By William E. Swing
On April 22, 2025, twenty-six, mostly Hindu, tourists were killed in the Indian administered region of Kashmir. This set off a cross-border exchange of armed retaliations between two nuclear-armed nations, Pakistan and India. These attacks raised a global fear that an escalation of hostilities might result in one side or the other or both deploying nuclear weapons. Any of these scenarios would have catastrophic implications not only for the two countries but for the entire world.
Perhaps muted but of central importance in these events is the religious dimension of these nuclear-armed adversaries. Pakistan is primarily Muslim, and India is primarily Hindu. This matters militarily, politically and in terms of nuclear weapons. The national identities of Pakistan and India are deeply intwined with each one’s dominant religion, in terms of fomenting and executing a bitter rivalry. This was brought home when Pakistan also developed nuclear weapons in 1998 and a popular expression emerged stating that “India has a Hindu bomb, and now Pakistan now has a Muslim bomb.” Nuclear weapons, God and Nation seem intertwined in the hostilities that have marred the boundaries of these nations for years and that threaten the world with a war of nuclear weapons now.
Pakistani General Asim Munir, a devout Muslim who, it is claimed, has memorized every word of the Koran, is enjoying spectacular popularity at this moment. He is lionized for the report of downing 5 Indian fighter jets and carrying out attacks on Indian military bases. Speaking of Pakistan’s difference from India, Munir was quick to say, “Pakistan and India have different religions . . . “
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, rose to power on the strength of the Bhartia Janata Party (BJP) which has sought to define Indian culture in terms of Hindu values (with a strong bias against Muslims). Presently, Modi is riding a wave of acclaim as India boasts of inflicting major damage to key Pakistani air bases while destroying Pakistani air-defense systems. The Hindu hegemony in India, though challenged by secularism and a large Muslim minority, is enjoying “a moment in the sun.”
News headlines are quick to highlight “Two Nuclear-Armed Nations,” but it would not be incorrect to have a headline that stated “Religiously-Armed Nuclear Nations.” Neither India nor Pakistan spells out how it is favored by the Divine. Neither side says out loud that God blesses its nuclear arsenal and its readiness to use it on its enemies. If those words were spoken aloud, they would sound blasphemous, demeaning and limiting the Limitless Original. Just because this cannot be a public affirmation of faith doesn’t mean that it isn’t the prevailing unspoken article of belief by the populace. Meanwhile, one side takes comfort in having Hindu bombs while the other takes comfort in having Muslim bombs. These bombs reside not only in silos but in the confidence that their God and their bombs will triumph over the false religionists and false god of the other side.
Every once in a while, someone slips and states out loud the unspoken prevailing thought on the subject of the Divine Right of Nuclear Weapons. A former advisor to President Vladimir Putin, Sergey Karaganov, once wrote: “The creation of nuclear weapons was the result of divine intervention. God handed a weapon of Armageddon to humanity to remind those who had lost the fear of hell, that it exists. Morally this is a terrible choice as we will use God’s weapon . . .but if we do not do this, not only Russia can die, but most likely the entire human civilization will cease to exist.”
“God’s weapon!” Now in the hands of Pakistanis and Indians on the mountain tops of Jammu/Kashmir! Which nation can bring down fire from heaven (First Kings 18:21-40) and prove to have the authentic God/god? Two nations are put to the test. Two Gods are put to the test. Maybe not in war rooms but in the hearts of the people on the ground. Pakistan and India are religiously-armed nuclear nations.
William E. Swing is a distinguished interfaith leader and a tireless advocate for global peace. As the former Episcopal Bishop of California and the founding President of the United Religions Initiative (URI)—the world’s largest grassroots interfaith network—Swing has dedicated his life to building bridges among religions and fostering dialogue across spiritual and cultural divides. His commitment to human dignity extends to his outspoken opposition to nuclear weapons. He serves as the Convener of Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, a coalition of global religious and moral leaders who believe that humanity must rise above fear and domination to seek a world without nuclear arms. Through both his pastoral work and diplomatic efforts, Swing has consistently championed the moral imperative of disarmament as essential to the survival of civilization.
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First published in this link of The European Times.
