Reflection 16
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University of Toronto, Scarborough *
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Course
A01
Subject
Religion
Date
Nov 24, 2024
Type
docx
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1
Uploaded by ProfArt11715
The academic ideas of religion as syncretic and fundamentalist are
completely polar to each other. The syncretic idea attempts to unionize or
take practices a plethora of religions to create a completely new way of
belief that is open-minded and up to the individual. On the other hand, the
fundamentalist idea has a rigid structure with literal interpretations of
scriptures and beliefs. Due to their opposite views there are no shortage of
tensions between them. For instance, in the case of 'Black Mountain' used to
be a syncretic site where both Hindus and Muslims used to accept the
Pachmai Pir who lived there. However, with the rising belief of Guru
Dattatreya, who was also believed to lived there, caused conflicts with the
Muslims with the fundamentalist Hindus. The fundamentalists belief the
Pachmai Pir was Guru Dattatreya in order to claim the spot from the Muslims.
This has caused conflicts spanning many years, and the site still is in
massive tension.
The academic perspective recognizes that religions have evolved and have
been influenced by various cultural and historical factors, leading to
syncretism. Also, radical and fundamentalist views reject any form of
syncretism. these perspectives often clash as the concept of religious purity
and absolute truth can be seen as incompatible with an inclusive
understanding of religions when it comes to the tensions between the
academic idea of religion as syncretic and radical/fundamentalist views of
religious purity and absolute truth between Muslims and Hindus. An example
shown in the film, the Hindu government moved a Hindu festival right near
the border of Pakistan so they hear it.
Both Islam and Hinduism have diverse
beliefs from syncretic approaches to fundamentalist perspectives. These
differences in understanding and practice can lead to tensions and conflicts.
What we see in this film is how Hindu nationalism is a representation of
trying to present an absolute truth of religious purity. They take aim against
those of other religions, especially muslims, laying to the charge that they
are fundamentally different and dangerous from the Hindu population, as
well as posing a threat to that population simply by existing. This is relevant
because it conflicts with the idea of religions as syncretic. It tries to draw a
strict line between religions, as not only different, but pejoratively worse and
better. This is represented as well through how those in the pilgrimage took
aim against the woman being humanist, because they could not understand
the idea of religions and religious beliefs existing outside of their constructed
binary. The Hindu congress speaks to how the muslims are representing a
threat towards the Hindu population within the place, through how they all
have 4 wives and breeding rapidly. This radical division between “us” vs
“them” is further embodied by the religious politics of the region, where
groups like the RSS try and present that India is fundamentally a Hindu
nation, and as such groups like Muslims and Christians are incompatible with
the aims of the state.
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