Religions and Martyrdom Today

     Religions claim the prerogative to illumine matters that are of an absolute order such as life and death. The mode of these explanations, given the mysterious nature of these realities themselves, has been in terms of symbols, myths and rituals which transcend the realms of critical reason. These forms of explanation seek to reconcile the contradictions in actual life-experience. Martyrdom is one such religious mode of explaining what appears to be humanly a tragedy. The construct of ‘martyr’ comes from a particular community which claims him or her to be someone who tenaciously upholds even unto death all those ideals it cherishes. In all religious traditions the ideal of martyrdom has undergone an evolution with reference to the concrete historical context. We note also in all major religious traditions an interiorisation and spiritualisation of martyrdom in such a way that this ideal is made accessible to all the believers of the particular religious community.  

The victimhood, pain, suffering and death associated with martyrdom are mirrored in political realities. The ideology, moods and motivations provided by religion are today transposed to the sites of ethnic, regional and national conflicts. As a result, we face serious ambiguities which surround martyrdom. As with religion, the spectrum of martyrdom has become extremely wide in its operation and interpretation. Martyrdom, like religion, stands for the noblest and also for the most heinous crimes human beings are capable of- all in the name of God.

Religious traditions need to counterbalance the classical ideal of martyrdom with education for tolerance and peace. Today, blowing out of proportion the martyr ideal could foster religious fundamentalism and turn religions into the very opposite of what they claim to be- agents of peace. We do not need “martyrs” of religious bigotry and obscurantism. Today the world needs witnesses (original meaning of “martyr”) of love, justice, peace and tolerance, who will be ready to sacrifice their very selves for greater understanding among peoples, nations and religions. These martyrs will not be the possession of any one particular religious community. They will belong to the whole of humankind since through their sacrifice, steadfastness, fidelity and fortitude, they bear witness to the universal values of truth, love, justice and peace. Could the various religious traditions jointly create the climate for the emergence of such universal martyrs? It involves rethinking martyrdom. That is where we need to begin.

 This Article Is A Part Of The Utopia Series. Utopia is not an unreal figment of imagination, or a chimera we chase in futility. It is the projection of another real order of things, a different set of values, and a new shape of the world and society. The suppressed identities, women, minorities, Dalits and tribals and all those who are marginalised in any way project their utopias. Utopia leaps out from the shoulder of may struggles to glimpse and experience the new and the different. Critique is indissociable from utopias.

Collected & Contributed By- 

Agriti Shrivastava,

Article Analyst, FSA

CNLU, Patna

Posted in: Blogging,Utopia Series,YOUR VOICE