Recent statistics published by various research organizations point to a single fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and also in India. In India the Muslim population will grow at a phenomenal pace and by 2050 India will have the largest Muslim population in the world, leaving Indonesia ( which presently is the largest Muslim state) behind.
In the United States also there is mass conversion to Islam and figures show that for every 1 man converted to Islam 4 women follow suite. This appears to be unbelievable, as for long the Western world and Hindus have trumpeted that in Islam the women are having a status below men. This was also articulated by the Bangladesh writer Taslima, now in exile in India.
What is the appeal of Islam? Earlier from the 6th century onwards when the Muslim armies spread out across the Middle East to Europe on one side and India to the other side, the conversion was with the sword. This was also the period when the greatest empire in History, the Ottoman empire took shape, which lasted till the 20th century. But this is all history and the conversion now from Hindus and Christians is not by the sword, but by conviction. I wonder whether the Christian and Hindu leaders and religious heads have sat down and analyzed as to why Islam should have such a fervent appeal to all people.
One reason for the appeal of Islam is that it it holds the dream of equality for all men. Unfortunately Hinduism is bedeviled by caste and despite laws against untouchability, the caste factor is supreme in Hinduism. Worse the official policies of the governments in power are perpetuating the caste divisions, by reservation of jobs and college admissions on the basis of caste. Meritocracy, so essential for a nation to survive is given the go by or thrown in the waste paper basket. The various Hindu Shankaracharyas have failed to address this aspect of Hindu daily life. Obviously for a man segregated by caste and clan the appeal of Islam is tremendous.
The Christians also have practiced racialism and discrimination against the colored and the blacks. In the deep south in America, the Church accepted slavery. Slave owners attended church and listened to sermons and the church leaders never intervened to stop slavery and this continued for 200+ years.
Man wants to be free, or at least have a dream of equality. This is where Islam scores over other religions, by promising equality for all men. The way things are going Islam will displace Christianity as the largest religion in the world in another 75 years. This is food for thought.
India is particularly vulnerable. Unless the government and Hindu leaders throw the Laws of Manu and the Varna theory in the dustbin, I do not see anybody wanting to convert to Hinduism. On the contrary a steady stream of Hindus is converting to Islam. In fact many educated Hindus and men of letters have converted to Islam. Let's not forget that the father of Pakistan Mohammed Ali Jinnah was born a Hindu.