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A Short Note On The Concept Of Equality In A Secular Democracy And A Theocracy

By Feroze Mithiborwala

09 April, 2015
Theanalysts.org

The larger point here is that there is a large degree of Hypocrisy and Double Standards on the part of Indian Islamist organizations and intellectuals on the question of Indian Secularism. Over the course of the last 5 odd years, ever since the crisis that has erupted all across the Muslim majority nations and minority societies, I have been troubled by a simple question.

Namely – Do Indian Islamists accept the Indian Secular state and the value and ethos of secularism because they are in a MINORITY? If Indian Muslims were in a MAJORITY, then would India have been a SECULAR Country or an ISLAMIC STATE? I think the latter would be true and we would have been reduced to a Pakistan without a doubt. Yet the Indian Muslims masses are committed to the Idea and the ethos of a “Living Secularism”, the very idea of India, a unique experiment in the annals of Human history, unparalleled at many levels.

Indian Secularism is founded on the Idea of an Ethos of “Mutual Acceptance and Respect”and not mere “tolerance”, which a very weak word indeed. All those who still tom-tom an Islamic state, Hindu State, Christian State, Jewish State – those who support the concept of any Theocracy need to understand that modern democracies have no place for any theocracy, as theocracies are inherently against Equal Citizenship Rights! Equal Rights for All Religions – against the very Concept of “Sarva Dharma Samabhava” – Period!

Thus theocracies cannot lay the foundation for modern democracies and even if they do so, they are transient and will give away to ‘equalitarian democracies’ in due course of time. Nations need to be built on the vision of national projects where each citizen is equal, where every religious, cultural, ethnic, gender, linguistic, class, tribal diversity and identity finds itself mirrored in the Constitution. And not only that of the majority faith. This will only create a weak society, a weak and divided nation, leading to divisions, chaos which foreign imperial powers then take advantage of. Thus every section of soceity needs to be made an equal and proportionate stake-holder without any exception.

This also principle also applies at the regional and global levels, even as Humanity integrates and evolves. In these very nations and societies, all the various religions are accorded their due respect and constitutional space protecting and safeguarding the rights of all the various diversities and communities.

Thus, it for this very reason that I also oppose a Communist State, as that has proved to be as intolerant of other ideologies and thus opposed to multi-party democracies.

In an Islamic state as propagated by the Islamists –

1) Muslims have more rights than the Dhimmis (Non-Muslims), who are ‘protected citizens’ and NOT Equal Citizens.

2) Only Muslims have the right and freedom to Practise, Preach and Proselytise-Convert – whilst the other religions have only the right to practise, that too with restrictions. Forget the right to Preach and Convert, as the Dhimmis just cannot be allowed to do so!! These are the very same Muslims who then demand this very same right in the Indian Constitution, even within the Western nations wherein they dwell, demanding equal rights under a secular constitution, even as their home countries wallow in backwardness.

3) Only a Muslim can become the PM or President of that Country. The others cannot even think of rising to the highest office in the land, as that is debarred by the Islamic Constitution. Thereby – out of the window goes the concept of Equal Rights. This is very different from the Indian ethos where we have had a Sikh as our PM for 10 years and Muslims hoping to be the PM one day . . . . We have had 4 Muslim Presidents as we all know.

Thus to round up – In a Secular Democratic Modern State, ALL CITIZENS ARE EQUAL, where as in a “TheocraZy”, only the adherents of the Majority or Ruling faith are more than equal. This is very evident in Israel, a Jewish Ashkenazi Ethnocracy and Theocracy to say the least.

Feroze Mithiborwala is a peace activist in Mumbai. He led the Asia to Gaza peace flotilla.

 





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