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Let’s keep politics and religion separate !

27 octobre 2011, 00:00

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It has become a very repulsive habit that religious activities are given a political connotation. It is disgusting to see religious and cultural associations hankering to be seen and associated with politicians. It is nauseating to see politicians craving for opportunities to use any platform for their selfish ends. It is sickening to see these groups imploring politicians to use their platforms and make fools of themselves as the ultimate objective is that their purposes are also served in the bargain. In the bargain, both parties are making a mockery of religion itself. Our so-called religious forerunners have politicized every religious festival and ceremony in so much so that the Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius now does an official tour to officiate the Divali festival, thus, making the very purity of the festival barren.

It is not only shameful for an intellectual Prime Mister to do so but it is also disgraceful for the organizations giving in to these gimmicks and dishonorable for the very community whose festival is being misappropriated for selfish political motives.
Our society, unfortunately, is religiously pluralized and this significantly influences political decisions and policies of the nation. The relationship between politics and religion must not be over-played and religion and politics should be allowed to operate separately without one interfering with the other.

Religion mixed politics is most likely to imbibe various vices associated with politics. Moreover, politics may not be properly and dispassionately played if mixed with religion and mixing of the two can negatively affect the society as it can have a direct influence on out institutions, which are expected to be independent.

Emile Durkheim has defined religion as “a unified system of beliefs and practices which unite into one moral community all those who adhere to them.” Thus, by definition religion cannot relate with other institutions in the society since it is a mere “moral community” which might restrict its adherents to its tenets and thereby limit their social interaction.

On the other hand, Nkem Onyekpe defines politics as “the struggle for power which itself is the authority to determine or formulate and execute decisions and policies, which must be accepted by the society according to a value system…it is the struggle for power of governance, especially executive authority.”

Many may opine that religion and politics are two inseparable institutions in the human social psyche and structure.  But there are arguments that there should not be a direct relationship between politics and religion especially, since both phenomena belong to different realms of existence. Not only does politics often corrupt religion and vice-versa but also political leaders use religion as a platform to hoodwink the people. Wherever this interaction is allowed, the nature of the society and the strata therein have a lot to do in dictating the mode of such a relationship. In a heterogeneous society, divergent opinions in relation to religious beliefs and ideologies might not allow for a cordial relationship between religion and politics. This may be the reason why political parties, in heterogeneous societies are not founded on religious grounds.

The relationship between religion and politics has been given various interpretations. Eg. a politicization of religion in the society. Religious fanaticism and favoritism can be employed to polarize the people and this directly points out to the fact that religion can negatively affected politics. On the other hand, politics can equally affect religious thoughts, practices and beliefs. It may be added that the conclusion of Karl Marx that “religion is the opium of the masses” holds true to a great extent. It can be used as a tool of political jogging and manipulation. Politicians often use religion as a tool of manipulation to achieve selfish political and economic ends.

Let’s keep politics and religion separate !