Re: We are all hindus now: NewsWeek
Peace All
I would actually like to make an important distinction here. After the advent of Islam and some generations later. All areas of the world which perform explicit Shirk died away.
That is, all people say essentially that God is One and including Hindus they say the worship of One God is undertaken in the symbolism of many forms of God. To be led astray in big matters no, but in small matters yes.
In this respect many people including Muslims will associate partnership to Allah (SWT) in one or more of His Attributes. Or consider oneness with an illogical slant. Over reverence and over adoration leading people to plead and ask from those entities is Shirk, but it is not the overt form. Even in Hindu culture the idols themselves are no longer considered gods, but they once were especially in pagan Arabia.
If we look at the impact Islam has had on all cultures even the array of Hindu religions you will see that open shirk is no longer the norm. Outward behaviours are misleading it is what people believe on the inside that counts. It is a world of difference to hear people saying that Ganesh and Hanuman are personnifications of Attributes of God rather than two different gods.