We're Living in Terribly Bad Times with Equally Abysmal Samples from Humankind

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 11 July 2024 "There Was An Old And Genial Gentleman Whose Name Was Abdul Rauf. He Had A Shop In The Vicinity Of Kalighat. Never Did I See A Man Like Him Who Had Everything Necessary For Kali Pooja At His Matchbox Like Shop. His Love And Respect For Hindus And Their Deity Humbled Me." ----- "Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) secretary general Bajrang Bagra also appealed to people to remain vigilant and immediately inform the local administration if they find anyone from the minority community selling puja items near temples and other Hindu religious sites. We have recently received some information that Muslims have set up shops at some Hindu pilgrimage sites like Kedarnath and are selling Prasad and other Puja items to the devotees. Legally, nobody should have any objection to it. We also do not have,"Bagra said in a statement. "But many incidents have come to light over the years when Muslim shopkeepers spat in the food, drinks and other eatables before giving them to the customers. Therefore, Muslims running shops at religious sites and selling Prasad and Puja items is a matter of concern," he claimed. In his long essay, The Depreciated Legacy of Cervantes (1983), Czech-French novelist Milan Kundera wrote, "When traditions of thousands of years suddenly become suspicious, rest assured, those who suspect and doubt are at fault." This is so true in today's context when Muslims have suddenly become pariahs to Hindus. Are these fools aware of the tale of Lord Jagannath and his Muslim Devotee Sala Bega? Sala Bega was a 17th- century Muslim soldier who's remembered as one of the greatest Odia religious poets and a staunch devotee of Lord Jagannath. One of his Odia poems was translated by Jayant Mahaptra: "In all my lives till now and to come/ I'll serve the Lord Jagannath and sell Prasadam....." Will any sane and sensible Hindu believe that a Muslim running a shop at a Hindu religious site will stoop so low as to desecrate the Pooja items and prasad by spitting on them? A true Muslim seller of Prasad and Pooja items will be like Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi who said at the age of 19, "Go Main Koi Butparast Toh Nahin/ Butparasti Se Mujhe Shikayat Bhi Nahin" (While I'm not an idol-worshipper/I don't disapprove of idol worship either). At all religious sites of Hindus, you can see Muslim sellers having their shops showcasing all that's necessary for Pooja. Premendra Mitra described in his Bengali essay Kalighate ek din (A day at Kalighat, Calcutta), "There was an old and genial gentleman whose name was Abdul Rauf. He had a shop in the vicinity of Kalighat. Never did I see a man like him who had everything necessary for Kali Pooja at his matchbox like shop. His love and respect for Hindus and their deity humbled me." Abdul Rauf's exalted example inspired him (Premendra Mitra) to write 'Critique of Humanity' which led him to believe that for it to survive, human beings had to " forget their differences and be united." Are today's venom-spitting and morbidly prejudiced Hindus (sorry, Sanatanis) aware of all these heart-warming examples? Alas, had they been aware, they would never have made such stupid statements that Muslims are defiling food items before offering them to Hindus and their deities. We're living in terribly bad times with equally abysmal samples from humankind. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. UURL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/bad-times-abysmal-samples-humankind/d/132676 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism