The confrontation between .
Islam and Hinduism continues in the Indian subcontinent even after a thousand years till today. .
The present day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are babies of this unending saga of mutual hatred .
and unprecedented animosity. .
The place of medieval cannons is now taken over by laser guided nuclear missiles and .
people who are proud owners of these high-tech toys are hardly aware of their destructive nature. .
Ignorance rules their minds and hatred fills their hearts. Basic issues confronting these countries .
such as poverty and education remain unanswered. The survival of all the countries in this region .
today precariously hangs in balance. One mistake on any ones part and the world would see the .
waters of Indian Ocean swamping the valleys of the Himalayas and inundating the steppes of .
Central Russia. Would religions destroy this world eventually? Yes, well not just individuals, but a .
whole region becomes insane and obsessed with suicide. One could only hope and pray that the .
answer is "NO". .
The origins of Hinduism can be traced to the Indus Valley civilization sometime between .
4000 and 2500 BCE. Though believed by many to be a polytheistic religion, the basis of Hinduism .
is the belief in the unity of everything. This totality is called Brahman. The purpose of life is to .
realize that we are part of God and by doing so we can leave this plane of existence and rejoin with .
God. This enlightenment can only be achieved by going through cycles of birth, life and death .
known as samsara. One's progress towards enlightenment is measured by his karma. This is the .
accumulation of all one's good and bad deeds and this determines the person's next reincarnation. .
Selfless acts and thoughts as well as devotion to God help one to be reborn at a higher level. Bad .
acts and thoughts will cause one to be born at a lower level, as a person or even an animal.
Hindus follow a strict caste system which determines the standing of each person.