Breaking the myths of Islam

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: Islam is often portrayed as an alien, violent, hostile and monolithic religion, whose adherents are intent upon battling nonbelievers throughout the world. Alpasankhyataru Mattu Jaati Vyavasthe: Asmite, Vasahatushahi Mattu Meesalati demonstrates that these conceptions more accurately reflect the bias of Western politics than they do the realities of contemporary Islam.

Muzaffar Assadi, a professor of political science at Mysore University, provides, in his book, significant insights into the history of Islam and a greater understanding of the varied experiences of Muslims today.

The book was launched by the former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Gandhi Bhavan at a function organised by Visthar, a Bengaluru NGO, on Tuesday. Speaking at the occasion, the opposition leader said, “Caste is a man-made system designed to garner privileges in a society and cannot be imagined as a divine system of social classification.”

He regretted that even those who study science continue to believe in superstition and display irrational behaviours. A self-professed rationalist, Siddaramaiah decried the hypocrisy of the elite who denounce caste but still practice it in their lives. He urged the practice of Manudharma (religion of humanity) by all. He recalled poems of Kuvempu which call for Vishwa-manava rather than Alapa-manava (limited person).

“Of course there were rational arguments and explanations about myths in Islam put forth in earlier times by Islamic scholars beginning with Ibn Sina, Ibn Isaac and others. These scholars identified the diversity and cultural practices of Islam. But as the religion kept expanding, it absorbed the tribal identities of the places, without destroying them,” Prof Assadi said.

In his book, Professor Assadi points out that the larger agenda of documenting, enlisting the caste-based differences was ultimately meant to hegemonies, control, and dominate the religion. The author says that with so many encounters with the crusaders and other colonials, Islam had been castigated and condemned many times for its perceived social backwardness.

“There were many non-Islamic cultures which got absorbed into and became a part of Islam. Most of the tribes from Fiji, West Indies and Andaman became Muslims but kept their old practices. You can even find many of the natives with Islamic names, but they are not Muslims. When the religion reached India it became an ambivalent Islam mixed with the cultures and traditions of Hinduism,” Professor Assadi said.

The author said caste distinctions and discriminations were found even among Muslims and followers of other faiths but have a more flexible format. He said even among the affiliates of the same caste, there was heterogeneity. He said caste need not be ignored but should be identified and rectified. The book has been published by Bahuroopi Publications in Bengaluru.