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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00033 Dec 2005

 
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Can Hindus in the USA ask for parity with other religionists? Can they
demand that Hinduism in textbooks be taught using the same yardstick
applied to Islam and Christianity? Hindus in California thought so. In
the eyes of most unbiased observers, these would be the most
reasonable demands.

 

Portrayal of Christianity and Islam

 

Textbooks in California portray Christianity and Islam according to
the beliefs of insiders. Christianity and Islam are historicized
according to believers' traditions. Mainstream scholarship subscribes
to two views regarding Jesus Christ. One school concludes that he
never existed and that all tenets, beliefs and legends found in the
Christian Bible are derived from pre-existing Pagan, Persian,
Buddhist, Jewish and Egyptian traditions. Professor G A Wells [The
Jesus Myth] is an excellent example of this school of thought. The
other school concludes that a shadowy figure called Jesus existed, who
was later fictionalized in the Christian Bible. But, there are
numerous hypotheses as to what his identity was. Professor Alvar
Ellegard [Jesus, Hundred Years Before Christ] is an example of this
school of thought.

 

But, all mainstream scholars tend to agree on several points:

 

1.      There is no historical evidence that Jesus Christ, as narrated
in the Christian Bible, ever existed.

 

2.      There is absolutely no evidence that the Jews were responsible
for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In fact, Professor Robert Price
[Deconstructing Jesus] even calls it cruci-fiction.

 

3.      Many terrible social practices such as slavery and
anti-Semitism are enshrined in the Christian Bible. From the Catholic
Pope Pius XI to the Lutheran theologian Norman Beck, many scholars
have admitted that the Nazi anti-Semitism witnessed in the 20th
century was a mere culmination of a long tradition of Christian
anti-Semitism. Beck even summarizes the approximately 450 anti-Semitic
remarks found in just five of the books that constitute the Christian
Bible.

 

4.      The versions of various stories told in the synoptic gospels
are often contradicted by other gospels which the Church suppressed.
Professor Morton Smith [The Secret Gospel], for example, discusses a
variant version of the life of Jesus discussed in a gospel. Of course,
many scholars, including theologians such as Raymond Brown [The
Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus], have also
concluded that even the synoptic gospels present conflicting versions.

 

Yet, textbooks do not hint at any of these academic findings when they
discuss Christianity. Textbooks discuss the Sermon on the Mount as if
a historical Jesus delivered it. They state that the twelve disciples
of Jesus disseminated Christian teachings as if this claim is
historically valid.

 

It is the same with Islam. Textbooks report the revelation of The
Quran to Prophet Mohammad as a historical fact. Revelations are not
subject to scientific skepticism. No mention is made of how jihad and
jizyah were used as effective tools in the spread of Islam. Textbooks
are silent about the fact that the Christian Bible has pronounced
women inferior. A textbook reports that Prophet Mohammad was employed
by an Arab widow and businesswoman, Khadija, whom Mohammad latter
married. In the very next paragraph, it adds that Islam improved the
status of women who were oppressed in the pre-Islamic society. If so,
how did a woman run businesses in pre-Islamic Arabia? In a desire to
present Islam favorably, textbooks even let go logic.

 

In the treatment of both Christianity and Islam, the following salient
features are noted:

 

1.      They are historicized according to the beliefs of their
practitioners and not according to the conclusions of mainstream
academics.

 

2.      No terrible practice authorized in those religions such as
anti-Semitism or slavery is even mentioned.

 

3.      Tenets of these religions are summarized, in an instructional
manner, as understood by practitioners.

 

4.      Islam is not presented as an improvement on Christianity, nor
Christianity presented as a replacement of Judaism.

 

It is reasonable to conclude that textbooks are doing the right thing
in accordance with the guidelines of the California Department of
Education [CDE] which stipulate that religions must be dealt with in
such a manner as to instill pride in its followers.

 

Portrayal of Hinduism

 

On the other hand, Hinduism has all along been discriminated against.
The following have been the significant features of the treatment of
Hinduism:

 

1.      It is historicized not according to its traditional beliefs
but according to the speculative, racist and unproven 19th century
colonial theories propagated by those highly hostile to Hinduism. For
example, Aryan Invasion Theory [AIT], which was invented to divide
India on racial grounds, justify British occupation and facilitate
conversion to Christianity, is used to historicize the origins of
Hinduism. This is being done even though many empirical evidences
actually refute AIT.

 

2.      The tenets of Hinduism, a very pluralistic tradition, are
hastily summarized in a manner that is hardly instructional or not
even mentioned.

 

3.      The caste system is portrayed in a selective and biased
manner, from the perspective of a hostile outsider. Social practices
such as untouchability [also found in non-Hindu societies like Japan,
Korea and Tibet] are depicted in graphic detail, and associated with
Hinduism, which could only make Hindu students feel ashamed of their
religion. Textbooks fail to mention that the most sacred books of the
Hindus such as the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata and
Tirukkural were all authored by Harijan saints. Textbooks do not also
mention that many revered saints in Hinduism have been Harijans.

 

4.      Textbooks make fun of Hindu gods and beliefs.

 

5.      Buddhism is depicted as a cure all for the assumed evils found
in Hinduism. This is done contrary to facts.

 

The California Hindu Initiative

 

As their children attend California schools, parents come to know of
what is written in textbooks. Many have been astonished and pained.
Many Hindu groups, all of them non-political, have consistently worked
with teachers and schools, at a local level, to correct such
misrepresentations.

 

Over the last several months, two organizations The Vedic Foundation
and The Hindu Education Foundation have been working with the CDE. The
former is a religious organization while the latter is a social
organization that includes Hindus from all walks of life. Both
understood that to ensure a fair representation, the mandate itself
has to be revised. But, in the meanwhile, within the scope of the
mandate, they worked with the CDE, publishers, schools, scholars and
parents.

 

They reviewed many textbooks and suggested changes that would help
remedy the erroneous and hostile depictions, until the mandate itself
can be corrected. The CDE constituted a review process to review and
accept changes.

 

Some Academics Oppose the Hindu Initiative

 

Some 47 academics, including those known for their virulently
anti-Hindu stances and Communist affiliations, petitioned the CDE
urging them to dismiss the Hindu demands. They alleged that the
changes were unscholarly and politically motivated. Michael Witzel of
Harvard University led the charge.

 

Ironically, those who initiated this petition admitted that they had
absolutely no clue about the nature of changes proposed. Their
petition to the CDE too did not reveal any knowledge of proposed
changes. These changes had been on the CDE website for weeks, and
anyone could have reviewed those. Petitioners did not bother to go
through that trouble. Instead, they made wild allegations. Their
petition lacked substance.

 

They also volunteered to help the CDE with the revision process.
Surprisingly, the CDE accepted their proposal. It nominated Michael
Witzel, Stanley Wolpert and James Heitzman to review changes. The
first two had signed the petition while the third is a strong believer
in Christian miracles.

 

Over 30 distinguished archeologists and historians had written the CDE
supporting the Hindu initiative and explaining why falsified theories
like the AIT or AMT should not be included. The signatories included
such distinguished scholars as archeologist B B Lal, the most eminent
authority on ancient Indian archeology who had also definitely
established the direction of the Indus Valley script.

 

The CDE does not seem to have acted on this substantive communication.
On the other hand, it yielded to Witzel and others, whose petition
lacked substance. One does not know the logic behind this decision or
why the CDE allowed Witzel etc to circumvent the proceedings late in
the process.

 

Commissioners Uphold Hindu Suggestions

 

On December 1-2, 2005, the CDE held a hearing and the commissioners
reviewed and decided on the suggestions. Most of the suggestions
originally proposed by the Hindus and accepted during the initial
review process, were approved by the commission. During the hearing,
Heitzman urged the commission to at least retain Aryan Migration
Theory [AMT] in the place of AIT. Fortunately, Professor Metzenberg, a
distinguished biologist and a commissioner on the panel, pointedly
told that there is no genetic evidence for Aryan migration and added
that he would go by scientific evidence than accept the unproven
beliefs of some historians. The commission decided to add that some
historians believe in AMT.

 

What Motivates These Anti-Hindu Academics?

 

Even though Hindus succeeded, and got most of what they had asked for,
there are many disturbing questions worth asking.

 

1.      What motivates Witzel and other signatories to maliciously
oppose a Hindu initiative even without bothering to know the nature of
changes proposed?

 

2.      Why did some academics agree to the Hindu suggestions in
private but opposed that in public? What are they afraid of?

 

3.      Will Witzel and other petitioners ever campaign that Islam or
Christianity be presented according to mainstream scholarship and
their crimes not whitewashed? Why are they silent when it comes to
these religions and only hostile to Hinduism and Hindus?

 

4.      Witzel has made many derogatory remarks about Hindus. He has
made fun of Hindu immigrants to America. He has ridiculed their
practice of cremating their dead. He has called them "lost" or
"abandoned" people. He has ridiculously claimed that American Hindus
do not invest in their children's higher education. What motivates him
to make such disparaging remarks? What motivates other academics to
follow him and sign on the petition?

 

5.      Why did the CDE nominate three academics with known hostile
stances against Hindus or Hinduism? Will they ever nominate someone
who makes such vilifying remarks about Christianity or Islam to review
suggestions from those communities? What compelled the CDE to
circumvent its own procedural guidelines and give a free run to such
anti-Hindu academics, more so when their petition made wild
allegations and lacked substance?

 

Conclusion

 

One can speculate on what motivates Witzel or others to attack Hindus,
even when their initiative is most reasonable. Many of those
speculations might be factual. But, Hindus can get justice only be
being proactive. Here are a few things they must do:

 

1.      Create forums that can serve as focal for textbook review and
adoption process.

 

2.      Review your child's textbook and compare the treatment of
Hinduism vis-à-vis Christianity and Islam in those. See if Hinduism is
discriminated against.

 

3.      Validate if the portrayal of Hinduism is according to guidelines.

 

4.      Ask the education department who is reviewing and authoring
textbooks. Do some background research on those academics. If they are
known for their anti-Hindu credentials, Hindus must demand that the
department replace such academics with neutral and sympathetic
scholars. This is a very reasonable demand. After all, religion and
culture, unlike science, are subjective. There is always a divide
between an interpretation by a sympathetic and neutral scholar and one
by a hostile person.

 

5.      Form teams to work with publishers and insist that they do not
hire anti-Hindu academics to author textbooks. After all, there are
two million Hindus in the USA. There are numerous others sympathetic
to the Hindu rights. Publishers cannot ignore a group like this.

 

6.      Form a task force to identify neutral scholars to author
textbooks. Work with publishers and education department to ensure
that such scholars are considered for writing and reviewing textbooks.

 

Hindus must remember that the Jews fought many such battles in the
courtroom and the media before getting justice. We cannot ignore the
importance of either.

 

The author is an India-born, Silicon Valley-based orthodox,
practising, agnostic Hindu. He can be reached at kalavai.venkat@xxxxxxxxx








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Azhvar EmberumAnAr JeeyAr ThiruvadigalE Saranam 
http://www.vedics.net

 
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