12-year old Muslim girl in Mumbai wins ISKCON Gita contest

[Aupmanyav]

MUMBAI: Twelve-year-old Maryam Siddiqui is a rank holder at the exams in school. But recently, the class VI student has aced a written competition based on the Bhagwad Gita. The Muslim girl has won the first position among over 3,000 participants at the 'Gita Champions League' contest, organized by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in January.

The ISKCON monotheism is close to Abrahamic religions. I do not know if she knows how people like me or Shiva Somasekhar read Gita, but still, it is an achievement and I laud it. Here is the report:

Muslim girl in Mumbai wins Gita contest - The Times of India

 

[Vinayaka]

It's also another fine example of how Hindus act in regard to interfaith tolerance.

 

[Madhuri]

I like this from the article:

"Our family believes that one needs to respect and accept all religions. No religion preaches hatred or wrong. However, there are some members who have misguided us. Before these have a bad influence on the children, we need to talk to them and make them understand what is right," said her father, Asif Siddiqui.

 

[StarryNightshade]

Wonderful.

But, of course, the comments in the article itself leave much to be desired.

 

[Chakra]

Congratulations to her.

 

[leibowde84]

I like this from the article:

"Our family believes that one needs to respect and accept all religions. No religion preaches hatred or wrong. However, there are some members who have misguided us. Before these have a bad influence on the children, we need to talk to them and make them understand what is right," said her father, Asif Siddiqui.

Stuff like this give me goose-bumps. That is one impressive family.

 

[Aupmanyav]

We have many examples of Hindu/Muslim unity in spite of occasional disturbances. After all, Muslims have been with us since the establishment of Islam and so have been the Christians.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Mr. Siddiqui will look much better without a beard.

Edit: Both children resemble Mr. Siddiqui and not the mother, not that it is important, just an observation.

 

[ShivaFan]

This is a wonderful post, Aup! Thanks for sharing it. My wife liked it. You know, as a Hindu with strong ties to Calcutta, sort of turning the tables if you will, I probably wouldn't do that bad in an Islamic contest even though I am a Hindu. Nice to see such a smart girl. I love girls, I wish I had 7 instead of 1.

 

[Maya3]

We had a family at my ashram recently, the mom was Christian, the father Muslim and they practice yoga and read the Gita.
They said that they read the Koran, the Bible and the Gita.
They and their kids participated in all the Shivaratri prayers and our regular homa ceremonies.

Maya

 

[Aupmanyav]

I too manage quite well on information about Islam. Did I mention that years ago I had an offer for a change of religion and a promise to be married to a Kashmiri Muslim girl? But I was already married to a Kashmiri Hindu girl. So, I politely refused.

They and their kids participated in all the Shivaratri prayers and our regular homa ceremonies.

Does not the variety gladdens the heart?

 

[Maya3]

I too manage quite well on information about Islam. Did I mention that years ago I had an offer for a change of religion and a promise to be married to a Kashmiri Muslim girl? But I was already married to a Kashmiri Hindu girl. So, I politely refused. Does not the variety gladdens the heart?

It really does!
It was wonderful. The kids were really into the chanting too, everyone was impressed!

Maya

 

[Vinayaka]

Maya, frankly I have mixed feelings. Only a heart to heart personal conversation with them would enable me to determine whether or not they were confused about it. Practicing everything can actually be practicing nothing, if there are many contradictions. Just what do they believe? Any deeper look beyond surface stuff will lead a student of comparative religion to irreconcilable differences.

 

[Kalibhakta]

That is amazing and honestly brightened my day. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Maya3]

Maya, frankly I have mixed feelings. Only a heart to heart personal conversation with them would enable me to determine whether or not they were confused about it. Practicing everything can actually be practicing nothing, if there are many contradictions. Just what do they believe? Any deeper look beyond surface stuff will lead a student of comparative religion to irreconcilable differences.

I have to say that what you are saying is really offensive. Practicing nothing? Really. That is sad.

Maya

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm sorry, Maya. I must have worded it wrongly. It was just an observation, based on personal experiences, and I could well be dead wrong. You know how I feel about mixing philosophies. A child goes to church and hears about sinning and going to hell, and then he goes to a temple and listens to a guest swami talking about reincarnation, and the lack or any real evil. So how does Daddy answer the questions on the way home? (And there WILL be questions, that
s what kids do.) I'm legitimately concerned for any child put into that kind of situation. There is enough problems already growing up in the west with an eastern paradigm.

But in this situation it could all be well. I really don't know. I did say I had mixed feelings. Part of me says it's all good, and another part has doubts.

But seriously, if my expressing that I have mixed feelings is so offensive to you, I would encourage you to put me on ignore.

 

[Maya3]

I'm sorry, Maya. I must have worded it wrongly. It was just an observation, based on personal experiences, and I could well be dead wrong. You know how I feel about mixing philosophies. A child goes to church and hears about sinning and going to hell, and then he goes to a temple and listens to a guest swami talking about reincarnation, and the lack or any real evil. So how does Daddy answer the questions on the way home? (And there WILL be questions, that
s what kids do.) I'm legitimately concerned for any child put into that kind of situation. There is enough problems already growing up in the west with an eastern paradigm.

But in this situation it could all be well. I really don't know. I did say I had mixed feelings. Part of me says it's all good, and another part has doubts.

But seriously, if my expressing that I have mixed feelings is so offensive to you, I would encourage you to put me on ignore.

I was not offended that you had mixed feelings but that you immediately had to put a negative spin on a very nice event at my ashram.
And that you immediate assume that what this nice family is doing will lead to nothing. No wonder there is no peace in the world if something like this can have such a negative effect.

This happened during Shivaratri, I didn´t even bring it up here because I knew it would get like this.
But since it came up in conversation about another inter religious event I thought it was fitting.

No I will not put you on my ignore list. I will however really think about if I want to come to these forms anymore or not.

Maya

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yes, mixing religions is a problem like Dr. Zakir Naik does. That is not really mixing but superimposing one over the other. Your religion still remains the best. In that case you are not really respect the other view. But the family that Maya is talking about may be one of the exceptions (because of a mixed-religion marriage).

 

[JaiMaaDurga]

Namaste,
Another example I have always found heartening is that of Shahnaz Akhtar, a young woman born into a Muslim family, but who is known for her performance of Devi bhajans
(as well as some for Hanuman, Shiva and Ganesha). Some material is the sort of cheaply produced, overly-Autotuned pablum that so many companies churn out, but I find her to be talented,
and wish her success. A decent example of her singing here.
JAI MATA DI

 

[Kalibhakta]

You will be missed if you leave Maya3...