The liberal face of Islam
LIVED ISLAM IN SOUTH ASIA — Adaptation, Accommodation & Conflict: Imtiaz Ahmad, Helmut Reifeld — Editors; Pub. by Social Science Press, 69, Jor Bagh, New Delhi-110003. Rs. 695.
THE INTRODUCTION to this book, which is a collection of papers presented at a conference held in Goa in December 2002, quotes a renowned Islamic scholar, Wilfred Cantwell Smith on Islam as a religion being "alive and dynamic".
Its publication relates to the fact that while there is extensive literature on Islam in West Asia, not enough information is available on the practice of the religion in South Asia. Also, after 9/11 there has been increased interest in the West for more information on the religious and cultural aspects of Islam.
Lived religion
The essays provide interesting glimpses into the liberal face of Islam as practised by many ordinary people, whether in Bangladesh or Kashmir, and details the outrage felt by the fanatics or hardliners on this score.
Take for instance the Bangladeshi taxi driver in Toronto, who admits to his Indian passengers "how much he appreciated Hinduism and often celebrated Diwali and other Hindu holidays" as the Muslim ones.
This, points out the writer, Peter Gottschalk, would cause displeasure in some Islamic quarters, which "would blame the "Hindu" character of Bangladeshi society as a corrupting influence on so-called "true Islam".
Then we have the Churaute hill Muslims of Nepal who have been greatly influenced by the hill milieu, as stated by Sudhindra Sharma in his paper on Islam in Nepal. Here "the daily namaz and month-long fasting during Ramadan are lightly dispensed with," and some of their food and dress habits are similar to the rest of the community.
But in the last few years all this is changing with moulvis from India and elsewhere regularly visiting this area to make the Muslims conform to "what these moulvis regard as authentic Muslim practices."
The book has an interesting chapter on language as a marker of religious differences. Just before the Partition, Hindi and Urdu too parted company, as did the Hindus and the Muslims.
After the Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad had changed the language of its proceedings from Hindustani to Hindi-Hindustani in its session of 1936, "the Muslim League not only rejected the proposed category of Hindi-Hindustani" but also felt that the "protection of Urdu language is protection of our religion." And all this much before the Partition took place.
Social bonding
In her paper "Devotional Practices among Shia Women in South India", Diane D'Souza describes two fascinating rituals practised by the Ithna Ashari Shia women of Hyderabad and how they provide a bonding opportunity to women, especially during periods of stress or tragedy.
The first is "amal", which can be practised either at a shrine or at a woman's home and is a believer's call for help, "a ritual of intercession which uses words of particular power and blessing" and gives women the opportunity to overcome their sense of powerlessness.
Women organise this ritual when a family member loses a job or somebody is sick, a child is writing an exam or a divorce takes place. On this occasion groups of women come together, spend time, offer prayers and provide support to the one in distress.
"Dastarkhan" is another women's ritual that is often organised by Shia women as a thanksgiving to Bibi Fatima, Prophet Muhammad's daughter, when the family comes out of a traumatic situation.
It is an all women's event during which male members of the family leave the house and women come together to recite prayers or poems in praise of Fatima, light candles and enjoy the fruits, sweets and other delicacies that are on offer.
Islam in Kashmir
The book also enhances one's understanding of the practice of Islam in Kashmir and shatters myths on the fanaticism of Kashmiri Muslims.
It explains the essence of Kashmiriyat and also the strong links between Islam as practised in Kashmir and Sufism, and details how the activists of Hizbul Mujahideen had prevented "thousands of Kashmiri Muslims from participating in their traditional festivals at Sufi shrines and even destroyed some of the buildings."
But not without resistance, as thousands of peasants defied the Hizb's call and continued to throng to Sufi shrines. Interestingly, while many men in Srinagar "became critical of the traditional shrine culture, women continued to gather there to find solace, and physically and mentally differentially abled little boys continued to be dedicated to specific shrines."
Aparna Rao notes that intense discussions "on normative Islam and lived Islam in Kashmir" are taking place in cyberspace.
The perennial Sunni-Shia Muslim feuds that mar the peace of several parts of a country like Pakistan; the shared Hindu-Muslim shrines in Karnataka that have a strong influence of the various Islamic dynasties that ruled this region for centuries; the various Islamic mystic traditions of India and the Sidis or Badshah loko of Gujarat, "highly reputed for their ability to joke and make fun as well as for commanding powers over the darker forces of the universe such as evil spirits and demons" are all captured beautifully in the book.
It shatters a lot of stereotypes on Islam and provides a rare and valuable insight into the practice of this much-maligned religion, particularly after 9/11.
RASHEEDA BHAGAT
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