MY INTER-FAITH JOURNEY : Kazi Nurul Islam

My father, Kazi Abdul Mazid, was born in 1908 in a village named Shayestbad in the district of Barisal in East Bengal and  lost his mother when he was only 10 days old. Though he was brought up by other members in the family, he got mother's  love and affection from a Hindu lady who was my grandfather's friend's wife. As a result he was emotionally attached to her and used to treat her as his own mother. He used to address her as Ma and even I used to call her Didima (Grand Ma). She was very old that time. But used to prepare special sweets for us during their festivals. Her children and my father behaved as if they were children of the same mother.

I was born on 26-06-1948 in a village name Shayestabad  in the district of Barisal in former East Pakistan. When I was in the 8th grade in my school in 1961, I wanted to know from my father what he wanted me to become. He told me that he was born of a Muslim mother but got mother's love and affection from a Hindu mother. That is why he felt indebted to both the Muslim and Hindu communities. He narrated the history of Bengal and how Hindus and Muslims were living in harmony. It was the 'Divide and Rule' policy of the British rulers that Hindu -Muslim conflicts started in India, particularly in Bengal. That continued for long. After narrating the historical aspects of Hindu-Muslim conflicts he expressed his desire that I devote my life in removing  Hindu -Muslim ill feeling and in promoting Hindu -Muslim amity. Like an obedient son I  touched his feet and took an oath that come what may, I would do my best to establish harmony  among the followers of these two great traditions. It was, indeed, a covenant between a father and a son. And my interfaith journey began from that time.

I realized that without sound knowledge of religions no  work for interfaith understanding is possible. That is why I studied Philosophy and Religion at the University of Dhaka (1966 to 1970). In 1971 there was liberation war of Bangladesh. In the beginning of 1972  I joined the university as a Lecturer of Philosophy. I started teaching the course on Indian Philosophy and Religion.

My commitment with my father was inspiring me all the time to promote interfaith understanding. I felt seriously that to promote understanding among the people of different faiths, first of all, I must have sound knowledge of the major religions of the world. I decided to go to India, the birth place of 4 religions of the world. In 1975 I was awarded Govt. of India Research Fellowship. I went to Banaras Hindu University. I started learning all the religions practiced in India. I studied religions not only from books but also from my lived experience. At one stage of my interfaith journey, I got a rare opportunity of learning Sikhism. Some Sikh scholars came forward to help me to learn this  unique tradition. I learnt Sikhism from Dr Jodh Singh of Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India. We were together studying at Banaras Hindu University. Besides Dr Jodh Singh, Dr N K Devaraja of BHU helped me to understand Sikhism. I was really surprised to learn the teachings of GURU GRANTH SAHIB, the most sacred text of the Sikhs. Indeed, in this text I discovered the interfaith teaching I was looking for.

I felt the need of establishing a DEPARTMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS AND CULTURE  in 1983 at the University of Dhaka. But my proposal was not accepted by the university authority. However, I did not give up my dream. I kept on learning different religions in many parts of the world not only from books but also from my lived experience. And at the same time kept on collecting  books on world religions. By the kind grace of God, a Department named COMPARATIVE RELIGION came into being. Later on the the department was renamed as THE DEPARTMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS AND CULTURE.

In 2008, I established the CENTRE FOR INTERRELIGIOUS AND INTERCUTUTRAL DIALOGUE to promote inter-religious harmony. THE CENTRE FOR SIKH RESEARCH was also established in the same year in order to propagate Sikhism in Bangladesh.

From Banaras Hindu University I did my PhD on Hinduism. After few years I went to Birmingham University, UK for doing my Post-Doctoral research and studied Christianity. Then I went to Japan to study Japanese Buddhism and Shinto tradition. After completing my studies in England and Japan, I came back to Dhaka. I was promoted to the position of Professor of Philosophy. I introduced a course on Chinese religions in the university and seriously studied  Taoism and Confucianism. In 1994, I became the Chairman of the Department of Philosophy of the University. I submitted my previous proposal for establishing a new department and my proposal was accepted by the ACADEMIC COUNCIL and a new Department named DEPARTMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS came into being. Incidentally, this Department is the 1st of its kind in whole of the Muslim world.

I visited the United States of America about 25 times. But my visits to this country in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 have been specially meaningful.

In 2003, I was awarded Fulbright Fellowship to study the Religious Pluralism in US. Though the program was centered at the University of California at Santa Barbara, I had a rare opportunity to visit many churches, synagogues, mosques and temples. I learned the traditional religions of North America, Mormon traditions and Asian religions practiced in US. In India, I visited the DEPARTMENTAL STORE  OF RELIGIONS but in US, I witnessed the SUPER MARKET OF RELIGIONS. In 2004 and 2005 I was invited by the State Department US to study ISLAM IN USA. I got a rare opportunity to visit many mosques and Islamic Centers in many parts of the US. In 2006, I was awarded Senior Fulbright visiting Fellowship for 9 months. The first six moths, I studied THE INNER SIGNIFICANCE OF JEWISH FESTIVALS under the guidance of Jewish scholars at California State University at Fullerton. The last 3 months, I spent in learning PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF INTERFAITH DIALOGUE at Temple University, Philadelphia.

During  these visits I realized that the University of Dhaka must have a CENTER FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS AND INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE, A LIBRARY OF WORLD RELIGIONS  AND A MUSEUM OF WORLD RELIGIONS. I also felt the need of SIKH RESEARCH CENTER. Immediately after coming back from USA, I established a SIKH RESEARCH CENTER in the Gurdwara Nanak Shahi which is inside the University Campus. Then I submitted proposals to the university authority to establish the Dialogue Center, Library of World Religions  and the Museum of World Religions. The university authority established the Dialogue Center without any precondition, but accepted the other 2 with the condition that I shall have to raise the fund needed for the purpose. The Catholic Church in Bangladesh supported us with funds and ARCHBISHOP T A GANGULI LIBRARY OF WORLD RELIGIONS has been established in the university in 2012.

The conditions for the  Museum is different. The university authority has allotted 8000 square feet space on the  6th floor of the Arts Building and entrusted the Gurdwara Managing Committee to raise the funds needed for the purpose. In fact, I persuaded the Gurdwara Management Committee to give proposal in this connection. As there was some internal problems in the Management Committee, the project did not go on well for the last few years. Now I have started to work afresh. The present Committee is also serious about establishing a Museum of World Religions after the name of GURU NANAK DEV JI.

Now one may ask me why I established the Sikh Research Center. May I most humbly tell you that I am a practicing Muslim. But through my long inter-faith journey, I studied almost all the sacred texts. But Guru Granth Sahib is Unique! In spirit, none can be compared with this. I consider to be a role model for promoting interfaith understanding. One of the main purposes of the SIKH RESEARCH CENTER is to promote interfaith understanding  and to propagate the teachings of Sikhism to the people of Bangladesh. It may be mentioned here that even today many scholars in India consider Sikhism as another sect of Hinduism. Even the Supreme Court of India in a verdict in 2005 gave a ruling that Sikhism is not a new religion, it is sect of Hinduism. In this Center we try prove the that Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are completely independent religions. They are not different sects of Hinduism.

I am a Muslim. But above all, I am a student of world religions and spent about four decades in learning different religions. That is why I want to promote the teachings of Sikhism to make my students peace-loving enlightened citizens of the world. The teachings of GURU GRANTH SAHIB, I am convinced beyond any doubt, can genuinely serve (more than any other sacred text) in removing enmity and in promoting harmony. After Gautam Buddha, Guru Nanak brought a peaceful revolution. The latter also brought a bloodless revolution in India and united people of conflicting faiths not only through teachings but with his practice. That is why, when the idea of a GURU NANAK MUSEUM OF WORLD RELIGIONS came to my mind I could not and still cannot think of any  another name that will be attached to this Museum. I hope, our Sikh friends or  philanthropists will come forward to support us to translate our dream into reality. If established, this will be the second MUSEUM OF WORLD RELIGIONS in the world!

Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam

Professor of World Religions and Culture

University of Dhaka

Email:knislam@du.ac.bd