The Power of Interreligion: International Day of Human Fraternity

 ‘There is only one religion, though there are a hundred versions of it.’ – George Bernard Shaw

February 4th, today, marks the first celebration of the International Day of Human Fraternity – a day which represents all that humanity needs the most in its darkest hour. Harmony. Peace. Unity. We cannot go up while trying to pull others down. That is why we need fraternity. Because above all boundaries, all identities, we are one entity – Humans. There are places in the world which face civil wars, strife, genocide and so many other brutalities because of the lack of fraternity – be it the Kashmiris in India, the Yazidis in Iraq or the Christians in Nigeria. There is a need for dialogue and democratic negotiation. There is a need for understanding more than just what meets the eye.

Every religion today is associated with some sort of tag, be it Christianity or Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam. However, unless we dispel those myths and destroy our biases, we will never unite. These are the most common tags:

1. The Hindu religion is considered ‘archaic’: A blatant mischaracterisation of the Hindu faith, that would be. It is usually considered exceptionally archaic and oriental due to its enormous host of Gods (330 million at last count, which is as much as the population of the US right now) and its association with concepts such as the Caste System and ritualism. However, while the Caste System is an ingrained component of Indian Hinduism, it does not stem from the sacred texts of Hinduism (such as the Puranas, Vedas and Upanishads): it comes from the book The Laws of Manu. In the remote regions of Russia and Bali where Hinduism is practised, the Caste system is nonexistent. Additionally, apart from the Caste system, its ritualism is often associated with superstition, though most Hindus today do not hold yagnas every Sunday, just like Christians don’t burn alleged witches on stakes every month.

2. The Islamic religion is considered ‘violent’: Due to a serious of serious misinterpretations, allegations and generalisations, the international press has mostly come to associate Islam with acts of terror, rape and violence: all of which are proscribed by the Quran. Its notoriety on television has been on a rise ever since the 2001 terror attacks on the US. However, what is often linked to ‘Islamism’ is quite peculiarly a cultist fringe movement most Muslims do not identify with, and usually deride. The ISIS, al-Qaeda and Taliban are often seen with heavy infighting, implying that they used religion as a means to a selfish end rather than the end for their means. Such a generalisation hurt their community, however.

3. The Christian religion is considered ‘intolerant/racist’: The Christian community is often viewed as conservative and intolerant; inconsistent with the modern worldview. While it is true that they have problems with sexism and racism within their orthodox Vatican community, most Christians aren’t defined by every edict the Pope prints out. In fact, a great majority of Christians are not exceptionally religious, with Church visits often low. To add on, Christians, in general, cannot be differentiated into those who are feminist and not. Quite like every other religion. Religion may define a person’s moral perspective, but each person is unique.

While many of these may seem like trivial or rather simple problems, they live within us as inherent biases. And when they build up and show on the exterior, the world falls to ruin. Look at the hatred and treatment meted out by the Chinese government to the simple Uighurs in Xinjiang. Is that not proof enough? 

However, some religious zealots believe that interreligious dialogue is utopian in its conception, going so far as to call it as a contravention of the will of their Gods. And yet we are surrounded by examples of interreligious harmony. From hiding the Jews during the Nazi occupation to protecting the Kashmiri pandits during the genocide of the 1990s: it is a relief that the common man values humanity above religiousness. 

Religion has the power to craft the greatest monuments ever crafted, and the power to fight the greatest wars ever fought. In the end, it is we who make those decisions: be it to build huge monuments or to fight massive wars. We must choose to break stereotypes, barriers and boundaries regarding religion. We mustn’t allow selfish religious zealots to manipulate our very sentiments for their own gains. We must ensure that religion does not stray from the path it calls righteous. After all, every religion is just a different means for the same end.