[Buddha-l] Buddhists taking a stand against Islamaphobia

[Jo]

Hi everyone,

 

On 8/4/12 7:23 PM, "James A Stroble" < <mailto:stroble at hawaii.edu>
stroble at hawaii.edu> wrote:

(snip)

>...  Both Christianity and Islam

>reject forced conversion, ...

  (snip)

 

Really?  Perhaps they reject forced conversation in theory, but practice is
something else entirely.  A non-Muslim who openly practices her or his
religion in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sudan, or Afghanistan will encounter
quite a bit of coercion.

 

Voluntarily,

 

Greg

-------------------------------

 

You're right on the mark here, Greg. 

 

In addition, when Arab rulers began spreading Islam outside of Arabia, into
Persia for example, there were forced conversions galore, plus the
imposition of the head tax on kafirs.  This enforcement resulted in
Zoroastrians heading out and landing in India, where they were labeled
Parsis (from Pars [Fars]). So far I've not been able to read how they fared
before the Arabs invaded-- whether they were simply farmers, or merchants. 

I suspect (but I might be in error) that they were mostly merchants, because
once in India, they economically developed rapidly, becoming forward-looking
entrepreneurs. Gujarat became their stronghold and Bombay their big city.
Mhd. Ali Jinnah's wife was a Parsi. He was such a tolerating Muslim that
today Salafis condemn him as a traitor.

Ironically, they tended to dominate the liquor biz, for ex. because booze
was religiously forbidden to both Muslims and Hindus.  

 

They perceived British rule as compatible with their identity and interests,
and prospered thereby. After independence they continued to prosper. Parsis
can be viewed as gems of diplomacy.  Parsis have always been one of THE most
tolerant and compatible of spiritual communities so far as neighbors and
rulers went.  India also welcomed immigration of the former 'assassins',
those Ismailis ruled by Aga Khans-also persecuted under Arab rule in their
Persian homeland because they are Shi'a not Sunnis. They migrated in force
to India, where they prospered. 

 

Unnoticed by anti-Islam propagandists and even ordinary slightly educated or
even some educated folks, the Ismailis today under the current Aga Khan's
leadership, are peaceful/ non-jihadis, tolerating, inter-communally
respectful, entrepreneurial, and promulgators of many charitable acts-- such
as building hospitals and schools. The women of their community are highly
educated, and not forced to go around looking like walking gaols. I'm not
sure if they accept converts-probably not, else my son would have joined up
years ago.

 

Joanna