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by Afreeha Jawad

Last week the introduction of this writer by one Professor to another and the latter's 'intellectual stupidity' were certainly more than appalling. His inquiry into my religious denomination was adequately met but not sufficient, I believe, to meet his 'intellectual euphoria'.

"Yes, so what is your religion?" asked the 'Professor God'.

"Universalism," I said.

"What is your parents' religion?" he went on.

"Universalism," reiterated I.

Wanting to save her friend from mounting embarrassment, my friend, the lady Professor who made the introduction said;

"Then Afreeha, your grandparents - What did they follow?"

"Universalism", I persisted - not moving one inch from my stand.

"Look," I said and continued, "I do not suffer from tribalism." But my newly found intellectual friend's angry response - rather revealing I must say, went thus,

"Here, here, that's what the Americans call us - tribal, native and all that kind of thing."

Having briefed him - I mean on my concept of tribalism - how far flung it was from the American form, I explained how this whole exercise of, "I am a Muslim, I am a Buddhist, I am a Christian, I am a Hindu" - brings in tribalism of the worst order leading to so much of divisiveness, dissent and social chaos. A glaring silence followed - there we were - all three of us looking at one another.

I could understand if this question came from some other quarter - quite ignorant of how religion, ethnicity and nation state started. But what irked me most was it came from a sociologist.

Religion, State, ethnicity and nation are all social constructions. The beginning of creation - quite impervious to such existence - was all profound and fine. If among academics, such intellectual stunting is not found wanting and is easily accessible, what of those they churn out year in and year out?

If State policy keeps doling out stuff like unity in diversity, peace and harmony, multiracial, multicultural, multilingual and a whole host of multi-faceted pro-peace jargon - a universal state of mental existence is vital. This writer is baffled on hearing someone say,

"I'm a Buddhist," - for Buddhism knows no 'I'. In fact, it's a diffusion of the human ego - a total nullification of the 'I' state that attracts my attention in that religion - so much so when the Buddhist monk is compelled into head shaving and the Muslim pilgrim also called upon to do so - they certainly share a defunct human ego which in otherwise state is a forerunner to social instability.

If achieving that much is calling for too much, at least let's try to get a step down below to universalism.

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