TEDxExeter
Chetan Bhatt: Dare to refuse the origin myths that claim who you are
Filmed:
Readability: 5.2
1,388,491 views
We all have origin stories and identity myths, our tribal narratives that give us a sense of security and belonging. But sometimes our small-group identities can keep us from connecting with humanity as a whole -- and even keep us from seeing others as human. In a powerful talk about how we understand who we are, Chetan Bhatt challenges us to think creatively about each other and our future. As he puts it: it's time to change the question from "Where are you from?" to "Where are you going?"
Chetan Bhatt - Sociologist, human rights activist
Chetan Bhatt teaches and writes about the numerous dangers human rights face today from resurgent Far Right movements. Full bio
Chetan Bhatt teaches and writes about the numerous dangers human rights face today from resurgent Far Right movements. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I'm Chetan Bhatt
0
760
1256
00:14
and when I give my name,
I'm often asked, "Where are you from?"
I'm often asked, "Where are you from?"
1
2040
3200
00:18
And I normally say London.
2
6080
2840
00:21
(Laughter)
3
9320
1496
00:22
But of course, I know
what they're really asking,
what they're really asking,
4
10840
2496
00:25
so I say something like,
5
13360
2016
00:27
"Well, my grandparents and my mum
were born in India,
were born in India,
6
15400
3576
00:31
my dad and I were born in Kenya,
7
19000
2656
00:33
and I was brought up in London.
8
21680
1896
00:35
And then they've got me mapped.
9
23600
1496
00:37
"Ah, you're a Kenyan Asian.
I've worked with one of those."
I've worked with one of those."
10
25120
2816
00:39
(Laughter)
11
27960
1216
00:41
And from my name they probably
assume that I'm a Hindu.
assume that I'm a Hindu.
12
29200
3376
00:44
And this sort of fixes me for them.
13
32600
1960
00:48
But what about the Christians
14
36440
2016
00:50
and the Muslims and the atheists
15
38480
3296
00:53
that I grew up with?
16
41800
1496
00:55
Or the socialists and the liberals,
17
43320
2496
00:57
even the occasional Tory?
18
45840
2576
01:00
(Laughter)
19
48440
1016
01:01
Indeed, all kinds of women and men --
20
49480
1816
01:03
vegetable sellers, factory workers,
cooks, car mechanics --
cooks, car mechanics --
21
51320
2936
01:06
living in my working class area,
22
54280
2496
01:08
in some profoundly important way,
23
56800
2536
01:11
they are also a part of me
24
59360
1696
01:13
and are here with me.
25
61080
1560
01:15
Maybe that's why I find it hard
to respond to questions about identity
to respond to questions about identity
26
63680
4496
01:20
and about origin.
27
68200
1416
01:21
And it's not just a sort of
teenage refusal to be labeled.
teenage refusal to be labeled.
28
69640
2880
01:25
It's about our own most identities,
29
73920
2776
01:28
the ones that we put our hands up to,
30
76720
2296
01:31
the ones that we cheer for,
31
79040
1616
01:32
the ones that we fight for,
32
80680
1696
01:34
the ones that we love or hate.
33
82400
2816
01:37
And it's about how we apprehend ourselves
34
85240
3096
01:40
as well as others.
35
88360
1656
01:42
And it's about identities
we just assume that we have
we just assume that we have
36
90040
2656
01:44
without thinking too much about them.
37
92720
2240
01:48
But our responses
to questions of identity and origin
to questions of identity and origin
38
96400
3736
01:52
have substantial
social and political importance.
social and political importance.
39
100160
4760
01:57
We see the wars, the rages of identity
going on all around us.
going on all around us.
40
105640
3856
02:01
We see violent religious,
national and ethnic disputes.
national and ethnic disputes.
41
109520
4456
02:06
And often the conflict is based
on old stories of identity
on old stories of identity
42
114000
4640
02:11
and belonging
43
119600
1536
02:13
and origins.
44
121160
1496
02:14
And these identities are based on myths,
45
122680
2696
02:17
typically about ancient,
primordial origins.
primordial origins.
46
125400
3696
02:21
And these could be about Adam and Eve
47
129120
2416
02:23
or about the supremacy
of a caste or gender
of a caste or gender
48
131560
2936
02:26
or about the vitality of a supposed race
49
134520
2896
02:29
or about the past glories
of an empire or civilization
of an empire or civilization
50
137440
3416
02:32
or about a piece of land
51
140880
1696
02:34
that some imagined deity has gifted.
52
142600
2480
02:38
Now, people say
53
146800
1416
02:40
that origin stories and identity myths
make us feel secure.
make us feel secure.
54
148240
3240
02:44
What's wrong with that?
55
152360
1296
02:45
They give us a sense of belonging.
56
153680
1656
02:47
Identity is your cultural clothing,
57
155360
1706
02:49
and it can make you feel
warm and fuzzy inside.
warm and fuzzy inside.
58
157100
2200
02:52
But does it really?
59
160640
1696
02:54
Do we really need
identity myths to feel safe?
identity myths to feel safe?
60
162360
2976
02:57
Because I see religious,
national, ethnic disputes
national, ethnic disputes
61
165360
4016
03:01
as adding to human misery.
62
169400
2280
03:05
Can I dare you
63
173320
1816
03:07
to refuse every origin myth
64
175160
3936
03:11
that claims you?
65
179120
1200
03:13
What if we reject
every single primordial origin myth
every single primordial origin myth
66
181160
3896
03:17
and develop a deeper sense of personhood,
67
185080
3416
03:20
one responsible to humanity as a whole
68
188520
2416
03:22
rather than to a particular tribe,
69
190960
2456
03:25
a radically different idea of humanity
70
193440
2336
03:27
that exposes how origin myths mystify,
71
195800
4976
03:32
disguise global power,
72
200800
2336
03:35
rapacious exploitation,
73
203160
1856
03:37
poverty, the worldwide oppression
of women and girls,
of women and girls,
74
205040
3936
03:41
and of course massive,
accelerating inequalities?
accelerating inequalities?
75
209000
4080
03:46
Now, origin myths
are closely linked to tradition,
are closely linked to tradition,
76
214640
2376
03:49
and the word tradition
points to something old
points to something old
77
217040
2456
03:51
and permanent, almost natural,
78
219520
1936
03:53
and people assume tradition
is just history,
is just history,
79
221480
2736
03:56
simply the past
condensed into a nice story.
condensed into a nice story.
80
224240
3280
04:00
But let's not confuse
tradition with history.
tradition with history.
81
228080
2856
04:02
The two are often in severe conflict.
82
230960
2640
04:07
Origin stories are usually recently
created fictions of ancient belonging,
created fictions of ancient belonging,
83
235360
3616
04:11
and they're absurd
84
239000
1256
04:12
given the complexity of humanity
85
240280
1656
04:13
and our vastly interconnected,
even if very unequal world.
even if very unequal world.
86
241960
4456
04:18
And today we see claims to tradition
87
246440
3576
04:22
that claim to be ancient
88
250040
1496
04:23
changing rapidly in front of our eyes.
89
251560
2880
04:29
I was brought up in the 1970s near Wembley
90
257000
2055
04:31
with Asian, English, Caribbean,
Irish families living in our street,
Irish families living in our street,
91
259079
5017
04:36
and the neo-Nazi National Front
was massive then
was massive then
92
264120
3096
04:39
with regular marches and attacks on us
93
267240
2496
04:41
and a permanent threat
94
269760
1216
04:43
and often a frequent reality
of violence against us
of violence against us
95
271000
3736
04:46
on the streets, in our homes,
96
274760
2200
04:50
typically by neo-Nazis and other racists.
97
278080
2256
04:52
And I remember during a general election
a leaflet came through our letter box
a leaflet came through our letter box
98
280360
4336
04:56
with a picture of the National Front
candidate for our area.
candidate for our area.
99
284720
3520
05:01
And the picture
100
289240
1616
05:02
was of our next-door neighbor.
101
290880
1520
05:05
He threatened to shoot me once
when I played in the garden as a kid,
when I played in the garden as a kid,
102
293200
3896
05:09
and many weekends, shaven-headed
National Front activists
National Front activists
103
297120
2696
05:11
arrived at his house
104
299840
1416
05:13
and emerged with scores of placards
105
301280
2216
05:15
screaming that they wanted us
to go back home.
to go back home.
106
303520
3400
05:21
But today he's one of my mum's best mates.
107
309200
3440
05:25
He's a very lovely, gentle and kind man,
108
313920
3776
05:29
and at some point in his
political journey out of fascism
political journey out of fascism
109
317720
3696
05:33
he embraced a broader idea of humanity.
110
321440
3400
05:38
There was a Hindu family
that we got to know well --
that we got to know well --
111
326120
2456
05:40
and you have to understand
that life in our street
that life in our street
112
328600
2376
05:43
was a little bit like the setting
for an Asian soap opera.
for an Asian soap opera.
113
331000
2736
05:45
Everyone knew everyone else's business,
114
333760
1896
05:47
even if they didn't want it
to be known by anyone at all.
to be known by anyone at all.
115
335680
2696
05:50
You really had no choice in this matter.
116
338400
1936
05:52
But in this family,
there was a quiet little boy
there was a quiet little boy
117
340360
4616
05:57
who went to the same school as I did,
118
345000
1816
05:58
and after I left school,
I didn't hear much more about him,
I didn't hear much more about him,
119
346840
2816
06:01
except that he'd gone off to India.
120
349680
2920
06:06
Now around 2000,
121
354760
1816
06:08
I remember seeing this short book.
122
356600
2240
06:12
The book was unusual
123
360240
1216
06:13
because it was written
by a British supporter of Al Qaeda,
by a British supporter of Al Qaeda,
124
361480
3736
06:17
and in it the author calls
for attacks in Britain.
for attacks in Britain.
125
365240
3056
06:20
This is in 1999,
126
368320
1936
06:22
so 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq
was still in the future,
was still in the future,
127
370280
4136
06:26
and he helped scout
New York bombing targets.
New York bombing targets.
128
374440
2816
06:29
He taught others how to make a dirty bomb
to use on the London Underground,
to use on the London Underground,
129
377280
4816
06:34
and he plotted a massive bombing campaign
in London's shopping areas.
in London's shopping areas.
130
382120
3440
06:38
He's a very high-risk security
prisoner in the UK
prisoner in the UK
131
386160
3096
06:41
and one of the most important Al Qaeda
figures to be arrested in Britain.
figures to be arrested in Britain.
132
389280
4360
06:47
The author of that book
133
395480
1856
06:49
was the very same quiet little boy
134
397360
3456
06:52
who went to my school.
135
400840
1200
06:55
So a Hindu boy from Britain
136
403160
2136
06:57
became an Al Qaeda fighter
137
405320
1736
06:59
and a most-wanted international terrorist,
138
407080
2056
07:01
and he rejected what people would call
his Hindu or Indian or British identity,
his Hindu or Indian or British identity,
139
409160
5096
07:06
and he became someone else.
140
414280
1856
07:08
He refused to be who he was.
141
416160
1856
07:10
He recreated himself,
142
418040
2296
07:12
and this kind of journey is very common
143
420360
2296
07:14
for young men and women
144
422680
1456
07:16
who become involved
in Al Qaeda or Islamic State
in Al Qaeda or Islamic State
145
424160
3096
07:19
or other transnational armed groups.
146
427280
3296
07:22
Al Qaeda's media spokesman
is a white American
is a white American
147
430600
3856
07:26
from a Jewish and Catholic
mixed background,
mixed background,
148
434480
3456
07:29
and neither he nor the boy from my school
149
437960
2776
07:32
were from Muslim backgrounds.
150
440760
1696
07:34
There's no point in asking them
where are they from.
where are they from.
151
442480
2736
07:37
A more important question is
where they're going.
where they're going.
152
445240
2440
07:40
And I would also put it to you
153
448800
1456
07:42
that exactly the same journey
occurs for those young men and women
occurs for those young men and women
154
450280
3136
07:45
who were brought up
in Muslim family backgrounds.
in Muslim family backgrounds.
155
453440
2936
07:48
Most of those who join Al Qaeda
156
456400
2816
07:51
and other Salafi jihadi groups
from Europe, Asia, North America,
from Europe, Asia, North America,
157
459240
4976
07:56
even in many cases the Middle East
158
464240
1896
07:58
are those who have comprehensively
rejected their backgrounds
rejected their backgrounds
159
466160
3936
08:02
to become, in essence, new people.
160
470120
3080
08:06
They spend an enormous amount of time
attacking their parents' backgrounds
attacking their parents' backgrounds
161
474280
3856
08:10
as profane, impure, blasphemous,
162
478160
3016
08:13
the wrong type of Islam,
163
481200
2296
08:15
and their vision instead
164
483520
1496
08:17
is a fantastical view
of cosmic apocalypse.
of cosmic apocalypse.
165
485040
4576
08:21
It's a born again vision.
166
489640
1336
08:23
Discard your past,
your society, your family and friends
your society, your family and friends
167
491000
3416
08:26
since they're all impure.
168
494440
2160
08:29
Instead, become someone else,
169
497840
2480
08:33
your true self,
170
501240
1280
08:35
your authentic self.
171
503480
2280
08:39
Now, this isn't
about a return to the past.
about a return to the past.
172
507000
4056
08:43
It's about using a forgery of the past
173
511080
3216
08:46
to envision an appalling future
which begins today at year zero.
which begins today at year zero.
174
514320
4496
08:50
This is why over 80 percent of the victims
of Al Qaeda and Islamic State
of Al Qaeda and Islamic State
175
518840
3496
08:54
are people from Muslim backgrounds.
176
522360
1696
08:56
The first act by Salafi jihadi groups
when they take over an area
when they take over an area
177
524080
4336
09:00
is to destroy existing Muslim institutions
178
528440
3096
09:03
including mosques,
shrines, preachers, practices.
shrines, preachers, practices.
179
531560
3960
09:08
Their main purpose is to control
and punish people internally,
and punish people internally,
180
536480
3416
09:11
to dictate the spaces that women may go,
181
539920
2696
09:14
their clothing, family relations,
182
542640
2136
09:16
beliefs, even the minute detail
of how one prays.
of how one prays.
183
544800
4296
09:21
And you get the impression in the news
184
549120
2096
09:23
that they are after us in the West,
185
551240
3256
09:26
but they are actually mainly after
people from other Muslim backgrounds.
people from other Muslim backgrounds.
186
554520
4560
09:32
In their view, no other Muslim
can ever be pure enough,
can ever be pure enough,
187
560440
4896
09:37
so ordinary beliefs and practices
that have existed for centuries
that have existed for centuries
188
565360
3096
09:40
are attacked as impure
189
568480
1976
09:42
by teenagers from Birmingham or London
190
570480
3176
09:45
who know nothing
191
573680
1720
09:48
about the histories
that they so joyously obliterate.
that they so joyously obliterate.
192
576320
5560
09:54
Now here, their claim to tradition
is at war with history,
is at war with history,
193
582800
4856
09:59
but they're nevertheless
very certain about their purity
very certain about their purity
194
587680
3056
10:02
and about the impurity of others.
195
590760
2320
10:06
Purity,
196
594520
1200
10:08
certainty,
197
596640
1616
10:10
the return to authentic tradition,
198
598280
1736
10:12
the quest for these
can lead to lethal visions
can lead to lethal visions
199
600040
3296
10:15
of perfect societies and perfected people.
200
603360
4016
10:19
This is what the main Hindu
fundamentalist organization in India
fundamentalist organization in India
201
607400
4256
10:23
looks like today at its mass rally.
202
611680
2280
10:26
Maybe it reminds you
of the 1930s in Italy or Germany,
of the 1930s in Italy or Germany,
203
614760
3296
10:30
and the movement's roots
are indeed in fascism.
are indeed in fascism.
204
618080
2216
10:32
It was a member of the same
Hindu fundamentalist movement
Hindu fundamentalist movement
205
620320
3736
10:36
who shot dead Mahatma Gandhi.
206
624080
2840
10:40
Hindu fundamentalists today
view this murderer as a national hero,
view this murderer as a national hero,
207
628160
5016
10:45
and they want to put up
statues of him throughout India.
statues of him throughout India.
208
633200
3816
10:49
They've been involved for decades
209
637040
1616
10:50
in large-scale mass violence
against minorities.
against minorities.
210
638680
2536
10:53
They ban books, art, films.
211
641240
2616
10:55
They attack romantic couples
on Valentine's Day,
on Valentine's Day,
212
643880
2256
10:58
Christians on Christmas Day.
213
646160
2056
11:00
They don't like others talking critically
214
648240
2896
11:03
about what they see
as their ancient culture
as their ancient culture
215
651160
2616
11:05
or using its images
216
653800
1496
11:07
or caricaturing it
217
655320
1616
11:08
or drawing cartoons about it.
218
656960
2560
11:12
But the people making
the strongest possible claims
the strongest possible claims
219
660680
3496
11:16
about ancient, timeless Hindu religion
220
664200
2896
11:19
are dressed in brown shorts
and white shirts
and white shirts
221
667120
2616
11:21
while claiming, oddly,
222
669760
2656
11:24
to be the original Aryan race,
223
672440
2856
11:27
just like the violent Salafi jihadis
224
675320
2416
11:29
who make their claims
about their primordial religion
about their primordial religion
225
677760
2976
11:32
while dressed in black military uniforms
226
680760
2456
11:35
and wearing balaclavas.
227
683240
1520
11:37
These people are manufacturing
pure, pristine identities of conviction
pure, pristine identities of conviction
228
685960
4376
11:42
and of certainty.
229
690360
1216
11:43
Fundamentalists see religion and culture
as their sole property, a property.
as their sole property, a property.
230
691600
4560
11:49
But religions and cultures are processes.
231
697000
2576
11:51
They're not things. They're impermanent.
They're messy. They're impure.
They're messy. They're impure.
232
699600
3376
11:55
Look at any religion
and you'll see disputes and arguments
and you'll see disputes and arguments
233
703000
2736
11:57
going all the way down.
234
705760
2000
12:01
Any criticism of religion in any form
235
709640
2920
12:05
has to therefore be
236
713360
1936
12:07
part of the expansive sense of humanity
237
715320
2576
12:09
we should aspire to.
238
717920
1200
12:12
I respect your right
to have and to express your religion
to have and to express your religion
239
720400
4456
12:16
or your culture or your opinion,
240
724880
2616
12:19
but I don't necessarily
have to respect the content.
have to respect the content.
241
727520
2856
12:22
I might like some of it.
242
730400
1256
12:23
I might like how an old church
looks, for example,
looks, for example,
243
731680
2816
12:26
but this isn't the same thing.
244
734520
1520
12:28
Similarly, I have a human right
245
736960
2616
12:31
to say something
that you may find offensive,
that you may find offensive,
246
739600
2136
12:33
but you do not have a human right
not to be offended.
not to be offended.
247
741760
2480
12:37
In a genuine democracy,
we're constantly offended
we're constantly offended
248
745080
2936
12:40
since people express
different views all the time.
different views all the time.
249
748040
2776
12:42
They also change their views,
250
750840
1840
12:45
so their views are impermanent.
251
753360
1536
12:46
You cannot fix someone's political views
252
754920
3296
12:50
based on their religious
or national or cultural background.
or national or cultural background.
253
758240
3120
12:54
Now, these points about religious purity
254
762840
2816
12:57
also apply to nationalism and to racism.
255
765680
3400
13:03
I'm always puzzled
256
771160
1360
13:05
to have pride in your national
or ethnic identity,
or ethnic identity,
257
773680
4800
13:11
pride in the accident of birth
from a warm and cozy womb,
from a warm and cozy womb,
258
779920
3400
13:16
belief in your superiority
because of the accident of birth.
because of the accident of birth.
259
784560
3400
13:21
These people have very firm ideas
260
789280
2256
13:23
about what belongs and what doesn't belong
261
791560
2000
13:25
inside the cozy national cultures
that they imagine.
that they imagine.
262
793584
3672
13:29
And I'm going to caricature a bit here,
but only a little bit.
but only a little bit.
263
797280
3816
13:33
I want you to imagine
the supporter of some Little Englander
the supporter of some Little Englander
264
801120
3256
13:36
or British nationalist political party,
265
804400
1896
13:38
and he's sitting at home
266
806320
1376
13:39
and he's screaming about foreigners
267
807720
2856
13:42
invading his country
268
810600
1816
13:44
while watching Fox News,
269
812440
1936
13:46
an American cable channel
270
814400
2176
13:48
owned by an Australian
271
816600
1456
13:50
on his South Korean television set
272
818080
2136
13:52
which was bought
by his Spanish credit card
by his Spanish credit card
273
820240
3576
13:55
which is paid off monthly
by his high-street British bank
by his high-street British bank
274
823840
3256
13:59
which has its headquarters in Hong Kong.
275
827120
2640
14:02
He supports a British football team
owned by a Russian.
owned by a Russian.
276
830360
4056
14:06
His favorite brand of fish and chips
277
834440
1736
14:08
is owned by a Swedish
venture capitalist firm.
venture capitalist firm.
278
836200
2656
14:10
The church he sometimes goes to
279
838880
1496
14:12
has its creed decided
in meetings in Ghana.
in meetings in Ghana.
280
840400
3440
14:17
His Union Jack underpants
281
845280
2080
14:20
were made in India.
282
848320
1216
14:21
(Laughter)
283
849560
2256
14:23
And --
284
851840
1216
14:25
(Applause)
285
853080
5936
14:31
Thank you.
286
859040
1216
14:32
And they're laundered regularly
287
860280
3936
14:36
by a very nice Polish lady.
288
864240
2776
14:39
(Laughter)
289
867040
1200
14:41
There is no pure ethnicity,
national culture,
national culture,
290
869240
2776
14:44
and the ethical choices we have today
291
872040
2096
14:46
are far wider than being forced to choose
292
874160
3976
14:50
between racist right
and religious right visions,
and religious right visions,
293
878160
3456
14:53
dismal visions of culture.
294
881640
2080
14:56
Now, culture isn't just
about language, food, clothing and music,
about language, food, clothing and music,
295
884960
3736
15:00
but gender relations, ancient monuments,
296
888720
2296
15:03
a heritage of sacred texts.
297
891040
2520
15:06
But culture can also be
what has been decided to be culture
what has been decided to be culture
298
894880
4016
15:10
by those who have a political stake
299
898920
2776
15:13
in pounding culture
into the shape of a prison.
into the shape of a prison.
300
901720
3640
15:18
Big political identity claims
are elite bids for power.
are elite bids for power.
301
906200
3056
15:21
They're not answers to social
or economic or political injustices.
or economic or political injustices.
302
909280
4096
15:25
They often obscure them.
303
913400
1600
15:27
And what about the large number
of people across the globe
of people across the globe
304
915560
2736
15:30
who can't point
to a monument from their past,
to a monument from their past,
305
918320
2176
15:32
who don't possess a sacred written text,
306
920520
2336
15:34
who can't hark back
307
922880
2056
15:36
to the past glories
of a civilization or empire?
of a civilization or empire?
308
924960
3696
15:40
Are these people less a part of humanity?
309
928680
1960
15:46
What about you,
310
934560
1576
15:48
now, listening to this?
311
936160
1256
15:49
What about you and your identity,
312
937440
1656
15:51
because you stitch your experiences
and your thoughts into a continuous person
and your thoughts into a continuous person
313
939120
5376
15:56
moving forward in time.
314
944520
2096
15:58
And this is what you are when you say,
315
946640
1856
16:00
"I," "am," or "me."
316
948520
2000
16:03
But this also includes
all of your hopes and dreams,
all of your hopes and dreams,
317
951600
3136
16:06
all of the you's that could have been,
318
954760
2496
16:09
and it includes all the other people
319
957280
2336
16:11
and the things that are
in the biography of who you are.
in the biography of who you are.
320
959640
3256
16:14
They, the others,
321
962920
2016
16:16
are also a part of you,
322
964960
1776
16:18
moving forward with you.
323
966760
1960
16:22
Your authentic self,
if such a thing exists,
if such a thing exists,
324
970080
3416
16:25
is a complex, messy and uncertain self,
325
973520
3136
16:28
and that is a very good thing.
326
976680
4160
16:34
Why not value those
impurities and uncertainties?
impurities and uncertainties?
327
982080
2376
16:36
Maybe clinging to pure identities
is a sign of immaturity,
is a sign of immaturity,
328
984480
3816
16:40
and ethnic, nationalist
and religious traditions are bad for you.
and religious traditions are bad for you.
329
988320
3096
16:43
Why not be skeptical
about every primordial origin claim
about every primordial origin claim
330
991440
2856
16:46
made on your behalf?
331
994320
1456
16:47
Why not reject the identity myths
that call on you to belong,
that call on you to belong,
332
995800
4680
16:53
that politicians and community leaders,
333
1001920
2616
16:56
so-called community leaders,
334
1004560
1816
16:58
place on you?
335
1006400
1256
16:59
If we don't need origin stories
and fixed identities,
and fixed identities,
336
1007680
2656
17:02
we can challenge ourselves
to think creatively
to think creatively
337
1010360
3296
17:05
about each other and our future.
338
1013680
2576
17:08
And here culture
always takes care of itself.
always takes care of itself.
339
1016280
2936
17:11
I'm not worried about culture.
340
1019240
1456
17:12
Cultures are creative, dynamic processes,
341
1020720
3416
17:16
not imposed laws and boundaries.
342
1024160
3040
17:19
This is Abu al-Walid Muhammad
ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd,
ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd,
343
1027960
3656
17:23
a very senior Muslim judge and thinker
in Cordoba in the 12th century,
in Cordoba in the 12th century,
344
1031640
3936
17:27
and his writings were considered
deeply blasphemous, heretical and evil.
deeply blasphemous, heretical and evil.
345
1035599
4137
17:31
Long after he died,
346
1039760
1376
17:33
followers of his work
were ruthlessly hunted down,
were ruthlessly hunted down,
347
1041160
2376
17:35
banished and killed over several centuries
348
1043560
2736
17:38
by the most powerful religious institution
of the medieval period.
of the medieval period.
349
1046319
4441
17:43
That institution was
the Roman Catholic Church.
the Roman Catholic Church.
350
1051880
3520
17:48
Why?
351
1056760
1496
17:50
Because ibn Rushd said
that something true in religion
that something true in religion
352
1058280
2736
17:53
may conflict with something
353
1061040
1336
17:54
that your reason
finds to be true on earth,
finds to be true on earth,
354
1062400
3000
17:58
but the latter is still true.
355
1066400
2480
18:01
There are two distinct worlds of truth,
356
1069640
1896
18:03
one based on our reason and evidence,
and one that is divine,
and one that is divine,
357
1071560
2896
18:06
and the state, political power, social law
are in the realm of reason.
are in the realm of reason.
358
1074480
4896
18:11
Religious life is a different realm.
359
1079400
1936
18:13
They should be kept separated.
360
1081360
1736
18:15
Social and political life
should be governed by our reason,
should be governed by our reason,
361
1083120
3576
18:18
not by religion.
362
1086720
1456
18:20
And you can see why the church
was upset by his writings,
was upset by his writings,
363
1088200
2696
18:22
as indeed were some Muslims
during his lifetime,
during his lifetime,
364
1090920
2496
18:25
because he gives us
a strong statement of secularism
a strong statement of secularism
365
1093440
3520
18:30
of a kind which is normal in Europe today.
366
1098040
2040
18:32
Now, history plays many tricks on us.
367
1100840
1816
18:34
It undermines our fixed truths
368
1102680
1696
18:36
and what we believe
to be our culture and their culture.
to be our culture and their culture.
369
1104400
2816
18:39
Ibn Rushd, someone
who happens to be a Muslim,
who happens to be a Muslim,
370
1107240
2456
18:41
is considered one of the key influences
371
1109720
1936
18:43
in the introduction and spread
of secularism in Europe.
of secularism in Europe.
372
1111680
3640
18:48
So against religious, nationalist
and racial purists of all kinds,
and racial purists of all kinds,
373
1116000
4216
18:52
can you make his story a part of your own,
374
1120240
4216
18:56
not because he happened to be a Muslim,
375
1124480
1896
18:58
not because he happened to be an Arab,
376
1126400
1976
19:00
but because he was a human being
377
1128400
1720
19:02
with some very good ideas
378
1130920
1856
19:04
that shook his world
379
1132800
1360
19:06
and ours.
380
1134920
1200
19:08
Thank you.
381
1136800
1216
19:10
(Applause)
382
1138040
4640
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Chetan Bhatt - Sociologist, human rights activistChetan Bhatt teaches and writes about the numerous dangers human rights face today from resurgent Far Right movements.
Why you should listen
Chetan Bhatt has published widely about the worldwide rise of racist and religious Far Right movements. He is interested in why the authoritarian ideas of these movements appeal to many groups and how understanding the nature of their ideas can help us challenge them effectively. He is currently working on several projects focused on violent Islamist, Hindu Right and white and ethnic supremacist movements, as well and the states and politicians that assist them in South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States.
Bhatt is professor of sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK, where he directs LSE Human Rights. Previously, he taught at Goldsmiths, University of London and the Universities of Essex and Southampton.
Chetan Bhatt | Speaker | TED.com