Hindu-Muslim Interfaith Marriage: Challenges and Dialogue

Introduction: A History of Uneasy Coexistence

The relationship between Hindus and Muslims is a historically uneasy one, precipitated by violent clashes over territorial control, religious dominance, and political self-determination. Often situated in similar global contexts — particularly South and Southeast Asia — these faiths have persisted uneasily alongside one another for centuries, engaging in frequent conflict even as they have struggled to overcome shared crises of poverty, corruption, social inequality, and exploitation. In many ways, it may be argued that there are distinct cultural differences between the two faiths that increase the likelihood of conflict, especially given the dramatically different religious doctrines of each. A discussion of interfaith marriage between individuals from these two distinct religions therefore necessarily anticipates a great many adversities, as family, faith, and society all create pressures that are likely to be felt in both matrimony and life as a married interfaith couple.

Overcoming the stigma of interfaith relations between Hindus and Muslims first requires the individuals involved, and their respective support systems, to overcome emotional dispositions that descend from a history rife with "violence when members of one community (generally the majority community) have perpetrated acts of aggression upon members of the other (generally the minority community). Sometimes these acts of aggression have been brutal to the extent of being barbarous, and sometimes their magnitude is shocking, as was the case when — in the bitter aftermath of the partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan in August, 1947 — a bloodbath took place in which tens of thousands of human beings (Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and others) were massacred" (Swidler, 262). It is against this backdrop that the two faiths are so often perceived as inherently incompatible. With reference to principles such as Islamic theocracy, strict social conservatism, and a historical propensity toward conflict, Islam does in many ways differ fundamentally from the philosophical impulses of spiritual equanimity and individual faith that characterize Hinduism.

Arguments for Hindu-Muslim Compatibility

This view would be countered by more progressive interfaith philosophers. Such is the case with Rizwan, the Muslim author of an article written in tribute to the teachings of Hindu scholar Maulana Usmani. In his perspective, compatibility between the two religions should be seen as natural and even necessary. Indeed, "this was Maulana Usmani's basic contention. He argued that the Sanskrit term sanatan dharm, or 'Eternal Religion,' if understood as submission to the one God, was the same as the deen al-qaim, which again means 'Eternal Religion,' which is what Islam is. It was on the basis of this core similarity that Maulana Sahib wanted Hindus and Muslims to come together" (Rizwan, 1). This argument locates a meaningful doctrinal common ground that advocates of interfaith dialogue cite as a foundation for mutual understanding.

Women's Rights and Gender Inequality in Both Traditions

A core conflict facing those of these respective faiths in union is the question of the treatment of women. There is an uncomfortable compatibility in the fact that "in this era of women's freedom from age-old shackles, Hindu and Muslim women continue to be among the most oppressed minorities in the world" (Swidler, 264). Research reveals that the dowry customs and practices surrounding the perception of women as property — adopted by some Muslim communities — were in fact drawn from Hindu traditions. In either case, an interfaith relationship between the two must overcome prevailing pressures to perpetuate the idea of women as inherently owned by men. Social and familial pressures are likely to reinforce this dynamic, and therefore one of the greatest obstacles for interfaith couples will be to channel a commitment to equality as a way of unifying against those pressures.

Islamic Theocracy, Sexuality, and Honor-Based Violence

In their respective traditions, certain inequalities are not easily dismantled. This is especially true of Islam, where theocratic dispositions govern many nations, societies, and communities throughout the world. For observant Muslims, social standards, political discourse, and popular religious expression are directly shaped by the dominance of Islam in the public sphere. A primary example is the prevailing attitude toward sexuality in Muslim culture, which may differ sharply from that commonly found in Hindu contexts. The predominant influence of religious observance in a devout Muslim's daily life enforces a strict prohibition on taboo expression or behavior in public. The display of affection between men and women — even within a state-sanctioned marriage — is considered wholly unacceptable in many communities. Notions of premarital or extramarital sex are strictly forbidden, and the social consequences for such moral transgressions can be extremely severe within religious communities, particularly in theocratic nations.

In many societies shaped by Islamic ideology, women are essentially subjugated to the authority of men. This is illustrated by traditions such as karo-kari, or honor killing, which has historically empowered men to execute women accused of bringing shame upon their families. Though this practice has technically been outlawed by many governments, where Sharia is the governing law and the woman's kin consent to the man's claim of murder in the name of honor, the act may be treated as outside the jurisdiction of the state. With this in mind, "to the extent that Islam, defined and interpreted by traditionalist Muslim men, is allowed to determine the context and contour of the debate on women's human rights, women will be on the losing side of the debate because the conclusion is already contained in the premise and reflected in the process. Arguably, this is the heart of the moral tragedy of Muslim societies in our time" (Afkhami, 2). For women who marry outside the Muslim faith, the danger can be literally life-threatening — both for herself and for her husband — as there are religious doctrines that underscore the harsh rejection of such unions by many Muslim men. In some contexts, it is considered equally heretical for a woman of Hindu faith to enter Muslim society without fully surrendering her own faith and independence.

Works Cited

Afkhami, M. (1995). Faith and freedom: Women's human rights in the Muslim world. I.B. Taurus.

Abdu, M. (2007). Hindu/Muslim marriage 'illegal.' Official Habari Tanzania.

Congress-RSS. (2007). RSS wants to create a Hindu-Muslim divide: Malviya. Outlook India.

Mirza, I. (2007). Hindu-Muslim marriage. Pak Tribune.

Rizwan, M. (2008). An innovative approach to Hindu-Muslim dialogue. Two Circles.

Swidler, L. (1992). Muslims in dialogue: The evolution of a dialogue. Edwin Mellen Press.