SRK to Fareed Zakaria on why Indian Muslims are different; misses the main point

Fareed Zakaria, anchor of one of the most popular show on Geo-politics, interviews Shahrukh Khan, the Indian actor in this video – while he is promoting “My Name is Khan”.  Zakaria asks: When George Bush was meeting Dr. Manmohan Singh, he tells Laura Bush that he is the Prime Minister of a country with the second largest Muslim population and no member of Al Qaeda.  Why do you think, is that so?

Shahrukh replies because we Indians are like that.  We like to compromise and to adjust and understand.

Watch the video and we will discuss it below it.  The part comes at 6:41.

Let us understand some of the things brought up in this video.

No Muslim part of Al Qaeda:  Well, this is not true because there are enough Indians who have been part of the core Al Qaeda team.  More important than that, the MINDSET of Al Qaeda has been active in India for over 2 decades now.  India has seen many bomb blasts, targeting of the majority community by shooting and other terror attacks for so many years now.  Whether, the guy shouts out Osama’s name or not doesn’t matter.  That brutal violent mentality is there.

Why Indian Muslims are not as violent as the others:  There are two aspects to this:  (1) like we said earlier, it is not true that there are no extremists in the community.  Given the number of terrorist attacks, it is very clear that there are.  (2) Most importantly, Spiritually all ideologies may be useless, but Socially it is important to understand how certain ideologies bring about harmony and some don’t.

To understand the importance of different ideologies, please check out the difference between India and Pakistan.  Just as Nehru called for a Secular India, so did Jinnah.  In one country, despite challenges, there is a much better assimilation of the minorities.  In the other, even the main Religious group has found ways to kill those who are different from the core orthodoxy.

That is a major difference.

Because, a Shia Muslim or an Ahmediya may have felt elated at the creation of Pakistan for Muslims 65 years back, but today these people are hounded in Pakistan and free to follow their religion in India.  An Ahmediya CAN call himself a Muslim on the Indian census.  In Pakistan, he cannot even speak about it in the presence of his non-Ahmediya friends!

And, at the beginning of the two countries – both got a call for Secularism… and both had people cut from the same societal elements.  Then what IS the difference?

As much as others may not want to admit – Respect for other religions is ONLY possible in a society with the ethos that comes from Hinduism.  In fact, even Sri Lanka, predominantly Buddhist has killed their Tamils with unmatched impunity.  Such a scale and ruthlessness of violence has not occurred in India ever.

That is the reason why in India, Sages and preachers of ways and methods that were different from the mainstream, were never hounded.  That isn’t true of ANY society on Earth!

The very reason why Buddha and Nanak or Krishnamurti and Osho or the Charvakas (compulsive atheistic order) found their own niche and were celebrated is the VERY reason why Secularism could survive in India.  These days it is a fashion to deny the contribution and the importance of the ethos that comes as part and parcel of Hinduism and root for the denouncing of Hindu essence.  But if they are successful, then one sees no reason why India won’t go the Pakistan or Sri Lankan way.

So the GREATEST insurance that minorities have in India is the celebration of Hindu ethos.  Its demise will be the greatest curse for the minorities!