On Sunday 02 Mar 2008 11:13:47 am Charles Haynes wrote: > But what about saying that only one Ramayana is correct and that other > Ramayanas are blasphemous and violently attacking people who > promulgate Ramayanas that offend you?
Other than me, nobody has actually said that only one Ramayana is correct. Those were my words on silk based on an assumption that the vandals attacking 300 Ramayanas or whatever felt that way. I have no information that I am right. Many versions of the Ramayana exist. > It seems to me that violent religious intolerance is the same > regardless of the religion. Is attacking authors and destroying > libraries allowable only if it's your ox being gored? With respect asking me if "attacking authors and destroying libraries allowable only if it's your ox being gored?" is a question worded in a needlessly dramatic way. I do not suppose your words are intended to imply that I support "attacking authors and destroying libraries allowable only if it's your ox being gored?" . If this is a pretend court "cross examination question" and you are demanding an answer from me, my answer is "No" However I want to point out that I believe i am no less sane that anyone else and have someting to say. What I am trying to say is not that I am happy with "attacking authors and destroying libraries allowable only if it's your ox being gored?" But I will repeat what I am getting at because it appears that you did not understand what i implied first time. The net behavior of many Hindus in India has been to support "attacking authors and destroying libraries if your ox is being gored" The net behavior of Muslims in India too has been to support "attacking authors and destroying libraries if your ox is being gored" The government has given in to such blackmail from Muslims, and it is a fond Hindu hope that the government will give into such blackmail from Hindus too. You seem to have forgotten that you placed yourself in the shoes of a person of conscience and asked why "people of conscience" did not do anything about it? I recall telling you that Indians who attack authors and destroy libraries are all people of conscience. Their conscience tells them to behave that way. You seem to have implicit faith in the presence of some other people such as yourself who object to this behavior and will stand up against it. In my personal opinion such people in India are obviously either 1) Non existent or 2) eminently ignorable or 3) gutless (they prefer remaining attached to their skins), or 4) unfamiliar with Indian behavior I would consider myself as "eminently ignorable" and "gutless". It would only be political correctness on your part to say that Indians are sane or civilized by the standards you call for. You are probably lucky to have people on silk list who will agree with your contention that it is wrong to "attack authors and libraries". However, I am saying yet again that I have no clear proof that a huge majority of Indians DO NOT think it is wrong to attack authors and libraries. This may well be a take home lesson about the Indian masses. I'm not kidding. shiv
