What India’s experience with secularism can teach Europe about Muslim minorities
– By Joerg Friedrichs
…For many centuries, Hindus and Muslims in India have mostly coexisted peacefully – unlike Europe, where almost any minority was at a risk of persecution until two or three generations ago. But Hindu-Muslim relations have sometimes descended into deadly violence on a horrific scale.… In recent months, people have again mobilised around a contested temple and mosque site at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, which was also at the heart of troubles in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Riots in Gujarat in 2002 were particularly bloody. While riots have claimed fewer victims in recent years, other incidents of communal violence, such as “beef lynchings” of people accused of killing cows, remain an issue. Despite such violence, Muslims have remained an integral part of India even after the separation of Pakistan. Today, India has a stable Muslim minority of more than 14%.…
To find out what if anything Europeans can learn from Hindu-Muslim relations in India, I have interviewed Indians from diverse backgrounds covering the entire political spectrum, from politicians to social activists and from the middle class to slum dwellers. There are two warnings emerging from my research. One warning is that majorities should resist the lure of narcissism.…
SEE ALSO:
- Even when a police officer is killed by Hindus, it is minorities that face the brunt – By Jyoti Punwani (Jan 17, 2019, Indian Express)
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bulandhshahr-violence-gujarat-riots-ayodhya-issue-hindu-muslims-5541993/ - Babri Revisited: ASI Suppressed Animal Bone Findings At Mosque Site – By Betwa Sharma (Jan 21, 2019, Huffington Post)
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/babri-asi-suppressed-animal-bone-findings-at-mosque-site_in_5c42c412e4b0a8dbe1718924 - In India, Gandhi’s Halo Glows Less Brightly for Hindu Right and Lower Castes – By Jeffrey Gettleman (Jan 26, 2019, New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/26/world/asia/india-gandhi-legacy-modi.html
