Tagore writes in his novel, Gharey Bairey--'I am willing to serve my country; but my worship I reserve for Right--which is far greater than my country. To worship my country as a god is to bring a curse upon it.' I submit ladies and gentlemen--nationalism, patriotism, and monotheism are the three deadliest evil that has engulfed our world today. How can you be a monotheist and tolerant at the same time? How can you be a nationalist and love Tagore at the same time? How can you be a patriot and a lover of mankind at the same time? Why is it sweet to die for one's country and honorable to kill, when the country is clearly wrong? That is the curse of patriotism. We the Americans have frequently supported the principle of Bankim's Vande Mataram. Ever wondered why? It gives us specific political identity. We are special. We are unique! See the point? How can you be a nationalist and a lover of your neighbors at the same time? Indeed little use of the common-sense will tell you that intolerance is the essential pre-condition of monotheism; seed of hate-mongering is embedded in the DNA of a theist—specially a monotheist. Just as the seed of existence lies in its essence, the seed of hate germinates in the DNA of a nationalist. Excessive love of one's land is the real cause of hubris or deadly pride which leads to deadly wars. Aren't we suppose to be the citizens of the world and not use scent marks to set up boundaries? Patriotism is the greatest form of evil that has befallen on us--the mankind. Just as a monotheist God is by nature a jealous God who will not allow another to live—a true nationalist will also be a jealous, who will not tolerate the success of his neighbor. On the other hand the polytheistic gods—by definition are naturally tolerant gods; they live and let live. O' mankind, how can this powerful logic escape you—I ask you in all earnestness? After all--isn't it the yearning of every soul to build the civilization on the intellectual foundation of multi-culturalism; multi-religionism; multi-ethnicism; democracy, diversity, and tolerance of everybody else's way of life?
SaifDevdas
islam1234@msn.com
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