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7/21/2007 Why can't I simply be an Indian Muslim??This writeup has been written by Fidel Khan, a friend of mine, and I take the pleasure in reproducing it here on my blog. The writeup beautifully captures the latest, hot and contentious, and one of the most frenzied topics of political discussion recently - that of the two brothers and one cousin enamored in the infamous Glasgow episode. Kafeel Ahmed was apparently driving the vehicle that rammed into the Glasgow airport. His brother Sabeel Ahmed was accused of concealing/withholding information regarding the attack. The worst hit seems to be the Australia-based doctor Mohammed Haneef - accused of owning the SIM card that was found with Sabeel Ahmed. Ironically, the investigating agencies in the UK have now found that this "impeached" SIM card was actually NOT found at the site. As a latest update, "the Australian media reported that the police have admitted the charges against Haneef were "incorrect"". [This information appears on MSN News at http://content.msn.co.in/News/National/NationalIANS_210707_1545.htm.]
As an aftereffect, the mass media got a really engaging story - Indian Muslims influenced by "Islamic radicalism" (read terrorism)??? This writeup questions the logic and rationale of the story. I am totally influenced and agree to the logic forwarded by the author here, and this is one reason why I am felicitous in reproducing it here.
- Arman
Last night I was watching a talk show on CNN-IBN, and the topic our "liberal and progressive" media had selected was Indian Muslims Gullibility for Global Terror Network blah blah…
No points for guessing that this latest frenzied topic raging in the country has erupted in the aftermath of Glasgow Airport bombing. Nothing that was being discussed was new. It was an all-to-familiar rhetoric of moderate vs. fanatic Islam, Muslims' sense of victim hood, lack of enlightened leadership for Indian Muslims, a version of Islam preaching hatred and terror, Islam needs reformation, Muslims need to change…
However, one thing which emerged new amidst the series of regular accusations and counter accusations was the media now flashing an essentially one-off incident involving and Indian Muslim as a sort of phenomenon. All right, the man who rammed the jeep into the Glasgow Airport was indeed an educated Indian Muslim from one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the country. But is this one incident enough to promulgate and debate the idea of how the "Indian Muslim youths are inclined and attracted towards the global terror network"? Should the media cry foul and try to establish something which essentially does'nt exist. How touchy!
Not many realize, but many Indian Muslims has an enterprising zest of finding more lucrative jobs and opportunity outside the country. The flourishing Diaspora of Indian Muslims can be found all across the Middle East, UK, USA, Canada, and Australia. But never before Glasgow was any Indian Muslim thought of as actively participating in the global terror network. However, it seems that just one incident is more than enough for our spirited media to paint a dubious picture of an eternal nexus between Indian Muslims and the global terror network. Should not the media exercise some more restrain and stop perpetuating malicious ideas? Is this one-off incident really enough to establish that educated Indian Muslims have fallen for and romanticize the likes of Al-Qaida? Is one Kafeel Ahmed from Bangalore enough to prove that Indian Muslims essentially does'nt have a mind?
Coming back to the talk show, there were all too familiar reactions from the audience as well. A skull-cap clad Muslim was enthusiastic enough to blame the West and especially the US for all the problems. A Hindu gentleman was kind enough to acknowledge that if Muslim start following the Quran in its true spirits, there will be peace all around.
I was, however, most pissed off not my the remarks of Sandhya Jain of The Pioneer (who was toeing the all to familiar line of Muslim introspection and reformation), or one Mr. Singh (someone from the Police who was candid enough to say that most of the terrorist activities carried out the world over are perpetuated by Muslims), or Mr. Asad Owaisi (MIM MP from Hyderabad who would just not answer the question of liberal vs. fanatic Islam) but from a lady in the audience.
This dacoit-style-veil (one which reveals only eyes) clad lady, for some reason, mentioned that Shahrukh Khan is not a true Muslim because he doesn't follow Islam. Now I am sure, we do need some reformation! Who are we judge who's Muslim and who's not? Why can't we leave that to Allah alone? Will anyone tell the lady that the way she's donning the veil is NOT prescribed by the Quran. In fact, the Quran doesn't even mandate a lady to cover her head (although doing it isn't a sin, either).
Finally, one of the panelist, a jeans clad actress Heeba Shah, was asked a very pathetic "Indian First or a Muslim First" question to which she gave a politically correct "Indian First" as an answer. I hate when anyone is asked such a stupid and frigging question. Why can't I simply be an "Indian Muslim"? My country's constitution gives me the liberty to follow Islam and be a Muslim, and my religion allows me to live in harmony within the fold of the Indian constitution. Isn't this as simple as that? Why should I be made to choose one before the other? My mother tongue is Urdu (or Bengali, Malayalam, Kutchi, or Tamil, etc) and NOT Arabic because I am an Indian Muslim. I eat kosher meat, generally avoid beef, and have never eaten camel meat because I am an "Indian Muslim". Though I am allowed, but would seldom take more than one wife, because I am an Indian Muslim. I have a relatively unique identity whose ingredients are both Islamic and Indian. Shouldn't this world and the great skeptics acknowledge this fact and knock out the nonsensical debate of Indian first of Muslim first! Fidel Khan |
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