November 16, 2006

During the course of her lecture, Karen Armstrong remarked that the problems the world faces today are not religious but rather political as there is a huge imbalance between power and resources that has led to many conflicts

A positive element that has emerged out of rising anti-Muslim sentiments all over the world is the desire to know Islam. A large number of Muslims, too, are no longer interested in following clerics blindly. The urge to debate issues has become stronger and the need to explore religious doctrines has increased. The recent veil controversy has added impetus to the already growing awakening in the Muslim world.

However, the situation is dangerous as it has made Muslims prone to discrimination. At a time when terms like ‘Islamic fascism’ and ‘Islamic terrorists’ are being coined without reason or logic or an understanding of the words being used to tarnish the image of Islam and Muslims, there is a grave need for initiatives to bridge differences and find common grounds to make people live together in harmony. Karen Armstrong, a leading scholar of theology, writer and TV broadcaster, is one of the few people working towards this cause.

Author of nearly 20 books on religion, Armstrong calls herself ‘freelance monotheist’ who resonates with people who have fallen out of organised religion. Recently, she was invited to Karachi to deliver a lecture on ‘What is religion’. The lecture was attended by a large audience at the Aga Khan University auditorium and reflected the appreciation people have for Armstrong, her work and the increasing interest people are taking in exploring religion.

The two vital points Armstrong focused upon were: the concept of God and creation of harmony by abandoning egoism. She started her speech by elaborating on the beginning of religions. According to her, the Axial Age, a phrase coined by German philosopher Karl Jasper, is the centre of human spiritual development. This was the era during which, she said, many great sages appeared, including Buddha, Socrates and Confucius, who preached that God was beyond the concept of words.

Armstrong was of the view that an attempt to define God is bound to fail as He is ineffable and cannot fit into any human interpretations. God transcends all boundaries. A statement to define God should be structured beautifully but the very concept should be left to individual imagination and feelings. “The statement should lead to silence in the same way as a beautiful poem or symphony ends with a beat of silence before applause,” she said.

According to Armstrong, the Axial sages discovered the inner world and religions became much more spiritual. She considers the spiritual development which took place during that period as pivotal for it still has strong influences on intellectual and religious thinking.

“Religions did not develop on hillsides, in jungles or deserts, but in cities and pre-marketing era. It shouldn’t be a stagnant force and should develop according to the needs of a particular period. Religion is also not the name of believing in doctrines either. It should be about altruism and finding hope. Jesus, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Buddha, all worked hard at religion for the spiritual welfare of humanity,” she pointed out.

Armstrong described egoism as the main obstacle hindering the attainment of peace and harmony. Quoting Confucius, she said, “Look into yourself and find what pains you most. And then, never under any circumstance, do the same to anyone else,” and added that the best way to kill ego is by means of compassion. “Do unto others as you want others to do unto you, this is the ultimate truth, which was first preached by Confucius calling it the golden rule and then later by others including Buddha.”

By narrating various examples from history, she emphasised that only non-violence means are the solution to all the ills humanity is facing today. Showing compassion and empathy is the key to ending disharmony and making the world a better place.

“The world wants to see the spirit of Islam, Christianity and Judaism of surrendering the ego. When Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) started preaching, one of the first things he asked the people to do was to pray. Bow your head to the dust. That was difficult for the Arabs,” she said.

Answering different queries, she remarked that the problems the world faces today are not religious but rather political as there is a huge imbalance between power and resources that has led to many conflicts including the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“We are all in a difficult impasse and fighting for an unknown future. What may happen is catastrophic as, unfortunately, we have made technology that exceeds our ability to control it. However, we should not lose hope because hopelessness leads to a situation where people develop the tendency to become suicide bombers as they feel they have nothing to lose. We all need to go back to the core and discover the lost heart of empathy which was the spirit of our wonderful traditions,” she concluded.

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