Secularism draws its intellectual roots from Greek, Roman and Islamic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, Epicurus and Ahmad Ibn Rushd who is known in Europe as Averroes. George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906), a British writer, originally coined the term ‘secularism’ in his writings.
Secularism, as in the West, is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries. In one sense, secularism may assert the right to be free from religious rule and teachings, and the right to freedom from governmental imposition of religion upon a people within a state that is neutral on matters of belief.
Put simply, a state in its function has nothing to do with any religion whatsoever, be it enforcement of religious injunctions upon the citizens or barring them from religious practices. Thus, the State or government is not a party —for and against, in the West, in matters of religion or religious practices.
The preamble to the Constitution of India declares that India is a secular, democratic and republican state. The term secularism, here, refers to the governmental practice of indifference towards religion. Our secular politics attempt to prevent religious philosophies or bodies from influencing governmental policies. The idea that the Indian Constitution upholds is, some Western scholars rightly say, “a kind of secular humanism” was made relevant through historical developments within the context of religious pluralism in India.
The Constitution of India prohibits discrimination against members of a particular religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. In short, in Indian secularism although the state has nothing to do with religions or religious practices while in its function, yet the state is a strong party here against discrimination or prevention of any
community from religious practices by others. Thus the state is like a guardian for all, while protecting diversity and different identity of Indian culture and civilisation. As I wrote earlier, in a column in this page a few days ago, that our secular definition embraces religions as crucial component of a morally sound and spiritually healthy society. Our strength is unity in diversity and we simply believe in ‘live and let live’ theory.
With the aforesaid brief in hand, it becomes clear that secularism no way means that a secular state should be anti-religion and its office be used to browbeat religion, religious dignitaries and religious practices or identity. Secularism is just unlike an authoritarian regime, it is also unlike Islamic system of governance where the state has declared to follow justice, finance and relevant governing codes to be followed from Islamic Sharia only — as in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan during Taliban rule. In the Islamic system the religion is a stakeholder in the functioning of the State, however, it embraces, protects and even promotes other religions and culture within the system according to the description in the religious scriptures — the Qur’an and Ahadith.
If Taliban are fundamentalists who forced women to wear veil then ‘secular’ France is also extremist, which forces women to remove it, against their free will. One’s likings or disliking does not change facts, and the fact is that the burqa of a Muslim woman is part of her identity as well as religious obligation. France and a few other European countries, forcing women to dress against their individual choices, are actually tempering with the core of secularism, which provides all the citizens with equal rights to freedom of religion and practice along with personal freedom.
If wearing a Tikka onforehead by a Hindu, a Turban by a Sikh, a Cross by a Christian and a burqa by a Muslim woman or keeping beard by a Muslim man become problematic in India, and it amounts to be a case for a dismissal of an individual from government jobs, then in India too something is very seriously wrong somewhere within our secular fabric. The sooner it is addressed the better it will be for the nation.
India is not only the largest democracy in the world but it is also the vibrant and respected secular system in practice. Europe’s secularism seems to be in a state of psycho-phobic stage where it has voluntarily worn religio-Islamo-phobic fear-psychosis. Europe is downing its own secular credentials and gradually it is bound to create problems for entire peace loving world. Fanaticism in the name of secularism won’t be acceptable anywhere in the world — be it Europe, America, Asian or Africa.
The author M Burhanuddin Qasmi is editor of Eastern Crescent magazine, an alumnus of Darul Uloom Deoabnd and director of Mumbai based Markazul Ma’arif Education & Research Centre. He can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
