Dear Muneer,
When I was in Muscat I met a person named John, a Malayalee. We became fast friends and in conversations over a period of time, he gave me deep insights into what spirituality (freedom) is all about. His entire point is: THERE IS NOTHING TO DO. I have in my writings not yet come to expound this view as it is a somewhat rarefied view and requires delicate handling.
I was with the RSS since my young days but am now, as I said, something of a recluse. I did not plan to be away from Kerala for this long, but having lived in the Gulf one is used to keeping away from home and this simply stretched to ten long years. I mean to go before long, anyways.
I see you have travelled. Travel they say, broadens the mind. No wonder you are more liberal in your presentation of Islam. Because of my nature I cannot be anti anybody, least of all Muslims, amongst whom I was born (I was born and brought up in Malaysia) and worked with from 1975 to 1997 (with a 10 year break in between when I was with the RSS). I am from Nellaya, near Cherpalcherry.
However, I think Islam as an ideology (not as a religion) is dangerous. My contention of course requires explanation. Ideology I would define as political idealism. Islam has a political goal (unlike Hinduism or other religions, including Christianity, in spite of the Church influence). Islam minus its political goal is Sufism. I have nothing against such an Islam - in fact I sometimes consider myself something of a Sufi) but Islam as is identified today with its Shariat constitutiion is at the crossroads and in confrontation with liberalism. So I write with this view in mind and I conceed that my writings may seem to be an attack on the faith of Muslims. Actually it is only against dogmatic Islam.
Do keep blogging. It would help us, at least, to collect our thoughts.
I stay with my wife and two children. My son is in the final year B.Sc. and daughter in the first year of her 5 year LLB course. Since my rented room is in Navi Mumbai and I find the travel to and fro (I work in Fort in Mumbai) tedious, I stay over on most days in the office (CA firm) where I work as a Stenographer. This gives me access to the computer at nights and therefore I am able to blog.
RegardsVenu
When I was in Muscat I met a person named John, a Malayalee. We became fast friends and in conversations over a period of time, he gave me deep insights into what spirituality (freedom) is all about. His entire point is: THERE IS NOTHING TO DO. I have in my writings not yet come to expound this view as it is a somewhat rarefied view and requires delicate handling.
I was with the RSS since my young days but am now, as I said, something of a recluse. I did not plan to be away from Kerala for this long, but having lived in the Gulf one is used to keeping away from home and this simply stretched to ten long years. I mean to go before long, anyways.
I see you have travelled. Travel they say, broadens the mind. No wonder you are more liberal in your presentation of Islam. Because of my nature I cannot be anti anybody, least of all Muslims, amongst whom I was born (I was born and brought up in Malaysia) and worked with from 1975 to 1997 (with a 10 year break in between when I was with the RSS). I am from Nellaya, near Cherpalcherry.
However, I think Islam as an ideology (not as a religion) is dangerous. My contention of course requires explanation. Ideology I would define as political idealism. Islam has a political goal (unlike Hinduism or other religions, including Christianity, in spite of the Church influence). Islam minus its political goal is Sufism. I have nothing against such an Islam - in fact I sometimes consider myself something of a Sufi) but Islam as is identified today with its Shariat constitutiion is at the crossroads and in confrontation with liberalism. So I write with this view in mind and I conceed that my writings may seem to be an attack on the faith of Muslims. Actually it is only against dogmatic Islam.
Do keep blogging. It would help us, at least, to collect our thoughts.
I stay with my wife and two children. My son is in the final year B.Sc. and daughter in the first year of her 5 year LLB course. Since my rented room is in Navi Mumbai and I find the travel to and fro (I work in Fort in Mumbai) tedious, I stay over on most days in the office (CA firm) where I work as a Stenographer. This gives me access to the computer at nights and therefore I am able to blog.
RegardsVenu
>From: "NRI" <nribahrain@gmail.com>>To: "'Venugopal Kaikulath'" <venu1005@hotmail.com>>Subject: RE: Blogging on NDTV>Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 21:50:51 +0300>>>Dear Venuetta>>Indeed we have been having a lively debate and I must say that we-Keralites>have a much broader view of reliigion and peacefully co-exist in Kerala. I>have been in Bahrain for over 15 years annd before that I was in Tokyo for>10 years.>>I am in business with a Shaikh and may retutn to India soon. Business is not>too good in Bahrain and every year hope that it will improve BUT no Luck !>>I am working on my father's Memorial Trust in Kerala and plan to retire>there and continue with some social work on the banks of the Chaliyar !>>I have a son and daughter and my wife is with her now. Please write to me>about yourself and what held you back in Mumbai for 10 years without going>to Kerala .>>Wishing you all the best>Best regards>Muneerudeen>>-----Original Message----->From: Venugopal Kaikulath [mailto:venu1005@hotmail.com]>Sent: 13 January 2007 20:44>To: nribahrain@gmail.com>Subject: Blogging on NDTV>>
Dear Muneer,>>Your blogs on NDTV are keeping me busy replying them. Naturally, I don't>see Islam as you see it nor would you see Hinduism as I see it. That's not a>problem - there's enough space in the world for each of us. I was in Muscat>for a long time, first going there in 1975, in those early days when you>would bump into the Sultan quite so often. I was with the RSS in Kerala for>sometime. Now I am something of a recluse staying in Mumbai, not having>been to Kerala for over 10 years. Please tell me about yourself. It's>probably best we exchange personal matters over e-mail, as on the blog it>might be unfair to others.>>Looking forward to hearing from you. Meanwhile, keep blogging.>>Regards>K. Venugopal
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