Buddhism in India, Politics, Religion, Jihad, and Islamic Law : the thumbnail sketch
ReRe Modern Shamans : Politics, Religion, and Sharia ( Islamic Law )
from
http://shamanism.tribe.net/thread/726fe13d-8098-4117-a357-5fbe071a0718
Re Root
"dude bringing up politics and religion!! What's wrong with islamic? (need to be clearer on this) hope there aren't any on this tribe or else you just might have pissed a few off!!! "
and Shou
"Sharia."
KT answers in full, with the Real Story
From
http://tribes.tribe.net/practicaltantra/thread/09e8cfc4-2743-40fa-85b7-9671eb8c258f
The great Buddhist universities of Nalanda ( 10,000 students ) and Vikramasila were destroyed by invading Islamist armies from the northwest.
Originally Afghanistan was substantially Buddhist. All that is gone for the same reason.
Islam did not succeed in destroying Hinduism ( Sanatana Dharma ). They could not kill or enslave the entire country. But the primary reason for the loss of Buddhism in India was in fact Islam.
KT
Re: Why Buddhism vanished from India? Islamic conquest is a primary reason.
Fri, July 2, 2010 - 10:21 AM
I will repeat what I said before. It is well attested in independent modern academic historical research.
"The great Buddhist universities of Nalanda ( 10,000 students ) and Vikramasila were destroyed by invading Islamist armies from the northwest. Originally Afghanistan was substantially Buddhist. All that is gone for the same reason."
It took several attacks by the invading Muslim armies to finally destroy the great libraries of Nalanda. It took several weeks for them to burn all the Buddhist scriptures there.
It is also true that some Hindu dynasties strongly opposed Buddhist practice and community.
However, we all know from the basic pattern of Islamic history that Islam spread by war and jihad across major parts of southern Asia, Africa and so forth. It is a consistent pattern across thirteen centuries. It continues in a major way with the partition of South Central Asia into Islamic Pakistan and Hindu India.
I would expect people here [ on Tribe Practical Tantra ] to have some knowledge of the Partition and its religious background. It is recent major history for South Central Asia, and it is based on cultural incompatibility between Hindus and Islamists.
The Buddhist communities were smaller and more distinct than the Hindu communities. To wipe out Hindu community would require a tremendous amount of genocide, far beyond the means of the Islamist armies.
It was far easier to target the Buddhist communities, which were broken down by jihad and often sold into the Islamic slave trade. It's in the history books, and these books are not contested by anyone.
Now you know. You have been helped.
KT
--------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalanda
Nalanda was an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India. The site is located about 88 kilometers south east of Patna, and was a religious center of learning from the fifth century CE to 1197 CE. Nalanda flourished between the reign of the Sakraditya (whose identity is uncertain and who might have been either Kumara Gupta I or Kumara Gupta II) and 1197 CE, supported by patronage from the Hindu Gupta rulers as well as Buddhist emperors like Harsha and later emperors from the Pala Empire.
The complex was built with red bricks and its ruins occupy an area of 14 hectares. At its peak, the university attracted scholars and students from as far away as Tibet, China, Greece, and Persia. Nalanda was ransacked and destroyed by an army under Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193. The great library of Nalanda University was so vast that it is reported to have burned for three months after the invaders set fire to it, ransacked and destroyed the monasteries, and drove the monks from the site. In 2006, Singapore, China, India, Japan, and other nations, announced a proposed plan to restore and revive the ancient site as Nalanda International University.
Nalanda was one of the world's first residential universities, i.e., it had dormitories for students. It is also one of the most famous universities. In its heyday, it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an architectural masterpiece, and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many other meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks. The library was located in a nine storied building where meticulous copies of texts were produced. The subjects taught at Nalanda University covered every field of learning, and it attracted pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. During the period of Harsha, the monastery is reported to have owned 200 villages given as grants. . .
A vast amount of what came to comprise Tibetan Buddhism, both its Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, stems from the late (9th–12th century) Nalanda teachers and traditions. The scholar Dharmakirti (ca. 7th century), one of the Buddhist founders of Indian philosophical logic, as well as and one of the primary theorists of Buddhist atomism, taught at Nalanda.
Other forms of Buddhism, such as the Mahayana Buddhism followed in Vietnam, China, Korea and Japan, flourished within the walls of the ancient university. A number of scholars have associated some Mahayana texts such as the Surangama Sutra, an important sutra in East Asian Buddhism, with the Buddhist tradition at Nalanda. Ron Epstein also notes that the general doctrinal position of the sutra does indeed correspond to what is known about the Buddhist teachings at Nalanda toward the end of the Gupta period when it was translated. . .
Evidence in literature suggests that in 1193, the Nalanda University was sacked by the fanatic Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turk. Muslim conquest in India is seen by scholars as one of the reasons of the decline of Buddhism in India. The Persian historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, in his chronicle the Tabaqat-I-Nasiri, reported that thousands of monks were burned alive and thousands beheaded as Khilji tried his best to uproot Buddhism the burning of the library continued for several months and "smoke from the burning manuscripts hung for days like a dark pall over the low hills."
--------------
From Amitabha Chatterjee, same thread
Destruction of Nalanda
Mon, July 19, 2010 - 3:44 PM
Destruction of Nalanda (in short):
The Nalanda University was plundered, sacked and utterly destroyed by the moslem invader
Bakhtiyar Khilji, (Turkish) in 1193 AD. This devastating event contributed considerably to the decline of Buddhism in India, as Nalanda and similar universities, libraries and monasteries were the Buddhist strongholds in India.
Bakhtiyar Khilji was not only cruel but also an Islamic Fanatic. He entered Nalanda to plunder it's riches, but found only books and statues of Deities. Just Imagine his frustration! He then asked if they had even a single coply of the Islamic holy book Koran in the library. His soldiers found none!
Allow me to put down a little bit of Linguistics here.
The Muslim Turks upon entering the mainland of India, attacked the Viharas and sanghas, the Buddhist monasteries, suspecting that they could be plundered for riches and gold. But they were filled with books and numerous idols of Vajrayana Gods and goddesses and of course, images of Buddha. The Indo-Islamic words Buth, Buth-parasti, etc, were coined during these conquests. "Buth" meaning statue, or, idol, came from the word, "Buddh" or, Buddha. "Buth-Parasti" means "worship of Idols". The Islamic invaders wanted to utterly destroy these idol worshippers. In that Vajrayana period, the doctrines of Shunyata, Void and pure thoughts had vanished and were replaced by the worship of various deities... like Tara, Vajradhara, Mahakala...etc. You can find many brass, copper, bronze and stone statues of those deities in the Nalanda museum today. They have been excavated from the ruins.
The senseless genocide that followed has been recoded in detail in the histrical book
"Tabaquat-i-Nasiri" from the account of eye-witnesses and soldiers who took part in the killings.
The Persian poet/ author /historian Minhaj-i-Siraj in his chronicle the "Tabaquat-i-Nasiri" described the rise of Muslim rule in Bengal upto 1259, including the exploits of Bakhtiyar Khilji. We can also refer to the coins found from this period and validate the truth.
Tabaquat-i-Nasiri goes on like this: Khalji's soldiers were ordered to pull down the structures, kill the inmates and burn all the worthless books. Several thousands of monks were thrown into the fire, while they were still alive. Some were beheaded. Khilji wanted to punish those idol-worshippers and devastate their culture, wipe it off the face of the earth, if possible. The millions of rare and invaluable books, scrolls and manuscripts burnt for months!!! Even after they turned to ashes, the sky above the surrounding villages was covered by a dark smoke that hung for weeks.
Shakya-Shribhadra, the Grand Abbot of Nalanda somehow escaped this killing. He received invitations from the Tibetan translator "Tropu Lotsaba Byams-Padpal" and this safe refuge was a heaven sent offer in those difficult times. So, he went to Tibet in 1204 CE and started another Mulasarvastivadin monastery there.
Another famous Tibetan translator "Chag Lotsaba" (1197–1264 AD) returned to India and visited in 1235 AD, the site where once Nalanda stood proudly. To his dismay, he found the place in ruins. Chag however discovered "Rahula Shribhadra", the last remaining hermit, then 90 years old, still teaching a class of 70 students! This old master was kept alive by his Brahmin student named Jayadeva. Jayadeva, however, was imprisoned in Odantapura, for supporting idolatry, where he heard of yet another invation to take place. He notified his master Rahula and requested him to leave before any such a mishap. Rahula was left with only one student, a Tibetan, who carried his master on his shoulders, along with a few books, some rice and sugar. They took refuge in a temple. Infact, during the stay of Chag Lotsawa, the remaining few Nalanda students were again attacked by 300 Muslim Turks. When Old Rahula and his student returned, nothing recognizable was left of Nalanda. ~(from the chronicles of Chag Lotsaba)
~Amitabha Chatterjee.
----------------
yes it is, Voyager, glad to help/ from Nalanda to HH the Dalai Lama
Tue, December 27, 2011 - 12:56 PM
Re Voyager:
"i found this post and discussion very informative....so thank you all!"
KT responds:
You are most welcome, Voyager.
Tantra of any school must be based in a living lineage.
The histories of these lineages are vitally important.
The complete destruction of the great University of Nalanda is of enormous importance in the history of Asia, in the history of Buddhism, and in the history of tantra.
Tantra equals lineage. Just as much as it means sadhana.
The Dalai Lama has made it explicitly clear he considers himself a practitioner in the lineage and tradition of Nalanda.
And he is one of the most effective and respected teachers of tantra and Buddhism in the world today, worldwide.
The Buddhist tantras and Mahayana teachings which were studied and upheld at Nalanda are now being propagated in many parts of the world, by the Dalai Lama and many other great teachers. It is evident.
Any general or broad account of tantra practiced today must emphasize Buddhatantra, Nalanda University and the Dalai Lama.
In the West, most tantric transmission and practice and scholarship is Buddhatantra.
My understanding is that there are two hundred Tibetan Buddhist centers in New York City alone. That's one very important and revealing example. I could give many more in the areas of scholarship, starting with Wisdom Publications and Snow Lion Publications.
Yes, Nalanda was completely destroyed, in terms of the physical infrastructure. Yes, this made a huge difference in the spiritual history of all Asia. But at the same time, Nalanda lives on as a living tantric lineage, and the teaching of Nalanda is found in many parts of the world.
Now you know.
KT
----------------
On Sharia / Islamic Law
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia#Contemporary_issues
Democracy
Further information: Islamic ethics, Islam and democracy, Shura, and Ijma
Sharia law involves elements of a democratic system, namely electoral procedure, though syntax as to what a "democracy" constitutes leaves this in question. Legal scholar L. Ali Khan argues that "constitutional orders founded on the principles of sharia are fully compatible with democracy, provided that religious minorities are protected and the incumbent Islamic leadership remains committed to the right to recall".
However, European and American courts have generally ruled against the implementation of Sharia law, both in jurisprudence and within a community context, based on Sharia's religious background. Whereas groups within a number of nations are actively seeking to implement Sharia law, in 1998 the Constitutional Court of Turkey banned and dissolved Turkey's Refah Party on the grounds that "Democracy is the antithesis of Sharia", the latter of which Refah sought to introduce.
On appeal by Refah the European Court of Human Rights determined that "sharia is incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy". Refah's sharia-based notion of a "plurality of legal systems, grounded on religion" was ruled to contravene the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It was determined that it would "do away with the State's role as the guarantor of individual rights and freedoms" and "infringe the principle of non-discrimination between individuals as regards their enjoyment of public freedoms, which is one of the fundamental principles of democracy".
Human rights
Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
Several major, predominantly Muslim countries criticized the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) for its perceived failure to take into account the cultural and religious context of non-Western countries. Iran claimed that the UDHR was "a secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition", which could not be implemented by Muslims without trespassing the Islamic law. Therefore in 1990 the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, a group representing all Muslim majority nations, adopted the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam.
Ann Elizabeth Mayer points to notable absences from the Cairo Declaration: provisions for democratic principles, protection for religious freedom, freedom of association and freedom of the press, as well as equality in rights and equal protection under the law. Article 24 of the Cairo declaration states that "all the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic shari'a".
Professor H. Patrick Glenn asserts that the European concept of human rights developed in reaction to an entrenched hierarchy of class and privilege contrary to, and rejected by, Islam. As implemented in sharia law, protection for the individual is defined in terms of mutual obligation rather than human rights. The concept of human rights, as applied in the European framework, is therefore unnecessary and potentially destructive to Islamic societies.
Many secularist, human rights, and leading organisations have criticized Islamic states' stance on human rights. In 2009, the journal Free Inquiry summarized this criticism in an editorial: "We are deeply concerned with the changes to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by a coalition of Islamic states within the United Nations that wishes to prohibit any criticism of religion and would thus protect Islam's limited view of human rights. In view of the conditions inside the Islamic Republic of Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Syria, Bangdalesh, Iraq, and Afghanistan, we should expect that at the top of their human rights agenda would be to rectify the legal inequality of women, the suppression of political dissent, the curtailment of free expression, the persecution of ethnic minorities and religious dissenters — in short, protecting their citizens from egregious human rights violations. Instead, they are worrying about protecting Islam."
Non-Muslims
Main article: Dhimmi
Based on Quranic verses and Islamic traditions, classical sharia distinguishes between Muslims, followers of other Abrahamic monotheistic religions, and pagans or people belonging to other polytheistic religions. As monotheists, Jews and Christians have traditionally been considered "People of The Book," and afforded a special status known as dhimmi derived from a theoretical contract - "dhimma" or "residence in return for taxes". There are parallels for this in Roman and Jewish law. Hindus were originally considered pagans and given the choice between conversion to Islam and death (or slavery), as pagans are not afforded the rights and protections of the dhimma contract.
---------------
'Nuff said!
KT
ReRe Modern Shamans : Politics, Religion, and Sharia ( Islamic Law )
from
http://shamanism.tribe.net/thread/726fe13d-8098-4117-a357-5fbe071a0718
Re Root
"dude bringing up politics and religion!! What's wrong with islamic? (need to be clearer on this) hope there aren't any on this tribe or else you just might have pissed a few off!!! "
and Shou
"Sharia."
KT answers in full, with the Real Story
From
http://tribes.tribe.net/practicaltantra/thread/09e8cfc4-2743-40fa-85b7-9671eb8c258f
The great Buddhist universities of Nalanda ( 10,000 students ) and Vikramasila were destroyed by invading Islamist armies from the northwest.
Originally Afghanistan was substantially Buddhist. All that is gone for the same reason.
Islam did not succeed in destroying Hinduism ( Sanatana Dharma ). They could not kill or enslave the entire country. But the primary reason for the loss of Buddhism in India was in fact Islam.
KT
Re: Why Buddhism vanished from India? Islamic conquest is a primary reason.
Fri, July 2, 2010 - 10:21 AM
I will repeat what I said before. It is well attested in independent modern academic historical research.
"The great Buddhist universities of Nalanda ( 10,000 students ) and Vikramasila were destroyed by invading Islamist armies from the northwest. Originally Afghanistan was substantially Buddhist. All that is gone for the same reason."
It took several attacks by the invading Muslim armies to finally destroy the great libraries of Nalanda. It took several weeks for them to burn all the Buddhist scriptures there.
It is also true that some Hindu dynasties strongly opposed Buddhist practice and community.
However, we all know from the basic pattern of Islamic history that Islam spread by war and jihad across major parts of southern Asia, Africa and so forth. It is a consistent pattern across thirteen centuries. It continues in a major way with the partition of South Central Asia into Islamic Pakistan and Hindu India.
I would expect people here [ on Tribe Practical Tantra ] to have some knowledge of the Partition and its religious background. It is recent major history for South Central Asia, and it is based on cultural incompatibility between Hindus and Islamists.
The Buddhist communities were smaller and more distinct than the Hindu communities. To wipe out Hindu community would require a tremendous amount of genocide, far beyond the means of the Islamist armies.
It was far easier to target the Buddhist communities, which were broken down by jihad and often sold into the Islamic slave trade. It's in the history books, and these books are not contested by anyone.
Now you know. You have been helped.
KT
--------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nalanda
Nalanda was an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India. The site is located about 88 kilometers south east of Patna, and was a religious center of learning from the fifth century CE to 1197 CE. Nalanda flourished between the reign of the Sakraditya (whose identity is uncertain and who might have been either Kumara Gupta I or Kumara Gupta II) and 1197 CE, supported by patronage from the Hindu Gupta rulers as well as Buddhist emperors like Harsha and later emperors from the Pala Empire.
The complex was built with red bricks and its ruins occupy an area of 14 hectares. At its peak, the university attracted scholars and students from as far away as Tibet, China, Greece, and Persia. Nalanda was ransacked and destroyed by an army under Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193. The great library of Nalanda University was so vast that it is reported to have burned for three months after the invaders set fire to it, ransacked and destroyed the monasteries, and drove the monks from the site. In 2006, Singapore, China, India, Japan, and other nations, announced a proposed plan to restore and revive the ancient site as Nalanda International University.
Nalanda was one of the world's first residential universities, i.e., it had dormitories for students. It is also one of the most famous universities. In its heyday, it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an architectural masterpiece, and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many other meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks. The library was located in a nine storied building where meticulous copies of texts were produced. The subjects taught at Nalanda University covered every field of learning, and it attracted pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey. During the period of Harsha, the monastery is reported to have owned 200 villages given as grants. . .
A vast amount of what came to comprise Tibetan Buddhism, both its Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, stems from the late (9th–12th century) Nalanda teachers and traditions. The scholar Dharmakirti (ca. 7th century), one of the Buddhist founders of Indian philosophical logic, as well as and one of the primary theorists of Buddhist atomism, taught at Nalanda.
Other forms of Buddhism, such as the Mahayana Buddhism followed in Vietnam, China, Korea and Japan, flourished within the walls of the ancient university. A number of scholars have associated some Mahayana texts such as the Surangama Sutra, an important sutra in East Asian Buddhism, with the Buddhist tradition at Nalanda. Ron Epstein also notes that the general doctrinal position of the sutra does indeed correspond to what is known about the Buddhist teachings at Nalanda toward the end of the Gupta period when it was translated. . .
Evidence in literature suggests that in 1193, the Nalanda University was sacked by the fanatic Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turk. Muslim conquest in India is seen by scholars as one of the reasons of the decline of Buddhism in India. The Persian historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, in his chronicle the Tabaqat-I-Nasiri, reported that thousands of monks were burned alive and thousands beheaded as Khilji tried his best to uproot Buddhism the burning of the library continued for several months and "smoke from the burning manuscripts hung for days like a dark pall over the low hills."
--------------
From Amitabha Chatterjee, same thread
Destruction of Nalanda
Mon, July 19, 2010 - 3:44 PM
Destruction of Nalanda (in short):
The Nalanda University was plundered, sacked and utterly destroyed by the moslem invader
Bakhtiyar Khilji, (Turkish) in 1193 AD. This devastating event contributed considerably to the decline of Buddhism in India, as Nalanda and similar universities, libraries and monasteries were the Buddhist strongholds in India.
Bakhtiyar Khilji was not only cruel but also an Islamic Fanatic. He entered Nalanda to plunder it's riches, but found only books and statues of Deities. Just Imagine his frustration! He then asked if they had even a single coply of the Islamic holy book Koran in the library. His soldiers found none!
Allow me to put down a little bit of Linguistics here.
The Muslim Turks upon entering the mainland of India, attacked the Viharas and sanghas, the Buddhist monasteries, suspecting that they could be plundered for riches and gold. But they were filled with books and numerous idols of Vajrayana Gods and goddesses and of course, images of Buddha. The Indo-Islamic words Buth, Buth-parasti, etc, were coined during these conquests. "Buth" meaning statue, or, idol, came from the word, "Buddh" or, Buddha. "Buth-Parasti" means "worship of Idols". The Islamic invaders wanted to utterly destroy these idol worshippers. In that Vajrayana period, the doctrines of Shunyata, Void and pure thoughts had vanished and were replaced by the worship of various deities... like Tara, Vajradhara, Mahakala...etc. You can find many brass, copper, bronze and stone statues of those deities in the Nalanda museum today. They have been excavated from the ruins.
The senseless genocide that followed has been recoded in detail in the histrical book
"Tabaquat-i-Nasiri" from the account of eye-witnesses and soldiers who took part in the killings.
The Persian poet/ author /historian Minhaj-i-Siraj in his chronicle the "Tabaquat-i-Nasiri" described the rise of Muslim rule in Bengal upto 1259, including the exploits of Bakhtiyar Khilji. We can also refer to the coins found from this period and validate the truth.
Tabaquat-i-Nasiri goes on like this: Khalji's soldiers were ordered to pull down the structures, kill the inmates and burn all the worthless books. Several thousands of monks were thrown into the fire, while they were still alive. Some were beheaded. Khilji wanted to punish those idol-worshippers and devastate their culture, wipe it off the face of the earth, if possible. The millions of rare and invaluable books, scrolls and manuscripts burnt for months!!! Even after they turned to ashes, the sky above the surrounding villages was covered by a dark smoke that hung for weeks.
Shakya-Shribhadra, the Grand Abbot of Nalanda somehow escaped this killing. He received invitations from the Tibetan translator "Tropu Lotsaba Byams-Padpal" and this safe refuge was a heaven sent offer in those difficult times. So, he went to Tibet in 1204 CE and started another Mulasarvastivadin monastery there.
Another famous Tibetan translator "Chag Lotsaba" (1197–1264 AD) returned to India and visited in 1235 AD, the site where once Nalanda stood proudly. To his dismay, he found the place in ruins. Chag however discovered "Rahula Shribhadra", the last remaining hermit, then 90 years old, still teaching a class of 70 students! This old master was kept alive by his Brahmin student named Jayadeva. Jayadeva, however, was imprisoned in Odantapura, for supporting idolatry, where he heard of yet another invation to take place. He notified his master Rahula and requested him to leave before any such a mishap. Rahula was left with only one student, a Tibetan, who carried his master on his shoulders, along with a few books, some rice and sugar. They took refuge in a temple. Infact, during the stay of Chag Lotsawa, the remaining few Nalanda students were again attacked by 300 Muslim Turks. When Old Rahula and his student returned, nothing recognizable was left of Nalanda. ~(from the chronicles of Chag Lotsaba)
~Amitabha Chatterjee.
----------------
yes it is, Voyager, glad to help/ from Nalanda to HH the Dalai Lama
Tue, December 27, 2011 - 12:56 PM
Re Voyager:
"i found this post and discussion very informative....so thank you all!"
KT responds:
You are most welcome, Voyager.
Tantra of any school must be based in a living lineage.
The histories of these lineages are vitally important.
The complete destruction of the great University of Nalanda is of enormous importance in the history of Asia, in the history of Buddhism, and in the history of tantra.
Tantra equals lineage. Just as much as it means sadhana.
The Dalai Lama has made it explicitly clear he considers himself a practitioner in the lineage and tradition of Nalanda.
And he is one of the most effective and respected teachers of tantra and Buddhism in the world today, worldwide.
The Buddhist tantras and Mahayana teachings which were studied and upheld at Nalanda are now being propagated in many parts of the world, by the Dalai Lama and many other great teachers. It is evident.
Any general or broad account of tantra practiced today must emphasize Buddhatantra, Nalanda University and the Dalai Lama.
In the West, most tantric transmission and practice and scholarship is Buddhatantra.
My understanding is that there are two hundred Tibetan Buddhist centers in New York City alone. That's one very important and revealing example. I could give many more in the areas of scholarship, starting with Wisdom Publications and Snow Lion Publications.
Yes, Nalanda was completely destroyed, in terms of the physical infrastructure. Yes, this made a huge difference in the spiritual history of all Asia. But at the same time, Nalanda lives on as a living tantric lineage, and the teaching of Nalanda is found in many parts of the world.
Now you know.
KT
----------------
On Sharia / Islamic Law
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia#Contemporary_issues
Democracy
Further information: Islamic ethics, Islam and democracy, Shura, and Ijma
Sharia law involves elements of a democratic system, namely electoral procedure, though syntax as to what a "democracy" constitutes leaves this in question. Legal scholar L. Ali Khan argues that "constitutional orders founded on the principles of sharia are fully compatible with democracy, provided that religious minorities are protected and the incumbent Islamic leadership remains committed to the right to recall".
However, European and American courts have generally ruled against the implementation of Sharia law, both in jurisprudence and within a community context, based on Sharia's religious background. Whereas groups within a number of nations are actively seeking to implement Sharia law, in 1998 the Constitutional Court of Turkey banned and dissolved Turkey's Refah Party on the grounds that "Democracy is the antithesis of Sharia", the latter of which Refah sought to introduce.
On appeal by Refah the European Court of Human Rights determined that "sharia is incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy". Refah's sharia-based notion of a "plurality of legal systems, grounded on religion" was ruled to contravene the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It was determined that it would "do away with the State's role as the guarantor of individual rights and freedoms" and "infringe the principle of non-discrimination between individuals as regards their enjoyment of public freedoms, which is one of the fundamental principles of democracy".
Human rights
Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
Several major, predominantly Muslim countries criticized the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) for its perceived failure to take into account the cultural and religious context of non-Western countries. Iran claimed that the UDHR was "a secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition", which could not be implemented by Muslims without trespassing the Islamic law. Therefore in 1990 the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, a group representing all Muslim majority nations, adopted the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam.
Ann Elizabeth Mayer points to notable absences from the Cairo Declaration: provisions for democratic principles, protection for religious freedom, freedom of association and freedom of the press, as well as equality in rights and equal protection under the law. Article 24 of the Cairo declaration states that "all the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic shari'a".
Professor H. Patrick Glenn asserts that the European concept of human rights developed in reaction to an entrenched hierarchy of class and privilege contrary to, and rejected by, Islam. As implemented in sharia law, protection for the individual is defined in terms of mutual obligation rather than human rights. The concept of human rights, as applied in the European framework, is therefore unnecessary and potentially destructive to Islamic societies.
Many secularist, human rights, and leading organisations have criticized Islamic states' stance on human rights. In 2009, the journal Free Inquiry summarized this criticism in an editorial: "We are deeply concerned with the changes to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by a coalition of Islamic states within the United Nations that wishes to prohibit any criticism of religion and would thus protect Islam's limited view of human rights. In view of the conditions inside the Islamic Republic of Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Syria, Bangdalesh, Iraq, and Afghanistan, we should expect that at the top of their human rights agenda would be to rectify the legal inequality of women, the suppression of political dissent, the curtailment of free expression, the persecution of ethnic minorities and religious dissenters — in short, protecting their citizens from egregious human rights violations. Instead, they are worrying about protecting Islam."
Non-Muslims
Main article: Dhimmi
Based on Quranic verses and Islamic traditions, classical sharia distinguishes between Muslims, followers of other Abrahamic monotheistic religions, and pagans or people belonging to other polytheistic religions. As monotheists, Jews and Christians have traditionally been considered "People of The Book," and afforded a special status known as dhimmi derived from a theoretical contract - "dhimma" or "residence in return for taxes". There are parallels for this in Roman and Jewish law. Hindus were originally considered pagans and given the choice between conversion to Islam and death (or slavery), as pagans are not afforded the rights and protections of the dhimma contract.
---------------
'Nuff said!
KT
posted inTibetan Buddhism
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