On Monday 10 Dec 2007 1:08 pm, Srini Ramakrishnan wrote: > By carrying that statement to its logical end, I'd say Hindus are not > alone - the Muslims fear being dubbed hardcore radicals if they wear > traditional Islamic attire, and the Christians fear being termed as > proselytizing missionaries when they wear the cross and carry a Bible. >
This in fact is an interesting observation although I disagree with the detail. A far larger percentage of Hindus and Christians in the West are likely to behave secular and deny religious belief than Muslims. In India criticizing a Muslim or criticizing a proselytizing missionary carries more negative consequences than criticizing Hindu behavior. Perhaps I am taking the analogy too far (but maybe I am not) but in India the criticism faced by a Hindu is practically the same whether he kills a Muslim or a Christian, or whether he merely criticizes them. Either way he is dubbed a murderer just as the steps I have seen in this thread that escalate group blame from editing an encyclopedia to being goose stepping murderers. Easier to set up a murder if the consequences are the same. With law enforcement and judicial system being what it is the real murderer will never be booked, and a whole group will get branded and will live with the brand. The same paradigm holds true for Islamist terrorism. Tightening law enforcement and the judicial system are only half the answer. The other half lies in consciously accepting that group guilt and group responsibility for crimes or perceived crimes are both legally and morally wrong and to move towards identification of individuals rather than groups. This acceptance does not exist at the highest levels in India and I can frequently pick up media examples in which a group is held guilty, or group punishment inflicted on a group is overlooked as a genuine expression of grievance. Both are wrong. Judging by the depth of penetration of these traits among Indians I can see that upholding of the constitution has got to be an onerous, uphill task. shiv
