Exams ended this afternoon and in celebration, a bunch of us decided to go and watch a movie. We ended up watching Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies (Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe) at Sterling Cinema. I wasn’t too sure if I was in the mood for a violent, grisly movie after the pain of exams (especially since the Indian Express had trashed it the previous day) but I changed my mind once it began. The movie was fantastic. It had all the usual Hollywood paraphernalia and quite a bit of hyperbole but it wasn’t the typical American-cowboy-turns-spy-and-saves-the-world-with-fancy-gadgets sort of movie. On the contrary, it portrayed a rather critical picture of the America’s so-called war on terror and the way American agencies operate while combating terrorists. The best part was that it ended the way I wanted it to end, leaving me rather pleased with the whole result.
Of course, one cannot rely upon Hollywood to provide accurate information on the inside working of the CIA, but I think it pretty much sums up how I view the issue of the war on terror – that terrorism is indeed the bigger threat but the Americans aren’t all that admirable either. While I do believe that American military intervention has given the world a few benefits – the removal of the Taliban from Afghani government for example – I also feel it has caused massive collateral damage. Americans are hated a lot more across the world and even generally tolerant nations now regard them with suspicion. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people are celebrating the financial crisis that is plaguing the American economy at the moment.
Having said that, I have to assert that fundamentalist terrorism is, any day, far worse than the Americans. The issue of fundamentalism is something I feel very strongly about. The absolute fanaticism with which these people (are they people?) embrace violence is ridiculous but at the same time, frightening. That men with minds of their own can twist and be twisted into murderous machines of destruction is a reality that is all too grim and unsettling.
Let’s consider the case of that brilliant young engineer who was arrested for being a member of the Indian Mujahedeen. I have forgotten his name at the moment, but I do remember news reports that said he used to get more than 95% in his exams and he was working for Yahoo! for a salary of almost 20 lakh rupees a year. Let’s also not forget those two equally brilliant professionals from Bangalore who a couple of years back, tried to set a British airport on fire. What prompted these intelligent young men to throw away everything that they had acquired through years of hard work and end up working against the very mechanisms that gave them such status?
Of course, one cannot rely upon Hollywood to provide accurate information on the inside working of the CIA, but I think it pretty much sums up how I view the issue of the war on terror – that terrorism is indeed the bigger threat but the Americans aren’t all that admirable either. While I do believe that American military intervention has given the world a few benefits – the removal of the Taliban from Afghani government for example – I also feel it has caused massive collateral damage. Americans are hated a lot more across the world and even generally tolerant nations now regard them with suspicion. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people are celebrating the financial crisis that is plaguing the American economy at the moment.
Having said that, I have to assert that fundamentalist terrorism is, any day, far worse than the Americans. The issue of fundamentalism is something I feel very strongly about. The absolute fanaticism with which these people (are they people?) embrace violence is ridiculous but at the same time, frightening. That men with minds of their own can twist and be twisted into murderous machines of destruction is a reality that is all too grim and unsettling.
Let’s consider the case of that brilliant young engineer who was arrested for being a member of the Indian Mujahedeen. I have forgotten his name at the moment, but I do remember news reports that said he used to get more than 95% in his exams and he was working for Yahoo! for a salary of almost 20 lakh rupees a year. Let’s also not forget those two equally brilliant professionals from Bangalore who a couple of years back, tried to set a British airport on fire. What prompted these intelligent young men to throw away everything that they had acquired through years of hard work and end up working against the very mechanisms that gave them such status?
I remember one passionate blogger (who said he was a Muslim) angrily call these men ‘dumbfucks’ because not only did they throw away their own careers and lives but also deepened the resentment of society against Muslims in general. I agree that these men are dumbfucks but why did they go down that violent path? A report (once again, in the Express) reported the Indian Mujahedeen member saying that he was attracted to religion because he had started to feel alienated after reaching the higher levels of society. Excuse me? If you feel alienated, does that mean you go and help those people who tear up innocent lives and cast them into oblivion? Do you consider that to be an act of religion?
Religion, country, community...what are all these concepts? They are just perceptions. They are just ways in which you look at society and society looks at you. Religion is not a bunch of laws in ancient books that have handed down from century to century. It is the way in which these laws are perceived. Tradition is not about what your ancestors used to do. It is about how you think you can best emulate your forefathers. Heritage is not some ancient relic that has stood the test of time. It is the emotion that this relic invokes in us. If one examines these concepts carefully, one will realize that all of them are...concepts. Emotions. Perceptions.
Human beings find it convenient and comfortable to classify the world around them into tiny little boxes so that everything becomes nice and organized. They then select a box that they have carved out for themselves and wage a war against all the other boxes. Hindus against Muslims, Christians against Jews, Maharashtrians against North Indians, Insiders against Outsiders, Us against Them...the list goes on. But they don’t just conduct a war on their own. They are always trying to acquire sympathizers and supporters from the other little boxes when they attack one particular box. To do this, they justify their actions with twisted logic. They quote verses from old books, they talk about culture, they rant and rave about outsiders. So what’s the worst part about all this? It works.
What the individual doesn’t realize is that the ultimate authority on any such matter is the individual himself. Every person ultimately ends up interpreting religion or culture in his or her own way. They try and associate these concepts with what they believe is happening around them. Religious authorities are just catalysts. The main reaction takes place within the individual’s own head. This is why a sentence like ‘Thou shalt preserve thy culture’ can interpreted by one person to mean living a traditional lifestyle and by another person to mean militaristic evangelism. Different people tend to view such statements differently.
The implications of this are enormous. When an individual realizes that the ultimate interpretation is made by her alone, she will be forced to use her own judgement and conviction during the process. One will no longer need to depend upon a religious person or authority for spiritual guidance. This ultimately means that religious authority will have lesser control over the minds of men, thus reducing the chances of manipulation. Religion will then become what you interpret religion to be, and not what somebody else considers it to be. One’s belief (or even disbelief) in God will become one’s own choice as will be the way in which they lead their lives.
My own religious beliefs have gone through a considerable amount of transformation over the last one year and some of my earlier posts in which I have written about my belief in God and religion are now no longer relevant in my life. But this is the way I believe it should be. One’s perception always changes with experience and it is important to gain as much experience as you can. This is why I believe that sticking fanatically to any concept will only retard your spiritual and mental growth in the long run.
