Koenraad Elst is a Belgian writer and orientalist (without institutional affiliation). The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures languages peoples history and archaeology in recent Academic institution is an Educational institution dedicated to education and Research, which grants Academic degrees See also Academy and He was an editor of the New Right Flemish nationalist journal Teksten, Kommentaren en Studies from 1992 to 1995, focusing on criticism of Islam, various other conservativist and Flemish separatist publications such as Nucleus, 't Pallieterke, Secessie and The Brussels Journal. New Right is used in several countries as a descriptive term for various forms of conservative right-wing or self-proclaimed dissident oppositional movements and groups that emerged TeKoS (Teksten Kommentaren en Studies is a Belgian "Nieuw Rechts" ( Nouvelle Droite) publication Arguments critical to religion in general or specific to monotheism such as the Existence of God, are not dealt with here The Flemish Movement (Vlaamse Beweging is a popular term used to describe the political movement for emancipation and greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders ' t Pallieterke is a satirical Flemish weekly. It is part of the Flemish movement and advocates Flemish independence The Brussels Journal is a conservative Blog, founded by the Flemish journalist Paul Beliën. He has authored fifteen English language books on topics related to Hinduism, Indian history, and Indian politics. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. This article is about the history of South Asia prior to the Partition of British India in 1947 Politics of India takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary multi-party representative democratic Republic modelled

Biography

He was born in Leuven, Belgium, on 7 August 1959, into a Flemish Catholic family. Hindu politics refers to the political movements professing to draw inspiration from Hinduism. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political Shiv Sena ( Devanāgarī: शिव सेना Śīv Senā, meaning Army of Shiva, referring to Shivaji Bhosle) is a Political party Akhil Bhāratīya Hindū Mahāsabhā (अखिल भारत हिन्दू महासभा All-Indian Hindu Assembly a Hindu nationalist organization was originally The Bharatiya Jana Sangh (abbreviated BJS and often known simply as the Jan Sangh existed from 1951 to 1980 whereupon it was succeeded by the Bharatiya Janata Party, one of Ram Rajya Parishad (Rām Rājya Pariṣad Sanskrit, Forum of Rama's Kingdom was a traditionalist Hindu party in India. Integral humanism is the Political philosophy practised by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the former Bharatiya Jana Sangh of India. Hindu nationalism is a nationalist Ideology that sees the modern State of the Republic of India as a Hindu Polity For Veer Savarkar's book see Hindutva (book. Hindutva (Devanagari हिन्दुत्व "Hinduness" a word coined by Vinayak Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (बाळ गंगाधर टिळक ( July 23 1856 - August 1 1920) was an Indian nationalist Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861-1946 was an Indian politician notable for his role in the freedom struggle and his espousal of Hindu nationalism. Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar (विनायक दामोदर सावरकर (born May 28, 1883 in Bhagur – February 26, Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar (माधव सदाशिव गोळवलकर (February 19 1906 - June 5 1973 popularly known as Golwalkar Guruji, was the second Keshava Baliram Hedgewar (केशव बळीराम हेडगेवार ( April 1, 1889 – June 21 1940) was the founder of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee (or Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, শ্যামা প্রসাদ মুখার্জী ( thumb|right|200px|An Indian postage stamp featuring Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (पण्डित दीनदयाल उपाध्याय ( September 25, 1916 - February 11, 1968) along Bal Keshav Thackeray (बाळ केशव ठाकरे (born January 23, 1926) popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray is the founder and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee ( 27 June[[ 838]] - 8 April[[ 894]] (বঙ্কিম চন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায় Bôngkim François Gautier, born 1959 in Paris, is a writer and journalist based in India Sita Ram Goel (सीता राम गोयल Sītā Rām Goyal) (1921 – 2003 writer and publisher influential in late twentieth century Hindu nationalist Kishori Saran Lal (1920 &ndash 2002 was an Indian Historian. He wrote many historical books mainly on medieval India Harsh Narain is an Indian author He has a PhD from Lucknow University and was a professor at Benares Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and Yvette Rosser is an American author and scholar Yvette Rosser was born on January 31 1952. Arun Shourie (born 1941) is a prominent Indian Journalist, Author, and Politician. Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप born Ram Swarup Agarwal ( 1920 - December 26, 1998) was an independent Hindu thinker and prolific author Leuven ( French: Louvain, often used in English German: Löwen) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The terms Fleming and Flemings ( Vlaming and Vlamingen in Dutch) denote respectively a person and people and the Flemings or Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Some of his family members were Christian missionaries or priests. ^[1] He graduated in Indology, Sinology and Philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven. Indology refers to the academic study of the languages texts History and Cultures of the Indian subcontinent, and as such a subset of Asian studies Sinology in general use is the study of China and things related to China but especially in the American academic context refers more strictly to the study of classical language Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (in short KU Leuven) is the Flemish offshoot of the oldest university in the Low Countries which was originally founded He then obtained a Ph.D. from the same university. "PhD" redirects here for other uses see PhD (disambiguation. The main portion of his Ph. D. dissertation on Hindu revivalism and Hindu reform movements eventually became his book Decolonizing the Hindu Mind. Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements collectively termed as Hindu reform movements. Decolonizing the Hindu Mind - Ideological Development of Hindu Revivalism is a book by Koenraad Elst. Other parts of his Ph. D. thesis were published in Who is a Hindu and The Saffron Swastika. See also Hindutva Who Is a Hindu? Who is a Hindu? is a book by Koenraad Elst published in 2001 by Voice of India. The Saffron Swastika The Notion of Hindu "Fascism" (ISBN 81-85990-69-7 is a book written by Koenraad Elst and published as two volumes in 2001 He also studied at the Banaras Hindu University in India. Banaras Hindu University (BHU Hindi: काशी हिन्दू विश्वविद्यालय is a premier Central University and a world class educational Several of his books have been published by Voice of India. Voice of India is a New Delhi ( India) publishing house supportive of Hindu nationalist sentiment and political ideology

Elst had for some years a leftist phase. Later, in his twenties, he participated in the New Age movement, worked in a New Age bookstore and organized New Age events. ^[2] He writes that by 1985 he had had enough of the "superficiality and flakiness" of the New Age scene. ^[3] In the 1990s he became interested in the European Neopagan movement, but limited his involvement to writing articles for some Neopagan publications until 1998. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical He however didn't participate in Neopagan events and meetings. ^[4]

During a stay at the Banaras Hindu University between 1988 and 1992, he interviewed many Indian leaders and writers. Banaras Hindu University (BHU Hindi: काशी हिन्दू विश्वविद्यालय is a premier Central University and a world class educational ^[5] He wrote his first book about the Ayodhya conflict. Ayodhya (अयोध्या IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district Ayodhya (अयोध्या IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district While establishing himself as a columnist for a number of Belgian and Indian papers, he frequently returned to India to study various aspects of its ethno-religio-political configuration and interview Hindu and other leaders and thinkers. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

In 1989, Elst met Sita Ram Goel after reading Goel's book History of Hindu Christian Encounters. Sita Ram Goel (सीता राम गोयल Sītā Rām Goyal) (1921 – 2003 writer and publisher influential in late twentieth century Hindu nationalist Elst later sent Goel a manuscript of his first book Ram Janmabhoomi Vs. Babri Masjid: A Case Study in Hindu Muslim Conflict. Goel was impressed with Elst's script: "I could not stop after I started reading it. I took it to Ram Swarup the same evening. Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप born Ram Swarup Agarwal ( 1920 - December 26, 1998) was an independent Hindu thinker and prolific author He read it during the night and rang me up next morning. Koenraad Elst's book, he said, should be published immediately. "^[6] In August 1990, L. K. Advani released Koenraad Elst's book about the Ayodhya conflict at a public function presided over by Girilal Jain. Lal Krishna Advani (लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi लाल किशनचंद Girilal Jain (1924 &ndash 19 July 1993), was an Indian journalist ^[7][8]

His research on the ideological development of Hindu revivalism earned him his Ph. Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements collectively termed as Hindu reform movements. D. in Leuven in 1998. He has also written about multiculturalism, language policy issues, ancient Chinese history and philosophy, comparative religion, and the Aryan invasion debate. The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the Demographics of a specified Many countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular Language or set of languages Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era Chinese philosophy is Philosophy written in the Chinese tradition of thought Comparative religion is a field of Religious study that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes myths rituals and concepts among the world's religions Elst became a well-known author on Indian politics during the 1990s in parallel with the BJP's rise to prominence on the national stage. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political He claims to be an independent scholar. ^[9]

Elst says that his language has "softened and become more focused on viewpoints rather than groups of people such “the” Muslims or the Marxist historians. " ^[10] He writes that he has reoriented his scholarly interests towards more fundamental philosophical studies and questions of ancient history, rather than questions in the centre of contemporary political struggles. ^[11]

Opinions

Ayodhya

Elst book "Ram Janmabhoomi vs. Babri Masjid, a Case Study in Hindu-Muslim conflict" (1990) was the first book published by a non-Indian on the Ayodhya debate. The Ayodhya debate is a political historical and socio-religious debate that was prevalent especially in the 1990s in South Asia. ^[12] His opinion is that "until 1989, there was a complete consensus in all sources (Hindu, Muslim and European) which spoke out on the matter, viz. that the Babri Masjid had been built in forcible replacement of a Hindu temple. "^[13] He claimed that politically motivated academics have, through their grip on the media, manufactured doubts concerning this coherent and well-attested tradition. ^[14] Elst alleges that the anti-Temple group in the Ayodhya conflict have committed serious breaches of academic deontology and says that the "overruling of historical evidence with a high-handed use of academic and media power" in the Ayodhya controversy was the immediate reason to involve himself in the debate. ^[15]

On Antihinduism and anti-Hindu bias

Elst has criticized alleged Anti-Hinduism and anti-Hindu biases. Elst writes for example that "when Hindus complain of factual problems such as missionary subversion or Muslim terrorism, it is always convenient to portray this spontaneous and truthful perception as an artefact of "RSS propaganda". ^[16]

On alleged negationism and history rewriting

Elst's book "Negationism in India" makes the case that the Islamic history in India is being whitewashed. He claims that there is a larger effort to rewrite India's history and to whitewash Islam. He says that the goal and methods of this alleged history rewriting is similar with the denial of the Nazi holocaust, and that in India, jihad negationists are in control of the academic establishment and of the press. ^[17]

Hindutva

Elst has criticized the Hindutva movement because, as he claims, "there is no intellectual life in this Hindutva movement". For Veer Savarkar's book see Hindutva (book. Hindutva (Devanagari हिन्दुत्व "Hinduness" a word coined by Vinayak ^[18] He claims that Hindutva advocates have not developed a "wellfounded coherent vision on a range of topics which any social thinker and any political party will have to address one day", and that there is as yet very little original or comprehensive work being done in the Hindutva movement. ^[19] According to Elst, "Hindutva is a fairly crude ideology, borrowing heavily from European nationalisms with their emphasis on homogeneity. Under the conditions of British colonialism, it was inevitable that some such form of Hindu nationalism would arise, but I believe better alternatives have seen the light, more attuned to the genius of Hindu civilization. "^[20]

Elst's book "BJP vis-à-vis Hindu Resurgence", and a chapter in "Decolonizing the Hindu Mind" criticizes the RSS Parivar. ^[21] On the RSS, he says that its intellectual output is minimal: "Most of its pamphlets and manifestoes contain a lot of puffed-up patriotism and wailing over the Partition of the Hindu motherland, but little penetrating analysis that could be the basis for imaginative policies and a realistic strategy. "^[22]

He criticized Hindutva writers for only complaining about Muslim atrocities, but refusing to search Islamic doctrine for a reason for the observed fact of Muslim fanaticism. ^[23] He has also criticized fringe Hindutva writers for claiming that the Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple, or for claiming that the Vedas contain all the secrets of modern science. The Taj Mahal (tɑdʒ ^[24]

On allegations of "Hindu fascism"

Elst has written at length about fascism and totalitarianism in India and the West. Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private His book The Saffron Swastika analyses the rhetoric of "Hindu fascism". The Saffron Swastika The Notion of Hindu "Fascism" (ISBN 81-85990-69-7 is a book written by Koenraad Elst and published as two volumes in 2001 He argues that "objective outsiders are not struck by any traces of fascism in the Hindutva movements, let alone in the general thought current of anti-imperialist Hindu awakening. While one should always be vigilant for traces of totalitarianism in any ideology or movement, the obsession with fascism in the anti-Hindu rhetoric of the secularists is not the product of an analysis of the data, but of their own political compulsions. Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology Anti-Hindu prejudice is a negative perception or Religious intolerance against the practice and practitioners of Hinduism. Rhetoric has had many definitions no simple definition can do it justice The preamble of the Constitution of India declares that India is a secular state. "^[25]

In an article, he argued that the current tendency to accuse Hindu movements of “fascism” is nothing but a "replay of an old colonial tactic. Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements collectively termed as Hindu reform movements. "^[26]

On Nouvelle Droite and Vlaams Belang

Elst rejected the Nouvelle Droite movement after initial sympathy in the early 1990s. Nouvelle Droite ( New Right) is a school of political thought founded largely on the works of Alain de Benoist and GRECE (Research Among the reasons for his rejection he cites that the collaborationist aspects of the careers of two Belgian writers were covered up in Nouvelle Droite articles, and that he suspected that "its critique of egalitarianism in the name of “differentialism” could at heart simply be a plea against equality in favour of inequality, Old-Right style". ^[27]

However, he does not actively oppose the Nouvelle Droite movement:

Wisely or unwisely, I have not taken my scepticism to be a reason for any active hostility to the Nouvelle Droite people, some of whom I count as friends. . . Time permitting, I accept invitations from that side, so that I spoke at their conference in Antwerp in 2000, if only as a stand-in for an announced speaker who had cancelled at the last minute for health reasons (Pim Fortuyn, no less, the Dutch liberal sociology professor who criticized Islam, subsequently went into politics, and ended up murdered by a leftist). ^[28]

Jan De Zutter criticized Elst for being too close with the Vlaams Belang, as in June 1992, Koenraad Elst gave a speech on the dangers of Islam at the Vlaams Blok Colloquium where the party proposed its first version of its 70 point anti-immigration policy^[29] Elst said that he spoke there because it was the only party where the problem of the Islam was brought up, but that he also explicitly said that he didn't agree with the party's solution for that problem, and disapproved of their xenophobia. The Vlaams Blok ( VB, English: Flemish Bloc) was a Belgian Secessionist Political party which advocated anti-immigration ^[30] He stated that the VB can not be and was never his party because of its xenophobia and ethnocentrism. ^[31] Since this event, he has often been accused of being the party's specialist on Islam and its link with the new Pagan Movement. Though he himself denies any affinity to the party program,^[32] he admits to "lukewarm" sympathy for the Flemish cause (of independence). ^[33] Lucas Catherine contrasted Elst's viewpoint with the viewpoint of Filip Dewinter, who according to her could not have been very happy with Elst's opinion that not the Moslems, but Islam, is the problem. ^[34]

On Islam

Although some of his books or articles contain harsh critics of Islam as a whole (among others "Wahi: the Supernatural Basis of Islam"; or "From Ayodhya to Nazareth", in which he dwelves into the realm of establishing a purported link between Ayodhya and the conflict between Palestinians and Israel, a try not isolated in some extreme-right european movements), Elst made a claim saying that he is not anti-Muslim, and argues often that “not Muslims but Islam is the problem”. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. ^{[35] [36]}

Belgian journalist Paul Belien has reported that Elst thinks that “Islam is in decline, despite its impressive demographic and military surge” – which according to Dr Elst is merely a “last upheaval. Paul Belien, born 1959 is a Flemish journalist and founder of the conservative-libertarian Blog The Brussels Journal. ” But Elst also thinks that it is possible that Islam will succeed in becoming the majority religion in Europe before collapsing^[37]

On other religions and philosophies

When at the beginning of 2007, Buddhist organisations in Belgium disclosed that they were applying for the status of a recognized religion on the same basis as agnosticism, Koenraad Elst started a campaign against the possible recognition of Buddhism in Belgium, using his blog and public speeches in cultural centres ^[38]. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices A 2006 inquiry in Flanders, long considered more religious than the Brussels or Wallonia regions in Belgium, showed 55% of its inhabitants calling Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the He openly used Maoist sources (mostly dealing with the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism) to discredit the Buddhist application. The Belgian Workers Party is also sometimes used as the name of the Belgian Labour Party that existed prior to World War II (when it was re-founded as the Belgian Socialist Party The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people according to Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including

At the end of March 2008, Koenraad Elst ridiculed Hugo Claus's decision to commit euthanasia, claiming that it was influenced by the purple agnostic lobby to embarrass the Roman Catholic Church ^[39]. International holidays March 2 - Mothering Sunday (Britain March 7 - Nyepi (Indonesia Hugo Maurice Julien Claus ( April 5, 1929 &ndash March 19, 2008) was a Flemish Novelist, Poet, Playwright Euthanasia (literally "good death" in Ancient Greek) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner Purple (or Paars in Dutch) is the nickname of a government coalition of social-democrats and liberals, excluding Christian-democrats

On racism

Elst disapproves of xenophobia and racism, and elaborated: "Of course I have nothing to do with racism and xenophobia, and I have my life-story to prove it. Given the democratic slump in Europe, I am convinced that a measured and carefully monitored immigration is necessary. My hometown is host to people from every country, and I have a lot of foreign friends, mostly Indian and Chinese. So, I am not at all against immigrants, and I have personally helped some to integrate or to get naturalized as citizens of my country. But my criticism of Islam stands: Islam is intrinsically separatist and hostile to neighbour communities. " ^[40]

Elst has helped Kurds and Pakistanis to integrate into Dutch society, and has a Chinese god child. Pakistan 's estimated population was 172800000 in July 2008 During 1950-2008 Pakistan's urban population expanded over sevenfold while the total population increased by over fourfold ^[41] He said he believes that Turks and Moroccans can integrate themselves perfectly and assimilate, and that it doesn't matter if someone is called Ali or Fatima. ^[42]

On the Aryan Invasion theory

Elst, unlike some defenders or critics of the Aryan Invasion theory, does not claim that the debate is resolved. He wrote in his main work on the subject:

"One thing which keeps on astonishing me in the present debate is the complete lack of doubt in both camps. Personally, I don’t think that either theory, of Aryan invasion and of Aryan indigenousness, can claim to have been “proven” by prevalent standards of proof; even though one of the contenders is getting closer. Indeed, while I have enjoyed pointing out the flaws in the AIT statements of the politicized Indian academic establishment and its American amplifiers, I cannot rule out the possibility that the theory which they are defending may still have its merits. "^[43]

The Hindu nationalist N.S. Rajaram criticized Elst's book "Asterisk in Bharopiyasthan" because of Elst's alleged agenda of rescuing Indo-European linguistics from oblivion. Navaratna Srinivasa Rajaram (born 1943 in Mysore, India) is an Indian mathematician who is notable however for his publications with the Voice of India ^[44] Elst's views on the Aryan Invasion Theory were also criticized by e. g. Hans Hock^[45], Edwin Bryant^[46], George Cardona^[47] and rather severely by Michael Witzel^[48].

Influences

Elst has published in English and Dutch. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname He contributed for example to the conservative magazine Nucleus. ^[49] He is also a contributor to the "conservative-libertarian" internet magazine The Brussels Journal, the Flemish satirical weekly 't Pallieterke and other Belgian & Dutch publications. The Brussels Journal is a conservative Blog, founded by the Flemish journalist Paul Beliën. ' t Pallieterke is a satirical Flemish weekly. It is part of the Flemish movement and advocates Flemish independence He has also written for mainstream Indian magazines like Outlook India. Outlook is an Indian weekly English Newsmagazine in publication since October 1995. He wrote a postcript to a book written by American neoconservative and middle-east scholar Daniel Pipes (The Rushdie Affair: The Novel, the Ayatollah, and the West). Daniel Pipes (born September 9 1949 is a American historian and political commentator who particularly focuses on the Middle East and Islam. He has also published critiques of Islamism in the West^[50]. Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only According to Sanjay Subrahmanyam, he has connections to the far-right Vlaams Blok. The Vlaams Blok ( VB, English: Flemish Bloc) was a Belgian Secessionist Political party which advocated anti-immigration ^[51]

He has described himself as "a secular humanist with an active interest in religions, particularly Taoism and Hinduism, and keeping a close watch on the variegated Pagan revival in Europe. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical "^[52]

He has not adopted Hinduism: "I am neither a Hindu nor a nationalist. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical And I don’t need to belong to those or to any specific ideological categories in order to use my eyes and ears. "^[53] As a reason for his interest in Hindu nationalism, he says that he noticed for myself that the legitimate Hindu nationalists are thoroughly misrepresented in the journalistic and academic literature about them, and that the anomaly between their image and the reality on the ground struck him by surprise. ^[54] He also wrote: "However, I do readily admit to being a “fellow-traveller” of Dharmic civilization in its struggle for survival against the ongoing aggression and subversion by well-organized hostile ideologies. In some political contexts the term fellow traveler refers to a person who sympathizes with the beliefs of a particular organization but does not belong to that organization Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions, are the related religious traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Hinduism, Only, I must add that in Hindutva-watching publications of the past decade, I have never encountered any journalistic or academic “expert” who was not a fellow-traveller of one of the warring parties. "^[55] This admission extends to his political sympathies; "Rest assured that in Hindutva circles, many people count as far more important than I. "^[56] He resists any attempts at direct association with the Sangh Parivar, however, calling his ideology 'Hindu Revivalism'. The Sangh Parivar (संघ परिवार Translation: Family of Associations refers to the family of organisations built around the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

Criticism

Manini Chatterjee, in a review in the Calcutta Telegraph, called Elst's book Ramjanmabhoomi vs. Babri Masjid a “very bad book”. ^[57] She also said that it was marred by miserably tentative terminology, like "maybe" and "possibly". ^[58] Paul Teunissen's review of the same book criticizes Elst for the unfavourable portrayal of Syed Shahabuddin. ^[59]

Thomas Hansen criticized Elst as a "Belgian Catholic of a radical anti-Muslim persuasion who tries to make himself useful as a 'fellow traveller' of the Hindu nationalist movement”^[60] Ashis Nandy criticized the alleged dishonesty and moral vacuity of Koenraad Elst. ^[61] Meera Nanda has criticized Elst and claimed that Elst holds Semitic monotheism responsible for the crisis of modernity. ^[62]

Sarvapalli Gopal in the book "Anatomy of a Confrontation" calls Elst "a Catholic practitioner of polemics" who "fights the Crusades all over again on Indian soil". He also says that it is difficult to take serious an author who "speaks of the centuries when there were Muslim rulers in India as a bloodsoaked catastrophe". ^[63]

Ayub Khan says that Koenraad Elst is the most prominent advocate of Sangh Parivar in the West. He further says: "Such is his importance in Hindutva circles that L. K. Advani quoted him at length while deposing before the Liberhans Commission investigation the demolition of Babri Masjid. " In a reply to Ayub Khan, Elst says that he has been critcial of the Sangh Parivar in his writings. ^[64]

Christian Bouchet critcized Elst's book The Saffron Swastika for having placed far too much trust in Savitri Devi's autobiography, and for claiming that Savitri Devi was bisexual. ^[65]

Hindu revivalists have been generally favorable to Elst's work. David Frawley wrote that Elst has a command of political and social issues in India that is unmatched by any western writer and researched in great detail. ^[66]

Elst has replied to most of his critics in books or in articles. ^[67]

Bibliography

• Dr. Ambedkar - A True Aryan (1993)
• Asterisk in Bharopiyasthan, Koenraad Elst, Voice of India
• Ayodhya, The Finale - Science versus Secularism the Excavations Debate (2003) ISBN 81-85990-77-8
• Ayodhya: The Case Against the Temple (2002) ISBN 81-85990-75-1
• Ayodhya and After: Issues Before Hindu Society (1991) [7]
• BJP vis-à-vis Hindu Resurgence (1997) ISBN 81-85990-47-6
• Decolonizing the Hindu Mind - Ideological Development of Hindu Revivalism, Rupa, Delhi (2001) ISBN 81-7167-519-0
• The Demographic Siege (1997) ISBN 81-85990-50-6
• Indigenous Indians: Agastya to Ambedkar, Voice of India (1993)
• Gandhi and Godse - A review and a critique ISBN 81-85990-71-9 (transl: Pourquoi j’ai tué Gandhi, examen critique de la défense de Nathuram Godse par Koenraad Elst, Les Belles Lettres)
• Negationism in India - Concealing the Record of Islam (1992) ISBN 81-85990-01-8
• Psychology of Prophetism - A Secular Look at the Bible (1993) ISBN 81-85990-00-X
• Ram Janmabhoomi vs. Ayodhya the Finale - Science versus Secularism the Excavations Debate is a book by self-described 'Hindu revivalist' Koenraad Elst published in 2003 by Ayodhya The Case Against the Temple is a book by self-described "Hindu revivalist" Koenraad Elst that was published in 2002 by Ayodhya and After Issues Before Hindu Society is a book by Koenraad Elst published in 1991 by Voice of India. Decolonizing the Hindu Mind - Ideological Development of Hindu Revivalism is a book by Koenraad Elst. Negationism in India - Concealing the Record of Islam is a book by Koenraad Elst published in 1992. Babri Masjid. A Case Study in Hindu-Muslim Conflict. Voice of India, Delhi 1990. (a large part of this book is included in Vinay Chandra Mishra and Parmanand Singh, eds. : Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid, Historical Documents, Legal Opinions & Judgments, Bar Council of India Trust, Delhi 1991. )
• Return of the Swastika, Koenraad Elst, Voice of India
• The Saffron Swastika - The Notion of Hindu Fascism. (2001) ISBN 81-85990-69-7
• Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate Aditya Prakashan (1999) ISBN 81-86471-77-4
• Who is a Hindu? (2001) [8] ISBN 8185990743
• Linguistic Aspects of the Aryan Non-Invasion Theory, In Edwin Bryant and Laurie L. The Saffron Swastika The Notion of Hindu "Fascism" (ISBN 81-85990-69-7 is a book written by Koenraad Elst and published as two volumes in 2001 Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate is a book by Koenraad Elst. See also Hindutva Who Is a Hindu? Who is a Hindu? is a book by Koenraad Elst published in 2001 by Voice of India. Patton (editors) (2005). Indo-Aryan Controversy: Evidence and Inference in Indian History. Routledge/Curzon. ISBN 0-7007-1463-4.  
• The Rushdie affair's legacy. Postcript to Daniel Pipes: The Rushdie Affair: The Novel, the Ayatollah, and the West (1990), Transaction Publishers, paperback (2003) ISBN 0-7658-0996-6
• Gujarat After Godhra : Real Violence, Selective Outrage/edited by Ramesh N. Daniel Pipes (born September 9 1949 is a American historian and political commentator who particularly focuses on the Middle East and Islam. Rao and Koenraad Elst. New Delhi, Har-Anand Pub. , 2003, 248 p. , ISBN 81-241-0917-6.
• “The Ayodhya demolition: an evaluation”, in Dasgupta, S. , et al. : The Ayodhya Reference, q. v. , p. 123-154.
• “The Ayodhya debate”, in Pollet, G. , ed. : Indian Epic Values. Râmâyana and Its Impact, Peeters, Leuven 1995, q. v. , p. 21-42. BJP Hindu Resurgence. Voice of India, Delhi 1997. (adapted from a paper of the International Ramayana Conference and the October 1995 Annual South Asia Conference in Madison, Wisconsin)
• The Ayodhya debate: focus on the "no temple" evidence, World Archaeological Congress, 1998
• India's Only Communalist: In Commemoration of Sita Ram Goel (edited by Koenraad Elst, 2005) ISBN 81-85990-78-6
• The Rushdie Rules Middle East Quarterly, June 1998
• Foreword to: The Prolonged Partition and Its Pogroms Testimonies on Violence against Hindus in East Bengal (1946-1964) by A. Middle East Quarterly ( MEQ) is a quarterly journal devoted to subjects relating to the Middle East. J. Kamra.
• India's Only Communalist: an Introduction to the Work of Sita Ram Goel. In "Hinduism and Secularism: After Ayodhya", Arvind Sharma (ed. Arvind Sharma is an author whose books and articles focus on Comparative religion, Hinduism, and the role of women in religion ) Palgrave 2001 ISBN 0-33 79406-0
• "Banning Hindu Revaluation", Observer of Business and Politics, 1-12-1993,

Notes

See also

• Voice of India
• Michel Danino
• David Frawley
• Robert Spencer
• Ibn Warraq
• Srđa Trifković
• Oriana Fallaci
• Andrew Bostom
• Swapan Dasgupta
• Girilal Jain

External links

• Articles and Books by Dr. Elst
• Quotes by Koenraad Elst
• Koenraad Elst at the Brussels Journal
• An Interview With Koenraad Elst
• Interview with India Currents Magazine, Feb. '96
• Pondering Pagans Hinduism Today
• Tamil translation of his articles on Wahi / வஹி: இஸ்லாத்தின் அமானுட அடிப்படை - ஒரு பார்வை

Reviews

• Review of Koenraad Elst's Ayodhya and after
• Review of Asterisk in Bharopiyasthan

Controversies

• Petty Professorial Politicking in The Indo-Aryan Controversy
• Hinduism, Environmentalism and the Nazi Bogey
• A case study in AIT polemic About Robert J. Voice of India is a New Delhi ( India) publishing house supportive of Hindu nationalist sentiment and political ideology Michel Danino (b 1956 at Honfleur) is a French author who has lived for 25 years in Tamil Nadu, India. David Frawley (or Vāmadeva Śāstrī वामदेव शास्त्री is an author on Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda, and the founder Robert Bruce Spencer (born 1962 is an American author who writes articles and books relating to Islam and Islamic terrorism. Ibn Warraq (born 1946 is the Pen name of a Secularist author of Pakistani origin and founder of the Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society Srđa Trifković (also Srdja Trifković; Serbian Cyrillic: Срђа Трифковић and as author Serge Trifkovic) (born July 19 Oriana Fallaci ( 29 June 1929 - 15 September 2006) was an Italian Journalist, Author, and political interviewer Andrew G Bostom, MD MS is an American scholar and Associate Professor of Medicine at Brown University Medical School Swapan Dasgupta ( 3rd October, 1955) is a senior Indian journalist and columnist who was managing editor of India Today weekly till 2003 Girilal Jain (1924 &ndash 19 July 1993), was an Indian journalist Zydenbos article “An obscurantist argument”
• A reply to A. Khan (above) by K. Elst