Yes I wrote it right “Egyptian Hindus” , It seems that there are Egyptian Hindus in Egypt , beside the foreign Hindus from different nationalities. I know it sounds strange and for some people especially Egyptians it will be a surprise or even a shock. Already I did not believe it when I read it from two weeks ago in Al Masry Al Youm despite the creditability of the newspaper and how the report by Mr.Farouk Al Gamal was full of shocking details ,it seemed so strange !! Mohammed Al Muslamany spoke about it in his famous show about press on Dream TV2 , still I was surprised that no one else in the media cared about this report and what is about it at all. No one cared to check the creditability of this story because what Farouk Al Gamal is saying is very dangerous.
Mr.Farouk Al Gamal is saying in brief that there is a multi-national missionary group promoting Hinduism in Egypt for years using Yoga as a cover and they succeeded in attracting 600 Egyptians mostly from the high class to Hinduism beside the foreigners in Egypt.
No one moved even the state security that busted from couple of months bunch of kids wearing black T-Shirts . Some will say that we had other important issues and that this is nonsense from Al Masry Al Youm ,others will say that it is not real and there are no Egyptian Hindus in Egypt ,there are only foreign Hindus.
This strange silence made read again the article and try to find the truth as much as I can online. And to my surprise I found out that Mr. Farouk did not fabricate the report as he was accused.
Mr. Farouk was speaking about the Ananda Marga ,a Hindu movement that was founded in 1955 by Prabhat Ranjan 
Sarkar was famous as a Yoga guru. That Hindu movement is described in wikipedia as a socio-spiritual organization with two parts-mission : Self Realization and helping other.
Sarkar’s Child movement raised in 1960s just all like other eastern religions and cults,it was the golden era. Westerns were interested and believed in his teachings.In 1969,the first sect office in America was opened in New York. Now the Ananda Marga got a very big international organization classifying the world in to 9 nine sectors including : The Qahaira Sector for North Africa ,West Africa and Balkans, Yes you read it right , it is our Qahaira.You will be surprised to know they are operating in Syria and Lebanon beside Egypt , it is not a strange thing in Lebanon but I am surprised from Syria.By the way their Qahaira sector website is not updated.
They even are offering a special trip to Egypt to the Ananda Marga members from around the globe to Egypt. Al Gamal mentioned it as organized trips for their members where they can practice yoga in the desert away from the eyes of the people.
Egypt has a separate Website called Ananda Marga Egypt. So Farouk Al Gamal did not lie about the existence of this group in Egypt. He also did not lie about the fact they give Yoga courses for years in Egypt across Cairo in Mohendessin,Rehab City , in Heliopolis and in Maadi where they are concentrating their activity due to the fact that there are many Western foreigners who will be interested in taking Yoga classes and the high income open minded Egyptians who are already to pay thousands for this courses.
Farouk Al Gamal did not lie when he said that they were giving course to Children starting from 8 years old and do not ask me how , already they used to give courses in some A Class K.G which I know its name but I will not say it , it is in Heliopolis , already I find it ridiculous to teach yoga to the kids in that age.
But Al Gamal spoke about conspiracy , he spoke about this group as a Hindu missionary group that convert people from their original religions to Hinduism through Yoga for the rich classes and charity for the poor classes. Again the group did not lie about their charitable activity despite the fact I did not see anything in their official Website regarding Charitable activities in Egypt but I saw it in the Balkans. Already historically this group started to come in Egypt in 1992 after the famous earthquake to present aid , it is worth to say there were many charitable/missionary groups came to Egypt during that time using the need of help for other proposes.
Al Gamal said that there were 3000 Hindus in Egypt from the residents among them 600 and this is according to an ex-Hindu French woman who converted to Islam. Al Gamal report is full of incidents and information.
He mentioned the name of Didi or sister Anandarama who is Hungarian ,of course he considered her as a priestess ,but she is not , 
sister Anandarama is from the leaders of that group in Egypt. She commented in Al Masry Al Youm website angrily calling the article as a fabrication :
Dear Readers It is sad to see that such an article was published without the writer even talking to any of the persons mentioned . This is a very defaming fabrication probably my Mr. Mohammed Khalil who was staying with Dada in the flat and did not want to vacate the flat on request. As a revenge he went to the newspapers and made such a story. Only he knew the early history of Ananda Marga volunteers helping at the time of the earthquake because he was in contact with them that time. Another proof the writer never went into the flat because the carpets are not orange but blue and red! Besides all this I am not a high priest nor do i support anyone with money. I am a yogini and coordinate educational work in Ananda Marga around the world which has over 1000 schools. While being in Egypt i teach yoga and meditation to those who are interested free of charge or on donation basis. Ananda Marga is not a religion nor do we "convert" anyone and besides Ananda Marga is NOT part of Hinduism it is a scientific way of personal development on the physical, mental and spiritual level and engagement in active sustainable service to humanity. Didi Anandarama
With my all respect Ananda Marga is part of Hinduism ,it originated from Hinduism , this lady can say what ever she wants but it will not change the truth that their group was founded on Hinduism tantra !!
Al Gamal did not mention some interesting information about this group which turned to have a long history of clashes with the successive government there. In India some people do not like them ,the founder of the group went to jail and he had a clash with Indira Ghandi not to mention she closed their schools and Ashrams.
He also forgot to mention or include the symbol of the group which I 
Here it is ,did n’t I tell you it will cause problem in Israel more than in Egypt ?? The hexagram which is better known in the Mideast as the Star of David and inside it the swastika , many people do not understand that hexagram in Hinduism and in Buddhism is different than Star of David , I read that it is a symbol for water and fire , you know like in Da Vinci’s Code , the male and female.where the swastika here represents the the good fortune and it is different from the infamous Nazi Emblem , strangely this is from Buddhism ,anyhow people do not know this in the Middle East.
This is the whole story and I got some questions because I do not believe the Didi’s words with my all respect.
She said that Ananda Marga is not a religion or a sect ,then what is it ?? Do not tell it is is yoga , yoga is part of it , I mean what this woman believes in !!
Regarding the Egyptians who are said to be converted,the 600 I wonder where is the State from this, I mean the Egyptian Constitution made it clear for defining Islam,Christianity and Judaism religions as the recognized religions , also all the missionary activities are banned under any cover ,yeah I know that the Christian missionaries are active using the poverty in Egypt but it is still illegal. where the State Security is from all this !!
My aunt was talking with me about the article and she told me how the hell the S.S would not know if they are using Yoga as a cover. Yoga courses in Egypt is not strange thing at all.
What surprises me is that one of the Dadas appeared in the national TV.
Look I am not against Yuga and I respect everyone’s belief but I am a Muslim Egyptian in the end.If that group Ananda Marga is really converting people than they should be departed from this country immediately , I think not only Muslims will agree with me but also the Christians too.
This should be dealt with quickly before we find ourselves with demands of giving the Egyptian Hindus their rights of having Ashrams in Cairo and we find themselves in front of angry Hindu protesters in front of our embassies in the world !!
Very interesting....I'd be fascinated to read more about this subject. I am not altogether surprised that this has started having an impact in Cairo and expect that there are probably a myriad of other religions which also evangelise
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but how can you respect something if you're against it? Let them be, people who want to convert will convert, no matter what. Everybody got brains and a common sense to take their own decisions.
ReplyDeleteI say everyone is free in what he or she want to believe in. The final judgement will be taken by God and not by a mere human.
@Arabista, strangely there is nothing more about it ,as I said no follow ,no bothered to check it out , some will say we got other important issue ,still this is important
ReplyDelete@anonymous,I respect the Hindus but I do not believe in it and I do not want to be spread in Egypt. You may find it strange ,yes everybody got a brain and can convert whether secretly or publicly but this is what I think, feel and believe
Yes the final Judgment in the hands' of God, Amin but I can't keep what I believe in
Hey
ReplyDeleteStrange to see how you get it so wrong.
Ananda Marga is not Hindu. The real Hindu in India will be very annoyed with you for just thinking this.
Ananda Marga does exist in Israel.
As it exists in almost all the countries of the world.
and yes , what Didi Ananda Rama is telling you is nothing but the simple truth.
you see - Ananda Marga is a revolution
it is not against anybody.
It does not come to convert anybody's religion.
spirituality is not religion. while religion excludes , Spirituality includes.
Ananda Marga works in all countries and see no one as an enemy. Many times Ananda Marga people are in both sides of the same war line giving helping hands to alleviate the suffering both sides at the same time.
Prahat Rainjan Sarkar had said - "do something for suffering humanity" and in suffering humanity he sees no religion, country or color barriers.
Human society is one !!!.
I understand that you might not want it to spread in Egypt, but unfortunately you cannot control other individuals...respect for the individual is square one of human rights. Respect other people, do not worry about what they are doing, and live your live well and you will have peace, insha'allah.
ReplyDelete-CH in Cairo
Ananda Marga is a spiritual cult. It is not a sect. It is not associated with Hinduism. Tantra pre-dates Hinduism. Ananda Marga Yoga practices stem from the Tantra tradition.
ReplyDeleteAs much as Ananda Marga is related to spirituality, only that much it is religious. It is not a religion in a dogmatic sense. The dictionary definition of Cult -- a set of practices and beliefs that lead a person to their religious goal. So, it is a cult. It is not a sect because it is not an off-shoot of any religion, not Hinduism or any other major religion. Similarity to Hinduism stems only to the place of its origin, India, and the use of the very ancient Sanskrit language, which also pre-dates Hinduism.
Otherwise, Ananda Marga is distinct from Hinduism as it does not involve diety worship and does not support the caste system.
Ananda Marga supports the universal characteristics and devotional sentiments of all religions. The Ananda Marga Yoga and meditation practices supplement most, if not all, of the practices of prayer and worship found in practically all religions of the world. In other words, one need not give up one's religious affinity to participate in the Ananda Marga program.
As well, it is not necessary to be religious to practice the Ananda Marga system. One could be an atheist or a Pagan, practice the Ananda Marga program and get great benefit from the effort.
@Zeinobia, I really did not like this post ya Zeinab. Yoga is a great sport that has a myriad of benefits for soul and body. There is nothing wrong of teaching Yoga to kids. I still remember my father, who prays 5 times a day, practicing yoga and I was trying to imitate him when I was a child. If there is a rating feature on your posts, I would have given you 1 star out of 5 for this post. Hey but you are still my favorite.
ReplyDelete@Lin ,I respect this , but there is very thing line between spirituality and religion I am afraid can't be seen. I know that the Hindus do not like it despite that I do not understand why but may I ask what Prahat Rainjan Sarkar and the dada believe in ,this is a side question , I mean can a Muslim or a Christian become a dada or didi in Ananda Marga while keeping their faith ?? why they did not go to the media and correct it ?? Al Masry Al Youm one of the the biggest liberal newspapers in Egypt ??
ReplyDelete@Craig, I know I can't control people's lives and believes , I swear to God I know this very well and respect it but also I have the right to share my concerns
@CDEF,again we are talking here about very thin line you named cult with religious beliefs and practices but people from different religions and believes ,again what did the shrii shrii worship exactly ?? what do those dadas worship ?? specifically not in general terms , peace and human family are fine good terms but they are so vague ,when they pray ,they pray to whom ??
@Hazem,I practice Yoga too , Yoga is not owned by Ananada Marga ,here I am not speaking about Yoga , I am speaking this group or this cult accused to use Yoga as a cover
about children imitation is fine , but believe if you were in a child and someone tells to sit still in a lotus position for 15 minutes ,you will run
children should be active for God Sake ,it is not their time for mediation clearing their empty minds already
I must informed you that Hinduism isn't a religion,Hinduism term is provided by the foreigner who want to loot the rich culture of India,I might informed u that in Egypt within 10 year whole Egypt became follower of Islam,might be egpyt should revive their religion as Israel is doing at any cost,
Delete@johnluv, First of all, of course Hinduism is a religion. Second, unlike gold and silver, culture isn't a thing susceptible to theft. It may be emulated, parodied, admired, and whatnot, but the source culture loses nothing in the process. Third, don't end a sentence with a comma. Fourth, leave a space after a comma. Fifth, "egpyt"? WTF? Sixth and last, I surely lost five IQ points muddling through your inane twaddle. Try harder to make sense.
DeleteZeinobia,
ReplyDeleteAnanda Marga is 99% practice, it is all about following moral principles, doing meditation, yoga, a healthy lifestyle, vegetarian food and service to humanity. It is not about believing, it is all about doing. When you meditate you will discover so many more subtle things of life, your mind expands and you can more easier accept all and everything in this universe as your own. You do not feel to differentiate rather you strive to see the oneness in diversity.
People or certain groups with vested interest do not like expansion of mind so they may be against Ananda Marga but not forever because everything changes. Those who have opposed Ananda Marga in early days are supporting it today.
Ananda Marga is a noble and dynamic global network of genuine principles of sustainability and a very defenite method of improving one's personal life.
A Muslim or Christian can practice the principles of Ananda Marga and keep their faith, there is absolutely freedom in this.
By the way we went to the newspaper but they did not print our response yet. The question is why they wrote such an article in the first place without contacting us? It does not show credibility.
"I know I can't control people's lives and believes , I swear to God I know this very well and respect it but also I have the right to share my concerns"
Concern is one thing but wrong information is not acceptable. Your title of this article is sensation stirring and does not respect the stand of Ananda Marga which nowhere in its text refers to following Hinduism.
What do we worship or pray to? It is on our main website, we meditate on the one Supreme Being, GOD the Generator, Operator and Destroyer, the intinite, formless Entity that all creation worships in one way or the other.
"I am speaking this group or this cult accused to use Yoga as a cover"
Cover of what? Ananda Marga has been around for 55 years. There are many agencies who have checked out Ananda Marga in depth and found that it is harmless. Great things are often very simple and misunderstood.
"about children imitation is fine , but believe if you were in a child and someone tells to sit still in a lotus position for 15 minutes ,you will run
children should be active for God Sake ,it is not their time for mediation clearing their empty minds already"
Na, na, na! Those 15 minutes you are just now referring to is from the website of the kindergarten where I taught yoga to 3-4 year olds. And I certainly did not tell them to sit still in lotus for 15 minutes! I am sorry but you just like to twist things according to your whim. This is not fair! You can ask the mothers who were there with the kids since you know the kindergarten but do not make such statements.
Yoga for kids is a playway method of relaxing and balancing their energies. It is all over the world with just check the internet on yoga for kids.
With best wishes,
Didi Anandarama
Dear sister Zeinobia,
ReplyDeleteHindu is a religion in sense like Islam or Chirstanity. It doesn't have anything more with Ananda Marga than others ones have. So how can it be that Ananda Marga is a Hindu Organisation? It is not.
But why do you affraid that Hindus will ask for jagrty in Cairo? What if Christians ask for a church? What is the difference? Or what if the Muslims ask for a mosque in Vienna? There is a mosk in Vienna, did you know that?
And who are "we" that you are talking about? Egyptian people? Do I need to remind you that freedom of religion is guaranteed by Egyptian constitution? Or you still think in a "terms and times" of crusaders and jihads?
Now, what is Ananda Marga?
You were wright in one thing - Ananda Marga is very dangerous phylosophy for many people.
It's phylosophy goes deeply into spiritual, social and economical sphere.
In spiritual sphere Ananda Marga ideology is teachig individual how to become a realised human beeing. It is all about awakening a burning devotion for the Lord - ONE AND ONLY GOD.
In social sphere Ananda Marga is teaching equality between men and women, black and white, Muslim and Hindu - all consist one human society like different flowers put together in a garland. It also support right of plants and animals to share this Earth in peace with mankind. So you see - it endangers all the fundamentalist who are trying to exploit geo-sentiment and socio-sentiment of common people for their narrow interests.
In economical sphere Ananda Marga reveals exploitation done to common people by communist and capitalist ideologies. It doesn't just critque but also provides alternative model whose primary objective is to increase purchasing power of common people. So you see - it endangers communst buirocracy and capitalist exploiters.
Simply put, the mission of Ananda Marga is self-realisation and service to humanity.
It is a way of life free from all kind of dogmas.
And that is for many fearfull thought - isn't it?
@Didi Anandarama, first thanks for your comment , I really love to hear from the other side
ReplyDeleteand may I suggest if Al Masry Youm did not publish your comment then you may go to other newspaper or even you should contact Mohamed El-Muslamany because he spoke about in TV on Dream 2 TV , Mohamed El-Muslamany show is a successful and widely trusted
my post title is from the newspaper itself
thank you again for your comment and let me tell you that I will highlight it unlike Al Masry Al Youm
Dear Zeinab,
ReplyDeleteI hope this finds you well and at peace. My name is Zeinab too :) and I’m Egyptian, interested in self development and going deeper into my inner peace, I’m also learning new ways of complementary medicine like energy healing and homeopathy besides being a business student and an artist.
I would like to send you my greetings and best wishes for your career and I would like to hold a great vision for you as a great and most importantly a positive, honest and truthful journalist, as I know how much courage it takes to tell the truth and to lose our egos and personal interests in it.
I read your article with the title 'Egyptian Hindus' and there are few things I would like to comment about.
Please try not to feel anxious or defensive already :) because there is nothing to worry about.. And try not to judge me or put me into any cadre or name or adjective.. because that will only limit your own perception about what is true and what is not true for you, and you sure don't choose to limit your perception especially as a successful journalist that you are or on your way to be, hopefully. As my intention is only to defend what I perceive to be the truth, regarding my knowledge and experiences about it.
As a Muslim girl who is faced with many untrue claims about Islam and Arab and Muslim women in general, you sure know how it feels to be judged so quickly by 'untrue' media that prefers money, fame or hidden agendas over the truth. Speaking to you is like speaking to myself, maybe because we have the same name or maybe because we're all brothers and sisters in the end.. Anyway.. I don't want to make this any longer for you.
Here is what I think;
First, I would like to comment about Ananda Marga as a path,
The philosophy was started in the eastern part of India in 1955 by a spiritual master, Shrii Ananda Murtii, and a spiritual master here is not considered to be a prophet or God’s messenger of any type.
“THEY HAVE crazy sounding names and head an organization that sounds equally odd. Garbed in flowing orange monk and nun-like outfits they appear like religious fanatics in search of converts. But looks can be deceiving. Dada and Didi, spiritual leaders of the Ananda Marga organization based in Kingston, are indeed on a divine path but they are calm and peaceful, and willing and open to hear all points of view. If there are any two words that best describe them they would be compassionate and non-judgmental.” (1) As I think they are not operating from a shallow place called ego as much as from a place of love and feeling of oneness and fraternity for all humanity. This feeling we get when we marvel in the love of God instead of judging who’s doing it and who’s not.
“Ananda Marga is not a religion. It means path of spiritual bliss, they explain, and like other spiritual philosophies its ins and outs cannot be narrowed down in one fell swoop. However, at its core are service to humanity, which translates to service to God; education for liberation from the bondage of the physical, mental and spiritual self; and the philosophy that human society is one and is indivisible.” (1)
Have you ever felt so spiritually in love with God that you felt like giving up all your material possessions to enjoy the freedom of prayer and service to humanity? I get that feeling sometimes since I was 15 or older especially when I was watching Rabaá Al Ádaweya :) It’s the love and freedom that compel me to have such feelings, the love of God that fills me up and overflows to everyone around me. It’s like nothing is as real as my essence; that I am more than my body and I am always striving to experience what is beyond my body but only few moments do I truly experience that, it’s when true, infinite love fills me up that I feel connected and loving everyone and everything around me.
This love talk is the essence, it is what compels us to do real good deeds and not just meaningless charity that some people do to hide behind, this which lakes the essence that lasts and truly helps. “The social outlook of Ananda Marga recognizes that the welfare of the individual is inextricably linked with the welfare of the collective, each relying on the other for its existence and dynamism. Everyone has the right to equal opportunity and as such there should be no discrimination on the basis of superficial barriers such as race, nationality and religion.”(2)
So I would like to inform you that Ananda Marga is not a religion neither is Tantra itself. “Ananda Marga Tantra is a principle; a science which if practiced will achieve the desired objective. The essence of Tantra is to awaken the latent spiritual force in the human personality and unify it with Cosmic Consciousness. It is not a religion or philosophy which can be confined to the realm of abstract speculation or theoretical debate. Tantra is a process of subjective transformation, which may be practiced by anybody irrespective of their education or intellectual evolution, as the fruits of spiritual endeavor are open to all.” (2)
“A person who, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, aspires for spiritual expansion or does something concrete, is a Tantric. Tantra in itself is neither a religion nor an 'ism'. Tantra is a fundamental spiritual science. So wherever there is any spiritual practice it should be taken for granted that it stands on the Tantric cult. Where there is no spiritual practice, where people pray to God for the fulfillment of narrow worldly desires, where people’s only slogan is “Give us this and give us that” – only there do we find that Tantra is discouraged. So only those who do not understand Tantra, or even after understanding Tantra do not want to do any spiritual practice, oppose the cult of Tantra. ~ Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar” (2)
And I would also like to tell you more about the Symbol of Ananda Marga which summarizes its ideology in a visible form. It is composed of two interconnected triangles where one points upwards and the other points downwards. In the center of the triangle a rising sun is placed, and in the core of the rising sun a swastika is seen.
“The upwards pointing triangle: signifies external action or service to humanity while the downwards pointing triangle: signifies inner development, knowledge, insight or meditation. In one's life the two basic aspects, the inner and outer need to be balanced.” (3)
“The rising sun signifies progress that arises from the balance of inner development and of external service or work in the world. And the swastika represents the goal of life which is spiritual fulfillment. (Swastika comes from the Sanskrit word su (good) and asti (to be) meaning absolute positivity or goodness)” (3)
To conclude, I think we are all on our journeys in life = our paths to fulfilling this balance in which we are helping ourselves by going beyond the material and connecting with our essence and the greatest spirit that is guiding us all to the best of all creation, it is when we connect that we can give. Like in this quote “Faqed al shay2ee la yo3tih” or in other words ‘a person who is not connected to the greatest source of God’s love within, cannot give it.
I am not asking anything from you nor am I accusing you of anything... or defending anything… I just felt sad that we are making the same mistake that we are trying to make people avoid “talking about people who judge Islam and judge Muslims to be terrorists and don’t even take the time or effort to know the truth or to grasp its essence”
In the end, I would like to advice you, not only to think about this but also to feel it, because it is not from thinking that we always find truth, it is from feeling that we deeply experience God’s presence, then we find truth.
I am sorry if I am giving too much advice… I have learned that a person teaches most what he/she needs to learn or remember, so as I am advising you I am also reminding myself :)
Here are my references beside my heart;
(1) http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20030614/life/life1.html
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda_Marga
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda_Marga#Pratik_-_The_Symbol_of_Ananda_Marga
Sincerely yours,
Zeinab Kamal
@My dear Zeinab, first of all thank you for these wonderful wishes to me , second about Ananada Marga , I understand the meaning of its sign
ReplyDeleteI welcome your advice very much and I use it my life
again regarding Ananada Marga , there is very fine line between spirituality and religion many do not see
from what I understand from you ,this is like a Sufi movement that is not related to any religion despite it originated in India and was influenced with the Hinduism
I know very well how certain newspapers can launch pseudo crusades to divert the attention of the public but the problem Zeinab strangely this article did not create any reaction except Al-Muslamany's on TV ,if there was a hidden agenda Al Masry Al Youm would have published a series of articles
may be Farouk was fabricating from his mind , it happens alot but please do not judge me as someone blindly is doing a mistake like the west after all the west is deliberately doing the mistake
I have the right to be concerned and wonder about certain aspects
already all what I did is repeating what Al Gamal said with questions I have the right to ask
There are certain questions I asked some of them are answered through the comments including yours and Didi's
Now my ultimate question this dangerous report and allegation from Al Masry Al Youm needed a statement from the s.s to deny all this
Yes, Sufism is very much like tantra. Like Kabir, Indian mystic who was and still is favored by Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs... He was real spiritualist, beyond religious dogmas, nationalism and all superstitions. That path Ananda Marga is following too. It is worth to research about that One and common Spirit of all religions. It is freedom of everyone to choose it's own spiritual path. You should not support prejudices.
ReplyDelete@anonymous , I do not support prejudices against anyone
ReplyDeleteHallo Zeinab,
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify some more facts. There are no members of Ananda Marga in Egypt. Ananda Marga does not count members. People who learn yoga and meditation they come and go. Yoga teachers have been in Egypt off and on for many years, they taught yoga and meditation to those who were interested on non-commercial basis.
Ananda Marga is infulenced by Yoga and Tantra which dates back to 7000 years but it is not influenced by Hinduism. Rather Hinduism is also influenced by Yoga and Tantra.
Didi Anandarama
Dear Zienab,
ReplyDeleteI hope this comment finds you well. First off, I am a muslim woman who has found many non-muslim teachings to truly deepen and strengthen my spiritual knowledge including my understanding of Islam. It is quite ironic that on my personal journey i have often found that islamic rituals and beliefs make even more sense when I read about zen and buddist teachings for example. I would like to refer to something you wrote:
"If that group Ananda Marga is really converting people than they should be departed from this country immediately , I think not only Muslims will agree with me but also the Christians too."
What exactly do you fear? Even if people were converting, first of all, it is their god given right, just like it is a god given right for anyone to convert to islam. Secondly, if people do convert, it only means that their faith in their religion was weak anyway, or that the teachings that were offered to them provide little truths and the other teachings offer them a greater truth (which I personally don't think is the case with Islam). Thirdly, you are referring to a whole new level of censorship. As a journalist, I'm sure you realize that censorship can only harm our judgment rather than enhance it. And lastly, if you are worried about corruption to our muslim population, then have faith that Islam as a religion is too powerful and truthful to be threatened by something as simple as yoga. As a matter of fact, there are alot of similarities between yoga postures and our muslim prayer, which makes you realize that there is a lot more to praying than we know and it justifies our own religious rituals even more.
All the best.
Hi Zeinab......I am not exactly sure what exactly is bothering you. Is it the self accepted conversion of people or is the speculation that they are being forced into it worrying you? If it is self accepted, then it is personal choice. There is not much you nor any government can morally do about it. If it is the forced thing, then it is a global phenomenon. Just take India for example. We have had entire populations converted by christian and islamic invaders and missionaries. Brahmin women were raped, forced to coceive to conver them. Chrisitan missionaries threw pieces of bread into water wells of temple priests, just so that they could be converted. It still continues to happen, though not as aggresively anymore.The point I am trying to make is minorities doing such activities don't make too much difference.
ReplyDeleteNow a little about Hinduism......It follows only one priciple "live and let live". I must say here that Hinduism in itself is not a religion like chrisitanity or islam.The term "hindu" was coined by mughal and persian invaders around 9th-10th century. It is more of a geographical term derived from the river river Indus (Sindhu).Later on the term "dharma" got wrongly interpreted by britishers as an equivalent for religion, which unfortunately is not the case. "Dharma" is creating a distinction between what is right and wrong based on your self experience rather than assuming it based on someone elses teachings.It is plainly aimed at the good of the universe and not just humankind.So when I say this,I mean that a person following any faith may it be islam or christianity or judaism, can still be a hindu or a dharmik in philosophy.
Another misconception about hindu dharma was the caste or "varna" system. It was misused, minterpreted by local hindus and then grossly vilified by the so called rational thinking british and other european scholars.The "varna" originated as an extremely flexible system where a person could move from a kshudra to a brahmin or vice versa in the course of a lifetime, through his own deeds and actions. It was more strongly associated with the conscience of a person.Just to give an example...consider a person comes up and slaps you or throws a verbal abuse for no reason. Each one of us will react in a different way to this action. Someone who will not slap/ abuse back but will convince that person that he was wrong, wil qualify as a brahmin. Someone who slaps back hard with authority and make that person put his head down in respect is a kshatriya and someone who would just slap back and go away would be a vaishya. The original slapper is the kshudra since he knows not what he is doing. That is a pretty logical way of classifying people. We all have different measures for success, different perceptions of power, different measures for ambition and different psychologies. The varna system is a scientific way of classifiying people and making them improve upon themselves through their thoughts and actions. The "Yoga" system too is a systematic attempt at that self improvement.
I really do not know why I am writing this, but I just wanted to show someone hindu dharma through my window. Sorry if anything that I have written insults you, I sincerely mean none. If any, it is just a clash of thoughts....
I don't know you, I never read anything for you before, I came accross this article by chance, in this article I see that you didn't research the wrong facts that you mentioned and you were too emotional that you didn't allow others any freedom or rights.
ReplyDeleteEgyptians like any other human beings have the right to choose and practice the religion they desire. I am sorry but it doesn't have to be one of the options that you kindly give to them (Islam, chritianity or Judasim)
peace
SLM
Wow! Egyptians are very ignorant of other religion. I don't see anything wrong with the Hinduism. If people want to covert let them. What’s wrong with that.
ReplyDeleteIslam is the second largest religion in the world practiced by almost 1.5 billion people.More people practice Islam than there are people living in India today lol.Don't be threatened by other religions. If you are so threatened people will convert from Islam to some other religion,that says a lot about Islam,doesn't it? You make muslims look bad,like they're all extremists and are ready to attack any religion that seems to be a threat.
ReplyDeleteil profeta Maometto non era un intollerante talebano, il Profeta non è intollerante. Il profeta è annoiato da intellettuali che usano il corano per schiavizzare la umanità. Basta con ipocriti preti di ogni religione. basta con la calunnia. il mondo vuole gioire non soffrire. Mussulmani liberate il vostro culto dagli ipocriti preti islamici. Mach Bub Iss Uaed. Dio è Grande. e io mi sono stanco di questi miserabili ipocriti. MACH BUB ISS UAED .
ReplyDeleteSo what if Anand Marg is Hinduism? The writer is a bigot. Whats his problem? Do not Hindus have a right to existance and to practise their faith? This is the problem with Islamists, they do not see the existance of a thriving Islam in lands where Hindus are in a majority but will shout conspiracy if they see some other faith in their own lands. Grow up.
ReplyDelete"This should be dealt with quickly before we find ourselves with demands of giving the Egyptian Hindus their rights of having Ashrams in Cairo and we find themselves in front of angry Hindu protesters in front of our embassies in the world !!"
ReplyDeleteYes because Hindus protest, kill, throw stones, live ungratefully in western countries, ban other religions in their countries and declare their religion to be superior to everybody else's.
Oh wait!!!
After reading various comments here on this blog, I could not resist but to add my 2 cents on this controversial Hindu Sect Ananda Marga. I would like to highlight few things that haven’t been discussed thoroughly. I also noted the comment of Didi Ananda rama, in which she claims that any faith including Islam and Christianity are compatible with Ananda Marga. Nothing can be further from the truth: Islam and Christianity never claimed their prophets as God as does the Ananda Marga guru (master) himself. The great prophet of Islam Muhammad PBUH was so concerned about him being worshipped instead almighty Allah that he had forbidden his image to be portrayed. But look at these Ananda margiis, they flaunt their BABA (Anandamurti)image anytime they get a chance. Islam and Christianity, both have superior systems of offering prayers to Almighty God, then why would they need a meditation system with a string attached? If you don’t believe me just read below the copied quote from Ananda Marga site.
ReplyDelete“”Those who perform Sadhana twice a day regularly the thought of Paramapurusa will certainly arise in their minds at the time of death ; their liberation is a sure guarantee. Therefore every Ananda Margii will have to perform Sadhana twice a day invariably; verily is this the command of the Lord. Without Yama and Niyama, Sadhana is an impossibility. Hence the Lord’s command is also to follow Yama and Niyama. Disobedience to this command is nothing but to throw oneself into the tortures of animal life for crores of years. That no one should undergo torments such as these, that everyone might be enabled to enjoy the eternal blessedness under the loving shelter of the Lord, it is the bounden duty of every Ananda Margii to endeavour to bring all to the path of bliss. Verily is this a part and parcel of Sadhana to lead others along the path of righteousness.
-- Shrii Shrii Anandamurti””
SADHANA and PARAMAPURUSA in the quote above mean Yoga meditation and GOD respectively.
I had asked a veteran Ananda Margii who had explained to me that GOD is no one but BABA or Anandamurti himself. For your information, origin of this school of thought is Hinduism, where a human being, an animal, objects, trees and certain sex organs can be considered as God. Logically, therefore, offering prayers to their master (BABA), Ananda Marga followers prove that they are nothing but an offshoot of Hinduism. I have no problem with Hinduism also, but problem starts when some group of people try to exploit their fellow human beings by preaching about something for which they aren’t qualified to preach. contd...
contd..
ReplyDelete. Ananda marga started its journey in India in the fifties as a socio-spiritual organization. Several years it had no trouble continue on that but the leader Anandamurti had something else in his mind. He wanted to grab political power and rule the whole world by political means. He wrote a political economic theory called PROUT. He also published a political commentary name “To the Patriot”, where he mentioned to establish a “Sadvipra Raj- Anandamarga dictatorship” through conducting revolution in cultural and spiritual levels of a society. Now anyone can easily interpret their intention in Egypt: Cultural and spiritual revolution by converting all Egyptians to Ananda Marga followers. The publication “To the Patriot” was banned in India due to inappropriate material contention contrary to a democratic society. Being a super intellectual, Anandamurti was aware of the outcome. He quickly established Education Relief and Welfare section (ERAWS) for the public to ward off government criticism and apathy. To this day, this Education Relief and Welfare Section is still used as a smoke screen of positive propaganda by Anandamarga. When hypocrisy becomes a way of living, the LIES become the weapon of success but when too many people competing for the same piece of meat (public fund), there will be inflight and groups. That is the main reason we see so many factions of Anandamarga all over the world. There is hardly any spirituality left. There was no spirituality when Anandamurti murdered over 50 ex-followers cold blooded in the seventies and there is no spiritualties now when the monks become sexual predators: http://anandamargaforum.wordpress.com/category/sex-scandels/
vinny: you say ...Yes because Hindus protest, kill, throw stones, live ungratefully in western countries, ban other religions in their countries and declare their religion to be superior to everybody else's...
ReplyDeleteYou got all wrong, Hindus did not ban any religion in their countries. Of course, there are fundamentalists among all religions. So, just be objective when you comment.
Hello Zeinab It is incredible that I came across this blog in june 2013. and I wish to comment too. You sound like an incredible adult who is seeking answers. And may you be blessed with the best kind of knowledge - knowledge of the self. I have learnt an incredible amount from reading through this page. Thank you. I would like to know what you think about spirituality and Ananda Marga today.
ReplyDeleteVinny.. your wonderful comment I like.. Someone above did not get the 'tongue-in-cheek' message. Much love to you all.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete---Yes because Hindus protest, kill, throw stones, live ungratefully in western countries, ban other religions in their countries and declare their religion to be superior to everybody else's----Vinny
ReplyDeleteThe above was a tongue-in-comment? You gotta be kidding! You must see a doctor, my friend! A person without a sense of smell is trying to smell roses here..he..he..he!
BTW, I am the author who exposed Ananda Marga objectively here. Please do some study before writing anything on the net.
Trying to summarize some points on Hinduism , India & Anand Marg for your kind reference :
ReplyDeletePAERT-1 : HINDUSIM
1)HINDUISM :
-Most flexible religion with teachings related to nature , environment , natural reasoning & Universialism and in existance since time immemorable.
-Flexibile because it teaches 'bhakti' (devotion) ,'dharma' (what is right) and 'yoga' (discipline)which are equally applicable to all human beings in this world.
- FIVE PRINCIPLES OF HINDUISM :
1. God Exists: One Absolute OM.
One Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara (Shiva)
Several divine forms
2. All human beings are divine
3. Unity of existence through love
4. Religious harmony
5. Knowledge of 3 Gs: Ganga (sacred river), Gita (sacred script), Gayatri (sacred mantra)
- 10 DISCIPLINES OF HINDUSIM :
1. Satya (Truth)
2. Ahimsa (Non-violence)
3. Brahmacharya (Celibacy, non-adultery)
4. Asteya (No desire to possess or steal)
5. Aparighara (Non-corrupt)
6. Shaucha (Cleanliness)
7. Santosh (Contentment)
8. Swadhyaya (Reading of scriptures)
9. Tapas (Austerity, perseverance, penance)
10. Ishwarpranidhan (Regular prayers)
-Recommends equal respect for all faiths , beliefs & religions based on the strong foundation which already covers all aspects of human life , society & environment.
-Hinduism teaches "the basic of human society like-
"Vasudev Kutumbkam" (Whole World is one Family),
"Satyamav Jayate" (Truth always wins),
"Dharmo Rakshati Rakshita" (In the protection of Dharma is our protection),
"Yekho Vishwasya bhuvanasya rajah " ( The Lord of the entire universe is one and one only) ,
"AGNE NAYA SUPATHA RAYE ASMANVISHWANI DEVVAYUNANI VIDWANA"(O Lord ! you are aware of all our deeds. Please enlighten us and lead us to the path of growth and spiritual development)
“Na Tasya Pratima Asti, Yasya Nam Mahadyash,Hiranyagarbh Ityesha Ma Ma Hinsidityesha Yasmanna Jat Ityesha" (The supreme god who is described in verses like Hiranyagarbh, Yasmanna Jat, Ma Ma Hinsit, whose name and glory is extremely broad but he/she does not have any pattern - (which means, he does not have any specific pattern but by your meditational intellectual u can imagine his pattern) To be noted that the word Pratima here doesnt mean image but it means pattern).
"Sa Paryagaachukramkayamvranmasnaveer shuddhampapviddham kavirmanishi paribhuh svayambhuryathatathyatorthan vyadghachaashwatibhyah samabhyah" (He (The Supreme) is pervasive, is magnificient. He is bodiless, nerveless and doesnt have pores.He is pure and sinless. He is poet (here poet means he can create anything he imagines), he himself is language (ruler of mind, from where the words come), victorious and the onecreated by him/herself. He has managed since eternity for everyone all source as-qualified.)
"Andham tamah Pra Vishanti Yesambhutimupaste Tato Bhuya Iva Te Tamo Ya Oo Sambhutyam rata" (Those people, who worship separation-destruction and are playing in such activities only, they enter darkness (here darkness is ignorance) and get surrounded by it and those who worship making organisation-creation only, they also enter the darkness of ignorance.
Here to note, worship means remain engaged in, and sambhuti is gathering and asambhuti means division, and engagement in such activities relates with, engaging in material life, forgetting the supreme to be worshipped equally and daily. Here it is nowhere mentioned about worship of natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.))
PART -2 (INDIA) in next post
-Since religion and culture are nearly interchangeable terms in Hinduism, emotive expressions like 'bhakti' (devotion) or 'dharma' (what is right) and 'yoga' (discipline) are used to depict essential aspects of the religion.
-There are no teachings in any faith , belief or religion which are not there in VEDAS & PURANAS in one way or other.
PART-1 : HINDUSIM ( Continue...)
ReplyDelete"Asato Ma Sad gamaya,Tamaso Ma Jyotir gamaya , Mritor Ma Amritam gamaya ,OM Shanti, Shanti, Shantih" (Lead me from the Unreal to the Real;From Darkness to Light;From Death to Immortality.OM, Peace, Peace, Peace)
"Yada yada hi dharmasya, glanir bhavati bharata , abhyutthanam adharmasya, tadatmanam srjamy aham" (Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice and evil prospers, O
descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion -- at that time I descend Myself.)
"Karmanye Vadhi Karasthe Maa Phaleshu Kadachana,
Maa Karmaphal Hetur Bhurma, Te Sanghastva Akarmani" (You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.)
"Vasansi jirnani yatha vihaya, navani grihnati naro aparnai,
thata sarirani vihaya jirnanyanyani, sanyati navani dehi" (The soul is eternal. Our existence is timeless; we have been here before in the past and will come in the future too.The actions of body, our words, and our thoughts leave imprints on our consciousness. The mind stores imprints in the form of Sanskaras or impressions. These impressions remain latent in the consciousness for a while before emerging as mental waves,
which produce desires, fears and other emotions. Our past impressions carry weight and determine how well we can face the present moment and how well we can live life to its full
capacity, free from fears and negative emotions.)
"Paropakaram Vahanti Nadya, Paropakaram Duhanti Gaaya
Paropakaram Phalanti Vriksha, Paropakaram Idam Shareeram" (Rivers flow for Paropkar, Cows give milk for Paropkar, Trees bear fruits for Paropkar, similarly this body is also meant for Paropkar)
No way! Spreading religion through peaceful means such as yoga? How ridiculous! We believe in forcing people to accept religion under the threat of a sword. Isn't that how our "religion of peace" was propagated?
ReplyDeleteVinny said true!
ReplyDeleteHindhu or not , it's there choice, when islam can spread every where and they ask for every rights why can't hindhuism be like that, foolish, hatrid people
ReplyDeleteHindu is religion of ✌️ peace, the article bis really disturbing and spreads hates against Hinduism. We do not support conversation like Islam do, we always want to live in peace and co exist together. This article is toxic and shows cruel mentality of the writer. Try to be democratic and love everyone, if anyone practice Hinduism then it's by his or her choice.
ReplyDeletePeace
Om shanti
What a remarkable and long-running thread! Very interesting and impressive. As long as we are on the subject of religion I want to call attention to this report. Apparently six million Muslims annually have been converting to Christianity! I hardly know what to think about that.
ReplyDelete