Religions need to shape up

Gender equality is un-Islamic says Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musaliar - and I dare say he's right. Kanthapuram is said to be among the 500 most influential of the world's 1.7 billion Muslims. His interpretation of Islam appears to be infallible, for the Quran doesn't state or even remotely imply that men and women are or can be equal.  Islam is a product of the 7th century, and one cannot expect it to hold 21st century views. Polgyny (the more familiar word being 'polygamy') was not an Islamic invention, but today it's hard to reconcile the one-man-four-wives formula with women's equality.

The time has come to choose between these two mutually exclusive values. Why do clerics pick and choose the precepts they find most attractive? The Prophet Muhammad married several widows, but why doesn't anybody advise Muslim men to marry widows in preference to virgins? I wonder how many Islamic scholars of our country would favor the introduction of Sharia-style punishments for adultery, theft, murder and heresy. Kanthapuram is in denial when he avers that there are no pedophiles in the madrasas. There are pedophiles everywhere. Period!

'Show me a woman who equaled men in……,' Kanthapuram thundered in the midst of a recent speech. He conveniently forgot that Ayesha, wife of the Prophet, delivered speeches at the mosques and rode a camel to battle against Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law.  When Ayesha marched from Makkah to Basra (in faraway Iraq) at the head of a 3000-strong army and captured the town, was that un-Islamic? I can't help thinking it's easier to be a cardiac surgeon than ride a camel in a war zone (though it wasn't unusual in those days for women to go to the battlefield to encourage the men to fight!)  Kanthapuram cannot be unaware of Razia Sultan and Begum Hazrat Mahal of Awadh. Did any of these women wear the burqa and stay at home?

In the modern world every religion needs a liberal interpretation, if not a complete reformation. Several Islamic countries have weeded out impractical injunctions and introduced laws upholding secularism and human rights. A liberal view of Islam is adopted by many Indian Muslims. In states like Kerala, Muslim women are no longer confined to their homes and treated as baby machines. They are often educated and employed. They exercise birth control and don't put up with polygyny. How many Muslim men in Kerala have two or more wives? How many practice the triple talaq? The Quran does say men can beat their wives if they are naughty - or something to that effect. But is there any evidence to show that Muslims are better wife-beaters than men of other religions? None at all - for men of all faiths have wife-beating skills!

The Bible and the Quran condone slavery, but do we accept it today? Untouchability was an inseparable part of Hinduism but do we practise it any more? However, there are some questionable practices that have endured - male and female circumcision and jihad for example. When some women proudly declare that wearing the burqa is a personal 'choice', the grim reality is that the choice exists only in Asia and the West. Can't a woman be modest and virtuous without a veil or a scarf? 

And why are men exempt from these requirements? That is patriarchy at its best! In times of war and civil unrest, women and children are captured and forced into sexual slavery. The Boko Haram and the ISIS are merrily indulging in this barbaric practice. Ever heard of a group of armed women kidnapping a band of young males for a similar purpose? No? Well, that's why there's a clarion call for women's equality!

Religion is a sacred cow, and we don't dare bring up the subject of reform. But the march of modernity has made it inevitable. Much of what our scriptures say is incompatible with scientific knowledge and humanistic aspirations. The Old Testament was replaced by the New Testament. Now it's time for a New Testament Version 2.0. Minus the Creation Theory, Adam, Eve, the serpent and 'original sin'. For starters, let's hit the 'delete' button on what God said to Eve: 'In sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.'  The next to go should be the 'be fruitful and multiply' suggestion.

The faithful flock followed this advice for two millennia and see how it has wreaked havoc on the planet! Thankfully, many Christians have stopped following this advice. But, even in the so-called 'developed' nations, abortion remains a dirty word. As for homosexuality it is slowly and painfully emerging from the closet. The religions of the world are inherently misogynistic because they are the constructs of a patriarchal society. 'Bleeding-age' women are barred from entering the Sabarimala shrine on the pretext of 'impurity'. Sounds incongruous in this day and age but some Hindus philosophize that this is in deference to the celibacy of the male god. In that case why are men allowed to enter the Devi Kanyakumari temple? Moreover, if a brahmachari god can be tempted by young women, why can't he be attracted to pre-puberty and post-menopausal females, just like ordinary men are?

Why was there such a hullabaloo when the actress Jayamala claimed she had touched the idol of Ayyappa? If God had felt offended he could well have defended himself. And what of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the great Indian Constitution? Obviously, they are irrelevant, for temple administrators can violate every single Article with impunity. We need another Temple Entry Proclamation, another AKG, another agitation to open the doors of every temple - before we build that Ram Temple at Ayodhya. Moreover, Ram didn't really do justice to his wife, so we should consider building a Sita Temple instead.

Why did B R Ambedkar dump Hinduism in favour of Buddhism? We all agree he was no fool. Many facets of Hinduism are unacceptable in a civilized society, and untouchability is not the least of them. The caste system is nothing to be proud of either. It has lasted for over 3000 years and shows no sign of withering away. Why did Siddhartha Gautama propose a new faith in the 6th century B.C.? Wasn't it because he found Hinduism inadequate?  

On a recent visit to the Attukal Devi Temple (popularly known as the Sabarimala for women) I was surprised to see two purdah clad women among the worshippers. I asked them what brought them to the temple. They told me it was a thanksgiving visit - for prayers answered. That's the India I'm proud of - where faith transcends religion.

You don't need to study rocket science to understand that all is not well with religion. Islamic extremism of the ISIS variety threatens world peace. Hindu fundamentalism challenges India's secular fabric. It's time we realized that every fatwa is a human rights violation, that jihad is senseless violence, that gender apartheid is unpardonable. Boys and girls must sit side by side, in colleges as well as in schools, because segregation is discrimination. The Quran may be what the Mullahs say it is, but this is the age of democracy and we are under a Constitution.

Criminalizing adultery, abortion, suicide, prostitution and homosexuality has not got us anywhere in a thousand years. The writing on the wall is clear: Religion has no choice but to align itself with public expectations. That's why the Catholic Church is now in a soul-searching phase. Hindu and Muslim scholars and thought leaders must introspect too.

The religions of the world must shape up or ship out, as the cliché goes. Defenders of the faiths, beware! A day may come when the people rise up and throw out the baby along with the bathwater.

(pushpakurup@gmail.com)

 

 

Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.