Conventional wisdom tells us democracies are inherently stable and that the realities of electoral politics are such that democratically elected leaders can never enforce extreme agendas. But how true is this? Can democracy ever be used in the service of extremism? Perhaps we might find some answers in the world's largest democracy.
India is famous for its economic miracle, its IT revolution and its colourful Bollywood culture. Australians are keen to do business with India, and many skilled migrants and overseas students from India are settling in Australia. The Rudd government even considered selling uranium to India, presuming its status as the world's biggest democracy makes its nuclear program less dangerous than that of Iran or Pakistan.
Yet the plight of India's religious minorities has generally been overlooked by Australian governments and commentators.
India's majority faith is Hinduism, an inherently pacifist and tolerant religion. Notwithstanding the caste system, Hindu societies have traditionally practised liturgical and doctrinal pluralism. Mohandis Gandhi's basic philosophy of ahimsa (or non-violence) was influenced by Hinduism, while his struggle against apartheid during his early years as a lawyer in South Africa was inspired by verses of the Koran dealing with jihad (or striving for justice).
Gandhi envisaged a truly civilised and democratic independent India which zealously protected its minorities. He fought both the British Raj and communal extremists who incited bloodshed between religious communities. His assassination occurred at the hands of extremists of his own Hindu faith. In recent decades, these forces have re-emerged in mainstream Indian politics.
The spirit of Gandhi's assassins was present in the various social, educational and political organisations linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which ruled India federally from 1998 until 2004 and which continues to be the ruling party in various Indian state legislatures.
In 2002, BJP activists in Gandhi's home state of Gujrat systematically murdered at least 2000 Muslim and Christian civilians and made 150,000 homeless. Police stood by and watched as these atrocities took place. State government workers carried lists of Muslim- and Christian-owned businesses and properties which were destroyed. The Gujrat Chief Minister, Narendra Modhi, praised the attackers. He remains Chief Minister.
In recent times, there has been much discussion of the precarious position faced by Christians in Muslim-majority states such as Malaysia, Pakistan, Iraq and the Palestinian territories. Unfortunately, minority rights have become an issue of double standards. We rarely hear Australian Muslim religious bodies and lobbies talking about the plight of non-Muslim minorities in Muslim-majority states.
Meanwhile, many Australian Christian religious groups seem to only address persecution of Christians when used as a wedge to marginalise local Muslims. Allegedly conservative self-styled groups like the Christian Democratic Party and the Australian Christian Lobby often agitate on behalf of persecuted Christians in the Middle East (except when Israel is involved) while ignoring instances of Christian and Muslim minorities suffering together.
Hence the almost deafening silence over the events in Orissa and other Indian states, where activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a movement forming part of the BJP opposition, have terrorised Indian Catholic communities and institutions.
The VHP regards Catholicism as a foreign faith, despite its presence in India for at least a millenium. Catholic welfare groups are accused of pressuring lower caste Hindus to convert to Christianity. The majority of Catholics are either former Dalits (untouchables) or from indigenous tribal groups.
Recently, a senior VHP leader was murdered in the Eastern state of Orissa. Maoist rebels claimed responsibility. However, VHP leaders blamed Catholics. Over 40 churches and 11 other Christian institutions were destroyed by VHP supporters. One female missionary was burnt alive and dozens other Christians murdered. Tens of thousands of Christians continue to hide in jungles, hunted like animals by VHP thugs.
Yet the silence among Australian Christians about the suffering of India's Christian communities is as deafening as the silence of Australian Muslims towards Muslims in Darfur. Even politicians claiming to champion Australia's Judeo-Christian heritage are silent about the Orissa massacre.
There are 18 million Catholics in India, more than in Canada and England combined. Yet as Father Raymond de Souza lamented in a recent article for Canada's National Post, anti-Christian violence by VHP and BJP extremists 'cannot be checked if it is not even noticed'.
But in case we sit triumphantly on our laurels and imagine such a state of affairs never happening in the West, we should remember that the Holocaust ended only 60 years ago and mass-graves are still being dug up in parts of Bosnia.
Has the West learned its lesson on the dangers of democracies flirting with fascism? If recent election results in Austria and Switzerland are anything to go by, it seems not. Last October, a Swiss far-right party whose election posters featured white sheep kicking out black sheep gained a sizeable vote. Following recent elections, parties openly sympathising with Nazis could well form Austria's next government.
Selective indignation on human rights abuses compromises not only our faith but our very humanity. In democracies, electorates choose governments who reflect their own attitudes. Fascism doesn't cease to be fascism just because it gains control at the ballot box.
Just ask the Catholics of Orissa.
(Irfan Yusuf is a Sydney lawyer. First published in Eureka Street on 01 October 2008)
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