On Burqas... And Catallaxy

While thinking about the proposed ban on burqas in some European nations, I was reminded of a time when I visited a Lucknavi chikan kurta shop in Delhi. These embroidered kurtas (shirts) of superfine cotton are ideal for the north Indian summer. The shop was full of Muslim women in burqas buying kurtas for their menfolk. But the shop itself was owned by a Hindu. There were images of Hindu gods and goddesses on the wall, and the words "Shubh Laabh" (which translates to "profits are auspicious") were prominently inscribed underneath, alongwith the Hindu swastika. Looking back, I think this Hindu shopkeeper was smart. He didn't want to see his customers' faces; all he wanted to see was their money. This is the right attitude to possess in a "catallaxy," where strangers trade with each other.

Europe is headed the wrong way (and the Euro is headed the wrong way too) - but India should aim to be a catallaxy. In any Indian city or town you come across women in burqas, just as often as you come across Christian nuns in their habits. And none complain. Mangalore is one such catallaxy - and its multi-religious culture is something I loved while living there. In Mangalore you have Muslim restaurants serving beef, Hindu restaurants serving pork, and Christian restaurants serving both beef and pork.

Similarly, Goa is a catallaxy - even moreso because of foreign tourists. The girl who cleans our house here refers to all foreigners as "guests." She once looked at a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh hanging on the wall and asked who he was, saying that he looked "just like a guest." In Europe, foreigners have always been much hated - the German word auslander is filled with hatred. In India, foreigners have always been much loved. There are many Bollywood songs expressing love for the pardesi - the foreigner. India possesses the ideal social climate to become a catallaxy.

In Goa, foreigners often do things that locals frown upon - like taking off their tops on the beach. But no one really complains, because the topless white woman is an honoured guest. Actually, statues of topless women are to be found on all our ancient temples. And in Bastar, where Maoists rule today, the local women have always moved around topless. India is a multi-cultural civilization; India is a catallaxy.

Europe is headed the wrong way - but European nations have always been closed, warring tribes. It is indeed a pity that they are hell-bent on demonizing Islam these days. Much is being made in the media of the New York Times Square bomber being a Pakistani - but the man who alterted the police to the bomb was a Muslim immigrant too, from Senegal. (Thanks to Lew Rockwell for the link.) It is indeed a tragedy that the most advanced societies of the world are retreating towards mindsets that motivated the Crusades. I think Europeans should hear the CSN song "Winchester Cathedral." The chorus goes:

Open up the gates of the church and let me out of here,
Too many people have lied in the name of Christ
For anyone to hear the call,
Too many people have died in the name of Christ
That I can't believe it all,
Now I'm standing on the grave of a soldier that died in 1799,
And the day he died was a birthday, and I noticed it was mine...

Enough of religious rivalries. As a wise friend once told me, religious chauvinists are people who claim "my imaginary friend is better than your imaginary friend." God has become a problem in the modern world because of such attitudes.

Enough of all this nonsense.

Let's focus on peaceful trade and commerce.

Let's all aim to be catallaxies.