Arab Muslims singing Bhajan at Satya Sai Baba Samathi!
Arab Muslims singing Bhajan
at Satya Sai Baba Samathi!
(Editorial in Hindu Voice, August 2012)
In Journalistic parlance, it is generally said ‘when a dog bites a man, it is not a news; but when a man bites a dog, it IS news’.
If we apply this logic for religion, it should be; ‘when Hindus sing Bhajan and worship at an Ashram, it is not news; but when Muslims sing Bhajan and worship at an Ashram, it IS news’. That too when that Muslims are from Arab countries such as Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and United Arab Emirates, then it should be the Head News and talk of the town, nay world. But for our ‘sickular’ media it IS NOT.
The reasons are simple. First, it will amount to glorifying and propagating Sanatan Hindu Dharm which is against their ‘secular’ Dharm. Second, it will hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims in India.
But for Hindu Voice and the Hindus of India, it is a proud moment that hundreds of Muslims from many Arab countries have come all the way to Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, the abode of Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba and perform Bhajan and seva. It is a News of national and religious importance to be reported to the entire world. Because, Sanatan Hindu Dharm is catching up with not only in the West among Christians, but amongst the Muslims in the Middle East too.
It is not that Sri Satya Sai Baba has made many trips to these countries to propagate Sanatan Hindu Dharm and convince these Muslims. In fact, he has seldom travelled abroad, but Devotees from all over the world flocked to him to have his Darshan when he was alive, and even now come here to worship at his Samadhi. Such is his charisma.
What many Sadhus and Sants - like Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Mata Amritanandamayi, etc. - have done by making foreign visits, Bhagwan Satya Sai Baba has achieved sitting at his Ashram itself.
We all are aware of the fact that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has conducted ‘peace camps’ at many places in the war-torn Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Now, Arab Muslims are coming in pilgrimage to Prasanthi Nilayam. All these facts prove that enlightened Muslims from Islamic countries have started outsourcing peace, tolerance and happiness, as they are not available in Islam.
But the larger question is different.
Islam is very clear that Quran is the last word of Allah and Mohammed is the last Prophet; Every devout Muslim must utter the Kalma at least 5 times a day. The English translation of the Kalma reads as: “There is no god but Allah whose last prophet was Mohammed”. Believing in any one else, other than Allah and Prophet Mohammed, is blasphemy and the punishment for it is death.
Now that these Arab Muslims have started believing in Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba and come all the way from Arab to worship him at Prasanthi Nilayam, does this not amount to blasphemy? When they return to their respective countries, how will they be treated there by the fanatic mullahs and muftis?
Also, what about Indian Muslims, who at the drop of a hat, come on the streets shouting ‘Islam is in danger’? Refer to page nos. 23, 30, 33, 37, 41, 43, etc and see their criminal behaviour. How do such fanatic Muslims reconcile to the fact that Arab Muslims - and the original ones at that - have started singing Bhajan and doing Murti Pooja in a Hindu ashram in India?
No doubt, many Muslims all around the world have come to believe, and rightly so, that what might have been possible in the 7th century may not be so in the 21st century. Change is inevitable. (Refer to page 14 for the hypocrisy of Saudi Arabia). But how to come out openly is their dilemma. The Arab Muslims who had come to Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai’s Samathi have shown them the way. When Bhajan, Musical instruments and Samadhi (Dargarh) worship are un-Islamic, they have the gumption to sing Bhajan playing harmonium at Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai’s Samadhi (Refer to page 15).
The message is clear. There can not be any one book and any ‘last’ Prophet. Spiritual Bharat has continually been providing many Sants and Rishis to guide not only India but the entire world. The process is never ending.
It is reported that these Muslims from the heartland of Islam performed a concert entitled ‘Sarva Dharma Swaroopa Sai’ on the 10th of July 2012, exalting the five cardinal human values – Sathya, Dharm, Shanti, Prem and Ahimsa - which Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba embodied. Unfortunately, the opposite of these cardinal human values are available in plenty in Quran and Hadith. Otherwise, there would not have been so many bomb blast in most of the Islamic countries - a case of Muslims killing Muslims. (Read the article ‘All hail my sectarian God’ by Kiran Nazish - page no. 16).
Indian Muslims too should take a cue from these enlightened Arab Muslims and give up their hatred, intolerance and violence towards Hindus. They must realise that religions (not to confuse with Dharm) are created by men for the welfare of human beings and not the other way round. Hence, if there are verses which go against humanity, they should be reformed. When a Mullah says that Muslims must be prepared to die for Islam, he must be questioned - whether Islam is for the welfare of Muslims or Muslims are for the survival of Islam.
All the cardinal human values are available in Sanatan Hindu Dharm in plenty. Our present day Sadhus, Sants and Dharmagurus are spreading them all over the world. And the world has come to cherish it. There is no doubt that Sanatan Hindu Dharm will prevail over the entire world, because that is THE ONLY WAY.