Group+Four+(3)

=HINDUS IN ENGLAND - THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITY=

"Hinduism 101", what is it and why should I care?
**What is it?** Many of us in the Western World know very little of Hinduism. Priding myself on being a "psuedo" world traveler and possessing an understanding and deep respect of cultural traditions, I was embarrassed to find that my knowledge of Hinduism was lacking, my little knowledge of the religion being grossly culturally biased. Before starting this project, all Hinduism meant to me was a woman dressed in silk cloth with a red dot on her forehead worshiping strange deities, burning incense while making Tandoori Chicken in a mud oven. Shamefully, the beautiful religion, to me, was lost in the cultural stereotypes of the Indian people.

It didn't take long for me to find out that the religion has a long, rich history and an equally longer, brighter future. Hinduism is a religion believed to have originated in the [|Indus Valley] in modern Pakistan in between 4000 and 2200 B.C.E. (Religious Tolerance). Hinduism is also known as Sanatana Dharma, "eternal religion," and Vaidika Dharma, "religion of the Vedas" (Religious Tolerance). Hindu sacred texts are the oldest religious texts in existence today (Religious Tolerance).

The most sacred texts of Hinduism are the Vedas: the __[|Rig Veda]__, [|Sama Veda], __[|Yajur Veda]__ and [|Atharva Veda]. The texts contain hymns, incantations, and rituals from ancient India (Religious Tolerance). Other important texts in Hinduism include the __[|Ramayana]__, a love story with moral and spiritual themes, and __[|The Mahabharata]__, a group of books attributed to the sage Vyasa. Hinduism encompasses an enormous variety of religious traditions, ranging from innumerable small, unsophisticated cults to the major religious movements with millions of adherents spread over the entire subcontinent (Religious Tolerance). The religion is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism (belief in one god), polytheism (belief in multiple gods), pantheism (belief in all gods), and atheism (belief in no god) (Religious Tolerance). The complexity of this religion and diversity in thought is perhaps the reason why Hinduism is still relatively unknown and widely misunderstood.

To add to the complexity of Hinduism, there is no singular "founder" or unifying principles in the Hindu religion. However, the belief in reincarnation (the eternal spirit) determined by the law of karma can be viewed as a unifying trait of all the different sects of Hinduism (Religious Tolerance). The most prominent avatars in Hindu texts are [|Vishnu] (Vedas), [|Rama] (protagonist in Ramayana), and [|Krishna] (a central figure in the epic Mahabharata) (Religious Tolerance).

According to a British study conducted by the Department for Communities and Local Government in 2001, Hinduism has grown to be the third largest religion in Great Britain, after Christianity and Islam (Berkeley). This is due largely in part to the influx of Indian immigrants into Great Britain over the last century. media type="youtube" key="6AYL9_-PQyQ" height="344" width="425"

The Hindu community, now entering its second-generation status in Britain, is a diverse community with strong voluntary and community sectors. In this age of rethinking the term "British-ness" and what it means to be "British", it is important to acknowledge the important contributions that Hindus have made to British society. The Hindu community has now entered its second-generation and is increasingly becoming more integrated into British society (Berkeley). While the British community debates issues of identity and "British-ness", the role of Hindus in mainstream British society is becoming increasingly significant. Berkeley states in his study, "The (Hindu) community's diversity and the strength of its voluntary and community sectors continue to play a great role in its successful integration and progressive cohesion" (Berkeley). Hindus in Great Britain have the chance to increase it's contributions to the richness of civic, economic, and political life in Great Britain. This can only happen with an increased awareness of Hinduism, warranting the need for Hindu understanding and tolerance in Great Britain.
 * Why should I care?**

The identity problem – Indian, Hindu or Asian…which is it?


"Everybody looks at all the brown people as the same and I think the knowledge about Hindu people in the host community is very limited." //-Focus Group Participant//

Part of the confusion lies in the terminology "Hindu". Too often, people confuse "Indian" with "Hindu". Not all Indians are Hindus and not all Hindus are Indian. Although it is true that a large percentage of Indians practice the Hindu religion, it is important not to lump one with the other. Based on information from Berkeley’s study, it is clear that the Indian community is in disagreement as to how they would like to be identified. One participant states, “I've always seen myself as Indian not Hindu, unless someone asked my religion, it is intertwined being Indian. Hindu? Perhaps that is being brought up this country. . . Hinduism is within our community not in individuals” (Berkeley). Whereas another participant writes, “We are part of something without feeling the need to say I am Hindu. But now that more and more people are becoming more aware of their identity and religion, Hindus are coming out more about their culture too” (Berkeley).

Hindu identity seems to get lost under the label "British Asian". As one focus group participant states, “People are all grouped under the 'Asian' banner, when in fact there are many differences within Asian groups and sub groups. It feels as though the term Asian is associated to anyone that is not either black or white, but any other colour than those. There is no apparent level of sensitivity to the fundamental differences that exist” (Berkeley). Another participant writes, “The Asian word is abused and I totally disagree with that. I would rather somebody called me 'Indian', 'Hindu' - but to be called Asian is a violation. Russians are Asians. Half of Russia is Asian but they are never called 'Asian'. Chinese are Asians and they're never called 'Asians'. They're called 'Chinese'. But Indians, somehow, become 'Asians' as though they own the whole of the continent of Asia…” (Berkeley). Others, however, embrace the "label" Asian and have made concerted efforts to educate other asians in England (see video). Indian, Hindu, or Asian, the identities of these diverse people deserve to be studied in an effort to promote tolerance in the British community. media type="youtube" key="j7HaHJQqq1Y" height="344" width="425"

From Gandhi to Apu...and everyone in between - Influential Hindus.
"I think Hindus require recognition. Hindus are not being recognized for their contribution to the society, to the economics to this country, to the social fabric of this country."

-Hindu Businessman Ricki Sehgal

Prior to this project, the most famous Hindus I could think of were Gandhi and [|Apu Nahasapeemapetilon], the Qwik-E convenience store cashier in "The Simpsons" (once again, I am embarrassed). A focus group participant states in the study, "'If you look now, our vision is completely wide open and in every sphere of life you can see you'll see an Indian person, a Hindu person. We're all getting there. What is lacking is, we're not taking an active part in local politics or national politics or regional politics. This is where the Hindu people are suffering. This is where we're suffering" (Berkeley). Hindus have made important contributions worldwide. When compared to other religious communities in Great Britain, Hindu communities are relatively successful and are making a significant contribution to a multi-ethnic Britain in many spheres and walks of life (Berkeley). Wikipedia lists modern influential Hindus:


 * Influential Hindus include:**



J.D. Salinger, Author



M. Night Shyamalan, Director



Carlos Santana, Musician



Ben Kingsley, Actor



Deepak Chopra, Religious Leader



Aldous Huxley, Author, __Brave New World__

Sabeer Bhatia, Co-founder of Hotmail



Ravi Shankar : Sitar virtuoso, multiple Grammy winner, mentor to George Harrison



George Harrison : Musician and member of the Beatles

Vijay Singh : Golf


 * Others who believed in or were influenced by Hinduism:**

Ralph Waldo Emerson : Author, American Transcendentalist Amos Bronson Alcott : Author, American Transcendentalist Edwin Arnold : British Poet, Journalist Victor Cousin : French philosopher Will Durant : American philosopher and writer T. S. Eliot : Anglo-American author, Nobel Prize winner Carl Jung : Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytical Psychology Herman Melville : American author, poet Friedrich Nietzsche : German philosopher, philologist, Atheist and psychologist Carl Sagan : American astronomer, science popularizer, Promoted SETI George Bernard Shaw : Irish playwright, satirist, vegetarian, Nobel Prize winner Isaac Tigrett : Entrepreneur, Founder of Hard Rock Cafe Leo Tolstoy : Russian novelist, reformer, pacifist, moral thinker, vegetarian Mark Twain : American humorist, writer and lecturer. Ludwig van Beethoven : German composer of classical music Henry David Thoreau : Author, American Transcendentalist HG Wells : British Science-Fiction writer, vegetarian Walt Whitman : American poet and humanist William Butler Yeats : Irish poet, dramatist, mystic, public figure, Nobel Prize winner


 * Taken from "List of Hindus" (Wikipedia)

Yoga, not just an exercise...
Walk past any gym and you are bound to find a yoga class going on. Many people don't' realize that yoga is more than just an exercise. Yoga has been an integral part of Hinduism since 3000 B.C. (History of Yoga). The aim of yoga is the transformation of human beings from their natural form to a perfected form (History of Yoga). Certain swamis, typically scholars and philosophers initiated into religion from a young age, have been associated closely with yoga and have gained star status in Great Britiain. Swami Ramdev, for example, attained unprecedented popularity for a yoga guru by televising yoga sessions 5 years ago. Thousands of followers attend his yoga camps worldwide and a 4.5 million dollar center is currently being built in Houston, Texas. media type="youtube" key="28Znl8xd5Ow" height="310" width="349"

[[image:paris-hilton-hindu-holy-man-2px.jpg width="299" height="398" align="center"]]
Hinduism has made its way into today's pop culture. Yoga, a In the 60's, the Beatles are credited with bringing Hinduism to the forefront of popular culture. In 2000, Madonna paid homage to the religion by including the song "Oh Shanti" in her Grammy Award winning album "Ray of Light" (See YouTube video below). Hindu deities can be seen on T-Shirts, [|toilet seats], keychains, and lunchpails. But has it gone too far? When does the inclusion of religious symbols in the commercialization of products and pop culture cross the line? Ajay Shah writes in his article __Krishna Culture__, "It may seem that pop culture is embracing the Hindu religion. But some Hindus object to the appropriation of their icons, saying it is often sacrilegious. American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) is closely monitoring the use of Hindu icons. The group has been quick to protest what they see as inappropriate use of their religious idols" (Shah). Most recently, in 2005, Hindus in London (and across the world) mobilized against a French shoe company when they refused to discontinue selling a leather shoe with the depiction of Lord Rama on them. (See YouTube Video). This is evidence that the Hindu community, which is generally thought of as non-confrontational, is not afraid to defend their religion.

media type="youtube" key="mlb1GSrGWtM" height="247" width="297"Madonna sings "O Shanti" at the MTV Video Music Awards media type="youtube" key="EAfHKgOd0Zk" height="252" width="304"Hindu protestors



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