Religious Conflict between India Pakistan

It is indeed a shame to associate conflicts withSunna (teachings of prophet Muhammad), e.g.: "Allah
religion. Does Christianity summon Christian extremistscommands justice and doing good and giving to
to bomb abortion clinics in the West? Does Islamrelatives. And He forbids indecency and doing wrong
summon Muslims in Palestine to kill Israelis andand tyranny. He warns you so that hopefully you will
themselves in suicidal attacks? Does Hinduism preachpay heed" (Qur'an, 16:90). Even though religions are
kidnap and kill those who are against Hinduism? Toessentially about building peace, they are
most Indians and I am sure Pakistanis as well as alsounfortunately sosmetimes misinterpreted and
to most people of other religion will more than agreemisused. When this happens it is a result of
that such practices are wrong and must beconstructions of the mind about religion and about
condemned. Religions do not contain inherent"the other". In the current global conflict between
"conflict-genes", making unsolvable conflicts anreligious fundamentalists and secularists, for instance,
inevitable outcome of their co-existence. Conflictseach party perceives and talks about the other as
involving religion are always the result ofposing threats to their societal orders and ways of
misperceptions in our minds. In mid-nineties Samuel P.living. When secularists preach secular state, pluralism,
Huntington became widely known for hisand abolishment of Sharia-laws, fundamentalists
fright-provoking prediction of a future worldwideperceive it as attacks on Islam. Secularists on the
clash of civilizations. This new dilemma would amountother hand perceive religious fundamentalism as an
to nothing less than a "re-making of the world order".existential threat to their societies and ways of life.
The Cold War logic of states uniting with either ofThey almost regard the secular society as something
two ideologically opposed superpowers would beholy. What were once open societies have become
replaced by a pattern of unity determined by thexenophobic entities. Many religious leaders have
dominating religions. A possible outcome of thisexpressed the need for harmony and unity in the
separation of the world society would be a worldfight against terror. Ironically, the biggest obstacle
order derived from and determined by religiousseems to be the political leaders who are fully
differences. Looking at the current international sceneoccupied with demonizing "axis's of evil" and
one could be tempted to conclude that actual"opponents of freedom". There is need for
happenings are giving real life to Huntington's scenario.clarification of religion and its relationship to conflict.
Western political elites especially are applying anFirstly, it must be appreciated that it is not religion as
approach, portraying Islam as the root cause ofsuch but specific fundamentalist constructions of
terror. This is dangerous. It threatens to demonizereligion that produces conflict like India Pakistan.
followers of a specific religion thereby running the riskSecondly, religious fundamentalism itself tends to
of producing endless counter-demonizations adding totransform religion into ideology. This is an assault on
a security dilemma of Cold War type where everyreligion that can only be done well through
step taken by one part is perceived as a threat byre-mystification. Religious conflicts are a product of
the other who then has to retaliate…misperception in our minds. Let us not create another
Essentially, the approach is also an assault on thecold war conflict based on them. No religion legitimizes
religion Islam itself. It implies that all Muslims areconflict! His Excellency, Mohamed Khatami, Presedent
extremists, which is as inaccurate as saying that theof Iran, once complained in an inter-religious forum:
ultra rightwing moral majority in USA fairly represents"Dialogue amongst civilizations, particularly dialogue
Christianity. One of many shortcomings in the worldbetween Islam and Christianity is vital, essential and
of today is judging Islam by the conduct of ainevitable. Today, people speak of the global village.
minority of its people. If a religion is to be judged onHowever, the problem is that residents of this global
its role in conflict this should logically be done on thevillage are unable to understand each other. Isn't it
basis of its sources, not on the basis of extremecatastrophic that people of this village are deaf and
acts of a tiny minority of its self-proclaimed followers.dumb and worse than that, they have hostile
In the case of Islam the sources are the Qur'an andthoughts toward each other".