accepting Jesus as the Messiah.
Not only can the concept of "Messiah" not stand
up to rational scrutiny, but the Christians have stacked layer upon layer
of non-verifiable concepts on top of the story about Jesus Christ.. To
recount a few, how many rational minds would agree to the assertion that
a Virgin gave birth to Jesus? And how do you explain that Jesus was resurrected
from the dead to ascend to heaven? Or that the heavenly bodies moved to
direct shepherds to go to Bethlehem to bow to the baby Jesus lying in
a manger? Just because the basic Christian concepts are not verifiable,
would the same 'scholars' who question the veracity of Lord Rama argue
to dissolve Christianity?
Let us now move the spot light to the Jewish faith, the
forerunner of Christianity and Islam. If you leave aside the sanctity
of 'faith' how many rational minds would accept the proposition that Yahweh
(the Jewish God) talked to Moses and guided him to migrate to Israel to
give that land to the Jews and asked them to kill all the Canaanites,
the natives of that place?
Would the 'scholars' who seek the veracity of Lord Rama's
birth and birthplace apply the same standards and would advocate abandoning
the Bible reading if the story in Genesis (first chapter of the Bible)
that Adam and Eve started the human race 6,000 years ago proved to be
a fiction? Or would you debunk Christianity, Islam and Judaism for their
common belief that God created the world in six days and took rest on
the seventh because of His exhaustion?
Would the Muslims give up their faith if it could not be
verified that God revealed the Koran to Mohammad? Or would you question
the faith of the Shia Muslims because they believe in the 'Hidden Imam'
who would reappear at a suitable time in the future?
For a period of over 300 years, Christian crusaders from
Europe invaded Jerusalem to reclaim the land of Jesus Christ from the
clutches of Muslims in spite of the fact that Muslims honor Jesus Christ
as one of the holy prophets and the Muslims never threatened or violated
the sanctity of Bethlehem, Jesus' birth place.
While pursuing the agenda of separating the fact from fiction,
it is more plausible (than the stories about Jesus, Moses or Mohammed)
that in the culture of temples in India, there was indeed a major temple
to honor Lord Rama. And on the other hand, there is a greater certainty
that the Moslem invaders whose basic religious tenets urge them to destroy
idols as representatives of devils did destroy temples which drew their
special attention. Besides, these temples were immensely rich, which is
always a major draw for any invading army to amass resources to conduct
their violent operations in an alien land.
Consider the recent destruction of Buddha's statue by the
Talibans in Afghanistan in spite of world-wide protests. Babur's tyranny
is well documented in the history books.. He had reasons to be fearless
in carrying out his pogrom since he was the first Moslem invader who had
acquired cannons (15th century), the equivalent of having a monopoly on
missiles in the 20th century!
2)Importance Of Lord Ram In Hindu
Civilization:
As to the importance of Lord Rama for Hindus, consider that
Mahatma Gandhi's last two words were Hey Ram when he was hit by the assassin's
bullets. Gandhi Ji's morning and evening prayers always started with Ramdhun
extolling the name Ram. Gandhi Ji had literally hundreds of god names
to speak while dying but he spoke of Lord Rama. Gandhi Ji had the choice
of tens of thousands hymns to select from to start his daily prayers,
but he selected Ramdhun. Over 90% of Hindus greet each other saying Jai
Sita Ram.
At funerals, throughout the funeral procession to the cremation
grounds, Hindus chant Ram Ram - Shri Ram - Bolo(chant) Ram. Every year,
in every Hindu village during the three week period between the national
holidays of Dushera and Diwali Ram Lilas are played.
Due to its importance in the Hindu psyche, Hindu Puranic
books had exalted Lord Rama's birthplace as the first among the seven
sacred places of pilgrimage. And it is not only in India, but even in
the distant cultures! of Cambodia, Thailand and even in the Islamic Indonesia
stories from the Ramayana are depicted in art and are the basis of folk
dramas.
In Hindu societies worldwide, more families practice the
rituals of 24 hours readings of Tulsi-Ramayana than any other ritual.
There is no equivalent of Bible or Koran readings in the same fashion
and certainly not on such a mass scale. In recent years, when Indian Television
serialized the story of Lord Ram, normal social activities slowed down
more dramatically than in the U.S.A. for the World Cup finals..
Considering that Hindus do not have any organizational structure
(no Pope or Ayatollahs), their collective cultural ethos is symbolized
by Ram Maryada. More folk tales and art depict stories and heroes of Ramayana
than any other single deity. Guru Nanak, Kabir and Tulsidas, three of
the greatest saint poets of India, extensively referred to or wrote devotional
poems glorifying Ram. In villages, where most Indians live, couplets from
Kabir's and Tulsidas's poems are pivotal to setting the standards of morality
and spirituality. By any standard, Lord Ram plays more of a central role
in the Hindu civilization than Jesus plays in Christianity or Mohammed
in Islam. Can you imagine Christianity without Bethlehem and Islam without
Kaaba?
Applying the universally respected international standards
in matters of faith, there are firm grounds for honoring Lord Rama by
establishing the Ram Temple at his traditional birth place in Ayodhya
If you squeeze out Ram Maryada out of India, you will have a shell of
India without its soul. The country would revert back either to Shahi
Dynasties as prevailed before British colonialism or it would take the
character of any one of scores of countries in this region from Pakistan
westward to Algeria ruled either by dictators or by shariat with plenty
of internecine bloodshed.
In pursuit of diversity "ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti,"
- truth is one but sages call it by different names, we lose sight that
diversity is uniquely imbedded in Hinduism. It is this reverence to diversity
which makes it so natural for India to be a democratic country. We have
to nourish its roots which lay in Ayodhya in the embodiment of Lord Rama.
I am third generation Arya Samaji, theoretically opposed to any idols,
just as it is in Islam, but honoring the values imparted by the memory
of Lord Rama, I conclude by saying Jai Sita Ram.
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