[Buddha-l] Bangladesh Muslim lovefest

[Dan Lusthaus]

I still think that Artur is trying hard to mix apples and oranges in order 
to invent a false parity in the service of removing taint from the Muslim 
actions (a strategy already proposed in the 80s and 90s first by south asian 
muslims and then picked up by British historians). It is completely typical 
of this sentiment that the belief/hope that evidence of such misbehavior 
WILL be found long precedes finding any, so that any scrap or morsel that 
can be construed as supporting evidence will have to do until the real thing 
comes along -- expecting it will. But why presume that in the first place?

To help illustrate the apples and organges nature of the comparison, we can 
compare the sentiment expressed in Asoka's 2300 year old edict (in the 
previous message) against the celebrated Sufi poet Attar's 12th-13th c. 
account of Islam in India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farid_ud-Din_Attar

What progress was made in 1400 years?

 Attar influenced Rumi and is credited with developing a genre of poetry 
still practiced today. His "Conference of the Birds" (Mantiq ut-tair) is one 
of his best known pieces.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conference_of_the_Birds

The British said they were bringing civilization to the little brown people, 
Japanese politicians today still claim their occupation of Korea, Manchuria 
and China was for the benefit of the inhabitants, and the Chinese claimed to 
be liberating Tibet from feudalism and foreign influences when their armies 
invaded in the 1950s. Here is the celebrated sufi poet Attar's version of 
that sentiment. Short-version: thank you for conquering and vanquishing me!
http://sufibooks.info/Sufism/The_Conference_of_the_Birds_Fardiuddin_Attar.pdf

>From the Penguin edition, tr. by Dick Davis and Afkham Darbandi.

An Indian king

As Mahmoud’s army moved through India,
They chanced to take an old king prisoner
Who learnt the Moslem faith at Mahoud’s court
And counted this world and the next as nought.
Alone, a hermit in a ragged tent,
He lived for prayer, an eager penitent,
His face bathed day and night in scalding tears --
At last the news of this reached Mahmoud’s ears.
He summoned him and said: ‘I’ll give to you
A hundred kingdoms and their revenue;
It’s not for you to weep, you are a king;
I promise to return you everything!’
To this the Indian king replied: ‘My lord,
It’s not my kingdom conquered by your sword
That makes me weep, but thoughts of Judgement Day;
For at the resurrection God will say
“O faithless wretch, you had no thoughts of Me
Till you were crushed by Mahmoud’s cavalry --
It took an army’s might to change your mind
And till you stood defenceless you were blind --
Does this make you My friend or enemy?
How long did I treat you with loyalty
And in return endure your thankless hate?
Is this the friendship that you advocate?”
If God says this, what answer can I give
To contradict the damning narrative?
Young man, if you could understand my fears
You’d know the reason for an old man’s tears.’
Learn from these faithful words, and if your heart
Holds faith like this, prepare now to depart;
But if your heart is faithless, give up now,
Forget our struggle and renounce your vow;
The faithless have no place on any page
Within the volume of our pilgrimage.
--

The following is often cited by Hindutvas as representative of not only the 
iconoclastic impulse in Islam, but as "proof" that even the supposed 
peaceful Sufis justified and applauded it since Attar casts destruction of 
the "idol" as a righteous act. God wants you to destroy idols and subjugate 
infidels.

Shah Mahmoud at Somnat

When Mahmoud’s army had attacked Somnat
They found an idol there that men called “Lat”.*
Its worshippers flung treasure on the ground
And as a ransom gave the glittering mound;
But Mahmoud would not cede to their desire
And burnt the idol in a raging fire.
A courtier said: ‘Now if it had been sold
We’d have what’s better than an idol -- gold!’
Shah Mahmoud said: ‘I feared God’s Judgement Day;
I was afraid that I should hear Him say
“Here two -- Azar and Mahmoud -- stand, behold!
One carved his idols, one had idols sold!” ’
And as the idol burned, bright jewels fell out --
So Mahmoud was enriched but stayed devout;
He said: ‘This idol Lat has her reward,
And here is mine, provided by the Lord.’
Destroy the idols in your heart, or you
Will one day be a broken idol too --
First burn the Self, and as its fate is sealed
The gems this idol hides will be revealed.
Your soul has heard the Lord’s commanding call;
Accept, and at His threshold humbly fall.
Your soul and God have formed a covenant;
Do not turn back from that first firm assent --
Will you object to what you once averred,
Swear true allegiance and then break your word?
Your soul needs only Him -- through good and ill
Keep faith, and what you promised Him fulfil.

* Lat was the name of an Arabian pre-Islamic goddess. Mahmoud attacked and
conquered Somnat in north-west India in 1026 and destroyed the Hindu temple 
there; Attar has either confused the Arabian and Indian deities, or used the 
name ‘Lat’ generically, or has been seduced by the fortuitous rhyme.
--

In case the translators' stuggles to create rhyming English made following 
the story difficult. Mahmud comes upon an idol and prepares to destroy it. 
The locals plead for it to be spared, offering a huge sum to ransom it. He 
explains that if he spares it, God will not forgive him on Judgement Day 
(Azar is Mahmoud's slave, and elsewhere in the Conference is depicted as the 
epitome of devotion and loyalty; he only "makes idols" [idolizes Mahmud], 
while Mahmud "sells idols" [i.e., potentially accepts ransom instead of 
destroying them]. By choosing to destroy the idol, it turns out it was full 
of jewels, so he is enriched (allah be praised) anyway.

Richard will like that Attar also advocates destroying the inner idols and 
self (meaning the greedy part that would accept the bribe/ransom); just 
don't forget to destroy the actual idols as well.

There is a related story in the Conference (pp. 161-62 in the Penguin ed.) 
of Sultan Mahmud wondering, after defeating an Indian army, to whom should 
he give the spoils: the dervishes (he had prayed and promised it to them if 
victorious) or the soldiers who actually fought and succeeded in the battle. 
He consults a "madman", Boul Hussain, who tells him to give it to the 
dervishes, since it is God who provided the victory; if he wants continued 
assistance from God, give it to the holy mystics, which he does.

Finally, the Conference also reveals how Dhimmis were treated in Muslim 
lands:

Al Vasati passes the Jewish cemetery

Al Vasati, cast down by grief one day,
Proceeded on his troubled, weary way
Until he saw the Jewish cemetery
And said: ‘These souls are pardoned and go free;
But this is not a truth that can be taught,’
His words were heard and he was haled to court,
Where angry judges asked him what he meant --
Al Vasati replied: ‘Your government
Accuses them; their pardon’s heaven-sent’.”
--

A glimpse at Attar's better side.

Dan