IDENTITY IN A MULTI-RELIGIOUS SOCIETY

(Secular Perspective April 16-30. 2006)

In a democratic society identities play important role and a democratic society tends to be a competitive society and competitive identity often clash with each other. Also identity could be primordial or acquired. Primordial identity is much more deep-rooted than an acquired identity. Religious, caste, linguistic or cultural identity is examples of primordial identity and professional identities like an engineer, mathematician or banker are examples of acquired identities. Sometimes national identity can also change in this era of rapid transport and globalisation though in the past also people migrated from one country to another.

We also have to bear in mind that no person has single identity. All of us have multiple identities primordial as well as acquired ones. One has, for example, a religious, sub-religious, linguistic, cultural identities along with one or the other acquired identity. All these identities are not of course operational simultaneously. One identity can become more important over the other, depending on the context.

Our national identity can become more important when another country attacks us, or our religious identity can become more important, if there are clashes between two religions, or regional identity can become more important if there are regional or linguistic clashes. Thus no one identity can be permanently important identity vis-à-vis other identities. It is also unfair to demand, as some ultra-chauvinist forces do, that all should have only one identity like an Indian identity or a Pakistani identity.

In the democratic processes some identities get more politicised than the other identities. It is quite natural that politicians often appeal to primordial identities like religious, caste or linguistic identities. And this results, more often than not, in religious or linguistic clashes. When the Shiv Sena asserts Maharashtrian identity, it comes into clash with Hindi identity and its Hindutva plank suffers. Sometimes it faces dilemma while using both Maharashtrian as well as Hindutva identity.

In all modern nation states, there are various identity-related dilemmas as no nation-state today is mono-religious or mono-lingual. All nations today are multi-religious or multi-lingual. Often majority religious community equates nationalism with the ethos of its own religion and looks upon minority religious groups with suspicion and when some political party courts a minority group for votes, accuses it of ‘minorityism’. This often results in religious clashes.

Similarly powerful caste groups or linguistic groups mobilise their primordial identities for retaining their privileges but when weaker groups or minority groups do so they are accused of anti-national activities. Today no political party in India (except communist parties) fights elections without using primordial identities. BJP, which claims to be nationalist, is worst offender in this respect. It is now openly using caste identities to fight elections. It spares no stone unturned in this respect.

Identity by itself is not something to be shunned as some rationalists often maintain. Identity is quite natural whether it is primordial or acquired one. It is a psychological force and gives sense of belonging. No human being can live in religious, social or cultural vacuum. But identity can become very problematic when it acts as barrier and excludes other identities. Primordial identity exists by itself, but when politicised, it defines itself vis-à-vis other identities.

Thus a Hindu or a Muslim identity can exist by itself but in a competitive political atmosphere one defines itself against the other and becomes totally exclusive, not only exclusive but confrontationist and may result in violence. Acquired identities, on the other hand, though does become exclusivist in certain situations but not confrontationist or violent.

However, in modern times migration has assumed more serious proportions as compared to pre-modern period when means of transport were not so rapid. Migration causes host of problems both to migrant minorities and host countries. It gives rise to friction within host countries. Many Muslims have migrated in recent times to European countries and are facing hostilities with population in the host countries.

It not only creates intense job competition resulting in identity clashes but also in cultural problems. The migration from Asia and Africa has given rise to strong cultural prejudices. France, for example, banned hijab for Muslim women and turbans for Sikhs. The Danish cartoon controversy was also partly result of cultural prejudices. In U.K. also Indian and Pakistani communities often face great hostility from English people. The Paki bashi term is result of such hostility. It also results in race riots.

The recent riots in France between Muslims of African origin and French police was also manifestation of hostility between French and African identities tending to be most exclusive. Muslims are facing much greater problems due mainly to 9/11 and subsequent bombings in London on 7/7. Generally Muslims of whatever national or ethnic origin are looked with suspicion and arouse hostility.

Now an effort is being made to evolve a new identity for Migrant Muslims in Europe i.e. Euro-Muslims. Euro-Muslims are evolving their distinct identity vis-à-vis the original identity of their fellow Muslims back home. Recently in Vienna a conference of European Imam’s on “Islam’s Future in Europe� was held and a declaration was issued in which they talked of European-Muslim identity. It also talked of evolving an ‘integration theology’. Euro-Muslim identity accepts certain European values like freedom of expression, democracy etc. However, it also said “Integration is not a one way street, but a mutual process.�

‘Integration theology is an interesting concept for conservative Muslims in Europe though it is a familiar term for Indian Muslims who have experience of living in non-Muslim India for a long time, for almost a thousand year. In North America a term like minority theology or minority jurisprudence is being evolved. Thus the migrant Muslims are definitely trying to evolve a new identity and new jurisprudence. This Euro-Muslim or Muslim-American identity is creative combination of primordial and acquired identity. This process of adjustment is necessary for buying peace in a new location.

Also in a democratic society two different trends work simultaneously. One trend represents rigidity and exclusivity and this trend often gets fortified in confrontationist situation or when politicians mobilise respective identities for their opposing goals. The second trend is represented by inclusiveness and openness toward other identities. However, politicians hardly benefit from the second trend and hence always bring about clashes between identities.

Thus it will be seen that identity by itself is not problematic. It is a psychological need as a sense of belonging to some group is necessary for every individual. But it is not correct to assume that identity will always be exclusive and confrontationist. Modern society can hardly ever be homogenous and hence different identities will have to find ways of coexistence and cooperation.

Blending of identities also can play creative role as our composite culture in India shows. Composite culture in India has played very creative role throughout medieval history of India. It is this blending of identities which created tolerant and creative cultural force. In Western countries too, this process is on and western social scientists have evolved new terminology like pluralism which west had never known earlier.

Still west is far from evolving a new composite culture. Unlike India western culture is predominant and minority cultures have not been integrated. It is still one way street as European imams and religious leaders pointed out. The Muslim or Hindu minorities in west are still too insignificant to make a cultural impact. In U.K. where Hindu and Muslim minorities are more in numbers compared to other western countries one sees some impact on eating habits of White British people though not so much so far in other fields. Perhaps it is matter of time.

In fact identity by itself is not a problem but it is rigidity which poses greater problems. For example, the Sufis were much more tolerant and evolved new blend of Muslim and local identity. They evolved even religious rituals which were creative blend of Islamic and local or regional ones. Thus two entirely different (but not hostile) identities merged into one another and a new one came into existence.

In regions like Sindh, Kashmir and Punjab, creative syncretism was even at much higher degree and Kashmiri and Sindhi cultures were entirely different from their pre-Islamic cultures. It was difficult to talk of Hindu Kashmiri or Hindu or Muslim Sindhi cultures. They blended so completely that they were referred to simply as Sindhi, Punjabi or Kashmiri cultures. When one talks of Kashmiriyat, as the Kashmiri people do, they do not define it as exclusively Muslim.

All this happened in medieval ages so smoothly that now one does not even remember pre-Islamic cultures of those regions. In this era of globalisation we have to be more accommodative and more tolerant. We need Kabir, Chishti and Nanak, Lal Ded and Nuruddin even more today.