How to tackle Religious Extremism?

September 20, 2006

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This morning the Home Secretary Dr Reid attempted to address the issue of how to tackle Religious extremism. The undersigned offered a Hindu contribution on the same issue at two meetings earlier this week.

Meeting at Al Khoei Shia Mosque & a meeting organised by the Met Police in Holland Park:

A meeting was held this Sunday morning at the Al Khoei Shia Mosque in London where the Hindu contribution was to re-emphasis the role of religious education in tackling an issue that has arisen (rightly or wrongly) in the name of religion. Political, diplomatic or economic attempts to resolve this issue cannot work. This would be like bandaging the foot when the arm is bleeding, guaranteed to fail. Hinduism suggests that the resolution lies in wholehearted acceptance that there can be more than one way for making spiritual progress. Exclusivist ideologies with proselytising agendas have no room in a modern multi-faith world. Phrases like 'tolerating or even respecting other religions' are too weak. We need to emphasis 'acceptance of many ways for spiritual progress' to be part of the RE vocabulary in this country. Acceptance has to be extended to cover spiritual progress in a theistic as well as a non-theistic mode or even in a non-religious mode. Only then can people of different religions or no-religion live side by side without feeling threatened or without having to threaten each other. Such ideas have to be infused in a pro-active manner into the education system. We have made countless approaches to the Home Office and the DfES to develop these ideas further. It is education alone that can and will resolve this issue in the long term. This approach requires a show of faith. Faith not in a God but faith in Mankind armed with rationality to resolve such issues in a satisfactory manner.

jay lakhani: Hindu Council UK &

Vivekananda Centre London

http://www.vivekananda.co.uk