Dear Jeyamohan,
You have been consistently organizing classes on Islamic Sufi philosophy under the banner of Unified Wisdom. Are the participation levels meeting your expectations? My impression is that Hindus in Tamil Nadu generally do not take part in such events. Nevertheless, I wish you success in this endeavor.
A. Mohamed Gani
Dear Gani,
Most of the classes we conduct under Mulumai Arivu have received participation and support beyond our expectations. In that respect, however, I must admit that the Islamic philosophy classes have not received the level of acceptance I had hoped for. There is no other philosophical course of this kind in Tamil Nadu that is free from both religious fanaticism and proselytization. For that reason alone, I remain convinced that these classes must continue.
I had initially believed that intellectually curious people in Tamil Nadu did not harbor any prejudice against Islam. Whenever discussions on secularism arose, almost everyone spoke in favor of secular values and expressed support for Muslims. References to our “Islamic brothers” were common. I assumed that at least some people would be interested in understanding Islam beyond its superficial cultural associations. I was not particularly shocked to discover otherwise. After all, many of our public positions are little more than postures adopted for the sake of debate. I knew that genuine interest in the subject was often lacking.
Seen in that light, what is truly surprising is that Hindu students continue to attend these classes and study Islamic philosophy and metaphysics with sincerity. They are certainly a rare group.
There is, however, another side to this. Imagine what an unusual experience it would be for a young Muslim to find a gathering of Hindus who, free from prejudice, are genuinely interested in understanding Islamic philosophy. What a valuable opportunity it would be to build friendships beyond the boundaries of one’s own religious community. One would expect at least a few Muslims to seek out such an opportunity.
Yet, as far as I know, not a single Muslim student has taken advantage of it so far. That, too, is something worth reflecting upon.
Jeyamohan
