When Buddhism is caught between Abrahamic religions
by Shenali Waduge on 29 Aug 2013 23 Comments

Islam and the Church have been pursuing world conquest and domination through control of territory and people while Judaism has pursued the goal of dominating world affairs (directly and indirectly) by controlling all world capital. All three religions are pursuing a historically mandated predatory global agenda, but this time round the quest to conquer non-Abrahamic territories for the Church is planned to be bloodless, “legitimate” using pan-national/ international structures and “liberal” politically correct idioms, while Islam proposes to use its weapon of birth and conversions, and Judaism controls the wealth. That these People of the Book are destined to clash in what is said to be a clash of civilizations is unfolding before our very eyes. Where does that leave a compassionate philosophy such as Buddhism?

 

The power houses are distinct. The slogans are too obvious – the Church and Colonials would not give up what they enjoyed without a fight. Their “weapons” became human rights slogans, liberal theories of democracy, freedom of religion, multiculturalism and individualism, all based on Western Christian virtues to be applied in both international and local affairs.

 

The Slavery part of Christian colonial rule was quickly replaced by the Bretton Woods (1944) system of world trade monopoly (IMF and World Bank) able to devalue national currencies and steal their wealth. IMF in European hands and World Bank under US control together steer world trade, dictate terms on how countries should provide access to natural resources and markets and created the slave labor deployment across continents (immigration).

 

It is not hard to guess where the money flow prevails, where illicit trades thrive and originate and how Abrahamic miracles can make banks collapse and recover from economic crises. The latest calls are for post-nation state (borderless states), humanitarian interventions, self-determination, open markets for free flow of capital - the plan to take over non-Abrahamic territories. Religious freedoms are subtle ways to push for religious conversions that only Abrahamic religions promote.

 

Domination plots bring clashes between Abrahamic religions themselves; Islam has challenged the Christian West despite the West’s War on Terror meant to arm and keep Muslims at loggerheads with their own. The Hindus have been effectively euthanized and do not seem to even identify their enemy in either format of Abrahamic faiths that have torn India apart. The Buddhist world in comparison has been far more astute and aware of the dynamics at play and the historical ramifications that contribute to the present impasse.

 

History is witness to Persians invading Europe to conquer Greeks in circa 500 BC. Alexander attempted to conquer Asia one hundred years later. The Persians and Greeks both set up colonial empires after invading nations; the Romans in Mesopotamia, Arabia (northwest), Assyria in the second century AD. There followed the Huns, Goths, Avars from western Asia, central Asia and China between the fifth and seventh centuries AD. The Avars from China and Mongolia surrounded Constantinople in 626 AD. 

 

In 624 AD Mohammed plotted against a Meccan caravan, killing 70. Within two years from 630 AD, Muslims led by Mohammed conquered western Arabia, southern Palestine after dozens of invasions. The Prophet died in 632 AD, and the caliph Abu Bakr launched Islam. This led to almost 1500 years of Islamic imperialism against hundreds of nations covering more territory than the British Empire (southern France to Philippines, Austria to Nigeria, Central Asia to New Guinea). Islamic law, Arabic language, Islam prevailed and whereas the West adopted Divide and Rule, Islamists divided people as Muslims and Non-Muslims. Both Islam and the Church sought to convert natives. They set up laws that served their goals and objectives.

 

There is an historical animosity between the three Abrahamic religions; why have they now targeted non-Abrahamic religions? If some of the wars taking place as a result of the war industry seeking to reap benefits have specifically targeted Muslim nations to use sectarian divides to get Muslims to kill their own, the Christian ploy has worked to perfection. But, why drag peaceful religions like Buddhism and Buddhist Asia into the fold?

 

Will Buddhism allow a repetition of history and allow Buddhist nations to be converted to Christianity or Islam? Are Buddhists guilty for ringing the alarm bells because they want to protect their indigenous culture and ethos while allowing other religions to exist? Abrahamic domination means ONLY the prevalence of their (particular) faith, giving no respect to others; this is not the case with Buddhism.

 

The Christian West has subtly used calamities to enter nations through various bodies and entities and to spread their faith. Muslims who previously lived amongst natives peacefully have suddenly created majority Muslim enclaves and attempted to turn the entire area to suit Muslims only – mosques, loudspeakers, sharia, halal labeling… Previously, Muslim women did not cover their face from head to toe (in non-Muslim majority nations), they did not demand separate labeling of food because they purchased meat from people they knew. So what is behind these new demands and habits?

 

When Buddhists object to sudden changes in living habits and sudden new demands, it is not to victimize Muslims who have been living amongst them, but to say that these are creating a divide and this must be removed.

 

There are enough of examples to show how the public live in unity – where different religions practice their faiths and where people respect the traditions that come down from generation to generation. It is suddenly a religion tries to dominate and apply only its religious creed to the rest of the people that people begin to wonder what is going on and notice the new wave of incursions taking place. No Muslims demanded mosques in Buddhist sacred sites, no Muslims attempted to distort history, no Muslims attempted undermine the place of Buddhism that had been historically held over centuries – these factors are taking place now and this is the issue.

 

Buddhists do not take over lands or invade nations; Buddhists do not convert or celebrate conversions or even remunerate people for converting others to Buddhism; this is not the case with Abrahamic religions. Any peaceful living is obstructed when the element of conversion and the celebration of conversion exists. This is why the playing field is always imbalanced and against religions like Buddhism and Hinduism.

 

When Buddhists of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand fears of losing their Buddhist identity and culture, it is most certainly not to exclude the existing religions of others. But what cannot be ignored is that Christianity and Islam are always seeking to dominate through diplomacy, economy or through population and conversions. In Muslim nations in particular, non-Muslim natives have diminished to shocking numbers – either they have had to convert to survive or they have left the country for sheer survival.

 

In contrast, even in non-Muslim nations, Muslims have never seen a decline – their populations have increased steadily at levels exceeding that of the rest of the population. That is why Britain, France, and other European nations are likely to have Muslim majorities in decades to come. This creates a fear psychosis in Buddhist nations.

 

What are the defenses against these truths? Dialogue and negotiations and interfaith programs or multiculturalism do not answer or do not try to address these facts. So long as there is an objective to convert people or takeover nations by birth boosting, it is natural that Buddhists and Hindus will fear for their existence.   

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