JUNE 2024

Why are people averse to mixing religion and politics?

It is vital to take head-on the most controversial topic of our times: religion in politics. 

Today, when the world struggles with multiple conflicts due to religious identity and national politics, the conflicts have no boundaries. They are being fought with violence and diplomatic means.

It is not unknown that religion and politics have been together forever since we have known history. It has been part of our community, country, and kingdom, which is how humanity has functioned itself.

So, it is not surprising that today, there in Middle East, Israel is fighting a battle for its survival, and so are the people of Palestine. Both are holding to their religious identity for waging the war. 

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Then, there are talks about Indian identity based on Hindu nationalism or Hindutva.

With history as a reference, religion and politics have been hand in hand ever since. In the past, there have been Christian political movements, and some of them have tried to combine Christianity with socialism based on the teachings of the Bible.

• पवित्र युद्ध और राजनीतिक दाग: आपस में जुड़े हुए

For example, the German Peasants War was in the early 1500s within the Christian political movements.

In modern times, Christian rights groups or conservatives are bound by traditionalist policies, dominating developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.

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With history as a reference, religion and politics have been hand in hand ever since

Then there is Islamism, political Islam, with many movements like Islamiya, across the globe for support of Muslim identity, revitalization of the community and revivalism. 

Therefore, when religion gets involved in national politics, the world witnesses religious Zionism seeking a religious Jewish state, as in Israel or the Khalistan movement for the Sikhs in India.

Has violence been used?

Lately, we have seen a rise in Hindu nationalism, termed Hindutva. Sometimes, when violence has been used to further their cause, they are controversially called the ‘saffron terror’.

On the other side, to further the cause of religion using politics of violence and terror, the world has observed the actions of Islamic State in Iraq area, Boko Haram in Africa, Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan and al-Qaeda.

Christianity-related terrorism has also existed and has been connected to anti-abortion violence and white supremacy like neo-Nazism, or Ku Klux Klan (KKK), Aryan nations and, to a great extent, the supporters of Donald Trump these days.

The Indian of the 80s was marked by the Khalistan movement, which also included the terror bombing of flight Air India, AI-182 in 1985.

What is the role of religion in various governments?

Religion has also been part of the national governments, and there have been theocratic states governed by divine guidance, like the Vatican. 

The Vatican also dictates many other countries with a Catholic majority population. The other theocratic states are like the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

In the same category of countries, a shade-softer side of a theocratic state would be the governments that accommodate religions other than their official state religion.

Interestingly, 43 countries in the world have a state religion but also accommodate populations of other religions.

• पवित्र युद्ध और राजनीतिक दाग: आपस में जुड़े हुए

It can be inferred that nations prefer religion. Twenty-seven of these 43 countries are Muslim countries, 13 of them are Christian nations, and nine of them are in Europe. So, roughly 20% of the world’s countries have a state religion.

With the exception that none of the countries have Hinduism as a state religion, India pursues, it will be the first country in the world to have Hinduism as a state religion. 

Using this shortfall in national history, current ruling party, the BJP is using it as a plank to sway voters. 

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... there has been few examples of peaceful co-existence as a liberal society, if religion is primary to the composition of the state’s ideology

We have established here that religion has been part of politics for a very long time, and religion has been driving the governments. It has been part of national identity; religion is also essential to personal identity. They are inseparable.

•  पवित्र युद्ध और राजनीतिक दाग: आपस में जुड़े हुए

Then why are people averse to mixing religion and politics?

One common factor in all these combinations of religion and politics is the use of violence and terror as a method to establish dominance.

Hence, people assume that interplay of religion and politics will bring disastrous discord to societal fabric. If not out in open, there will be looming threat.

Also, there has been few examples of peaceful co-existence as a liberal society, if religion is primary to the composition of the state’s ideology.

Then, the question is how religion, politics, and government can make a peaceful country.