Religion cannot be defined without taking into consideration the history of the region in which it is practised and which gives it the identity that people can relate with. Religion is the evolution of the variant ideologies that have merged together to form traditions and practices, which are reflected in our current lifestyles and belief systems. In that we have found our common traits and empathic worldly views. But sometimes, it may have a negative impact on the culture if religion is attempted to be imposed in its literal and puritanical form, which can come into direct contradiction with societal norms — as we have witnessed in the cultural destruction by Islamic State and the Taliban.
Syncretism is not a new concept, it is a continuous evolutionary process that shapes our mind-sets and societal trends. To study how this phenomenon takes place, let us take a look into the cultural transformation of Latin America and find similarities in cultural evolution with our Indo-Pak region. In South America, one may find many examples of Santeria, which is a set of related religious systems that combine with the traditional Yanoba beliefs (traditional African rituals brought to the Americas by the African slaves), commonly found in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Orixas, a ritual to celebrate the sea goddess brought by the African slaves, is still in practice in Latin America. Umbanda, a combination of the catholic beliefs and the power of the spirits to influence one’s life, is also practiced by some in Brazil.
Under different rules throughout its history, the Latin civilisation gained more sophistication and marked its achievements in astronomy, mathematics, calendric studies, writing (limited to the elite class only) sculpturing, mural painting, sophisticated ceramic art and a unified religion and political authority. But with the arrival of the Spanish, the harmony of the belief system in the Americas was disrupted dramatically. For the conquerors, it was a mission to convert the natives to Christianity, whereas for the natives it was hard to accept the change because their belief system, which was animistic in nature and had been followed for thousands of years was totally different from the newly introduced Abrahamic religion. It was a clash of civilisations for both the Spaniards and the natives, and the clash in religion meant violence. However, in order to lessen the gap between two very different religions, some of the elements of their faith were adopted to make it more acceptable to the locals. That is one of the many reasons why the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe (shown as a native in images) took the place of Tonantzio, a moon goddess. Jesus Christ took the place of the sun god, which is why he is shown coming from the sun. Religion had to be reformed by accepting some of the ancient religious doctrines to make it more culturally acceptable and in conformity to the spiritual needs of the people.
If we look into how the present-day cultures in South Asia have undergone transformations, we find a pattern in the diverse lifestyles that makes it familiar to the people here in historical and traditional contexts. The cultural influences here came through their natural course, not through forceful imposition. Even though there have been incidents of violence and resistance, the dynamic characteristics of the civilisation were never disconnected. The admixture of Aryan influences in the pre-existing Dravidian texts with philosophies about deities, gods and goddesses, the later inclusion of Islamic doctrines from the Muslim warriors and rulers and the essence of the Anglicans in the region, which has left a colonial hangover, have all played their distinctive roles to make us what we are today. There has been a fusion of beliefs in some instances, when people belonging to different religions have found common ground through their art, music, literature and expressions. As in the Latin world, religions of the people here were moulded and reformed many times to suit the sensitivities of the diverse populations. But things soon began to change.
There have been political manoeuvrings on the basis of exclusionism, but it has been observed in history that the essence of coexistence and secularism was fostered here more strongly. The resistance to such integration, played up by our political actors in recent history has caused chaotic affects in the region because for them, allowing such integration has been against the principles of their religion. Political actors, especially in the last century, have done irreversible damage to confuse our identities by giving more credence to religion than traditional affiliations. There started the journey of alienation from the soul of a civilisation that had grown and matured through ancient times with the pluralistic and rich character of its people.
The creation of Pakistan, acclaimed to have been founded on the basis of Islam or so that became the banner for the movement, was based on the principle of exclusionism. Though many historians — and perhaps rightly so — have disputed the claim that Islam was the reason for the creation of Pakistan. However, the general perception, fed and indoctrinated by the state, has persistently endorsed the two-nation theory as the basis for Pakistan’s existence. This theory, the relevance of which is kept alive even today, has birthed bigotry and distrust towards non-Muslim minorities here. The trend of exclusionism, promoted and endorsed by the hard-line and sectarian Mullahs, is extremely dangerous for economic growth and cultural pluralism, without which the progression of the nation stagnates in material and empathic contexts. The nation is doomed to suffer if it does not give pluralistic and secular values the appreciation they deserve for its natural progress. The cultural stagnation and imposition of cultural hegemony that people cannot relate with (for example the indoctrination of Arabic culture) has remained a tragedy of Pakistan. The state has managed to wipe away the rich original identity of its people through the use of orthodox clergy.
The writer is a freelance columnist and may be contacted at [email protected]