12.3.07

Not Muslim enough?

I thought I had mellowed down in the past few days. But as I read the papers today, the bile rose again. An editorial in the Times of India titled We're Not Understood discussed how the film Black Friday had been unfair in its portrayal of the Muslim problem. As some of you may know, I have already written this in the Counter Currents issue dated Feb 19 reproduced in my blog post here.

Is it possessiveness that is riling me? No. This is a subject that needs to be exposed, and I did not see anyone else do it. I did stick my neck out, and although the publication where it was published is a niche website I might like to state here that all my articles there have been on several mailing lists and been quoted. So, it isn’t a ‘hidden fact’.

The writer of the current lead editorial has been described as a political commentator. And political commentators are supposed to be serious as hell, which is why my piece had an “emotional content”, although the ideas expressed are virtually the same.

What bothers me is this façade of seriousness. I can see all those little Muslim organisations getting very excited because a member of the majority community has been so sensitive in voicing how they are “not understood”. Does anyone here know that some people have even said that I have no right to discuss Muslim issues because I am not Muslim enough? So someone who is not Muslim at all is kind of okay-dokey? It makes them feel so wanted. I am waiting for some of the email forwards to come my way.

I was accused of taking the film “personally”. What will they say about this writer? Words like social consciousness will be thrown around.

It is getting so tiresome. I got a letter from a reader saying that someone found my column in the Asian Age, A Feminist Manifesto, had a Muslim bias! I wrote back: “If the person has detected a Muslim bias in this particular piece, then it is unfortunate and reveals a counter bias of insisting on seeing things where none exist.”

When I do have a bias I flaunt it on my sleeve, not under my armpit like a meethi chhuree (a sweet knife).

2 comments:

  1. Blog
    No matter how much good intentions U've,if,U raise such issues U'll end up being labeled as negative or worse.

    U establish open door policy as a test(that's very brave of U),but, then U dismiss input quickly and decide it's safer not to speak up in the future?

    May be that's the typical case with U?

    U've raised voice in the past and will keep your firm staunch in future as well.
    Good luck

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  2. I have never said I will not speak up about this or any other thing in the future. I have never played safe...

    The very fact that I specifically keep my door open for feedback shold tell you what I think of criticism. I don't tolerate abuse, that's all...

    ReplyDelete

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