The role of religion in South Asian cultural and political life

¶ … South Asia, with an emphasis on India. There are three references used for this paper.

In South Asian countries, especially India, the major religions are Buddhism and Hinduism, and until Pakistan became a separate state, was home to one of the world's largest Muslim populations. It is important to understand the impact of religion on both the past and present South Asia communities, while concentrating on the cultural and political lives of the people who live there.

Impact of Religion

Many people in South Asia are finding that to "preserve one's traditional identity and heritage, they must rediscover religious practices and beliefs. This does not mean that Islam is incompatible with modernity. But the current trends in the way in which Islam is applied indicate resurgence of unwavering orthodoxy, conservatism and in some cases fundamentalism (Alvi-Aziz)."

Religion plays an important role in the lives of South Asians today. From the "broad public perspective, religion provides security in today's confusing and troubling times (Alvi-Aziz)." Globalization has had a negative impact on a number of Islamic societies by producing an identity crisis among its members.

The most influential impact on the "Indian Hindu social system was the concept of caste. It directly linked religious belief and the segregation of society into status groups (http://wikipedia.lotsofinformation.com/wiki/index.php/The_Religion_of_India:_The_Sociology_of_Hinduism_and_Budhism)."

The past traditions which have impacted many followers are viewed by some as being obsolete or misrepresented. One such tradition requires that Muslim women wishing to pray in mosques must do so in "secluded rooms or behind men (Iqbal)." Some of these women are starting to challenge the practice arguing "if men cannot stop looking at women inside of mosque, it is their problem. Women must reclaim what Islam gives them (Iqbal)." One woman whose family immigrated from India to the United States "studied the Qu'ran and other Muslim religious books and came to the conclusion that tradition, and not Islam, has forced women to pray separately inside mosques. She feels that if men and women can pray together in the holiest of Muslim mosques in Mecca, why can't they do the same in other places (Iqbal)?"

Conclusion

Islamic religions, both past and present, have had an impact on South Asian communities. By exploring the impact that religion has on cultural and political society, the people of the area are able to gain a better understanding of their religious identity.