Dis-organising Spirituality

image credit: Daria Rom on Unsplash

In religion and politics, fatwas are issued, tankhaiyyas made, idols broken, ancient mosques razed, missionaries burnt alive by mobs. 

In real life, however, individuals interact with other individuals. 

Priyanka’s rich father will react one way to his daughter marrying poor Rizwanur. Anju’s father may react entirely differently. 

In real life, Anju marries Husien and they both retain their religions and raise a wonderful, intelligent, sensitive child called Samir who is comfortable with both his mosque and his gurudwara. 

In real life, Fatima Bibi runs an old age home in Chennai. She has a Ganesh idol at the entrance and performs Ganesh aarti every Friday and distributes prasadam to her 45 "guests." 

In real life, my friend Hulya Celek daily battles the custodians of her own religion in Selcuk so she can extend the boundaries of her existence just a little bit more. 

In real life, Basheer the driver recites the Sikh mool mantra every day and that does not detract from his being a good mussalman. 

In real life, many Muslim women in rural Bengal wear the sindur, bindi, shakha and pala—so-called Hindu symbols of a sadhaba (a married woman whose husband is still alive.) 

Of course, in real life there is also Salim the raj-mistri, whose past experiences with Hindu households had taught him that water and tea would be served to him in “other” cups and glasses. 

And of course, in real life there is Ali, my carpenter of many years, who is a brilliant craftsman and a man of tremendous integrity. But Ali will not eat in my house. 

In real life, individuals meet and interact with individuals. 

In real life, communities are made of neigbours, school friends, club members, extended families, common interests, and so on.

If only the mosques, the temples, the gurdwaras, the churches didn’t form such a big part of real life.