Every time US President Donald Trump calls coronavirus a ‘Chinese virus’, Muslims around the world breathe a sigh of relief that the deadly virus didn’t originate in a Muslim-majority country.
Because it is much easier and indeed fashionable to tarnish the entire Muslim population of the world with just one example. In India, the fool-hardy ignorance of 3,000 members of Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic reformist group, has come as an excuse for the bigots to put their hatred for 200 million Indian Muslims on full display. The blame must be collectively shared by all Muslims.
It’s not just the Nizamuddin meeting of the Tablighi Jamaat. This is part of a pattern. Heroic acts by Muslims — from Wipro’s Azim Premji to Cipla’s Yusuf Hamied — are always seen as individual acts. But a negative act is ascribed to the whole community. For Muslims in India, and perhaps even across the world, the shame is collective while the glory is always individual.
Also read: Coronavirus was a test of secular nationalism. Then Tablighi Jamaat became the scapegoat
No oneness in kindness
Prejudiced people armed with an agenda to spread constant hate against the community conveniently ignore the Muslim identity of benevolent individuals and consider them as an outlier, not the norm.
When Azim Premji donates billions of dollars to charity or when his foundation and company contribute Rs 1,125 crore in the fight against coronavirus, he is just a philanthropist, not a Muslim philanthropist. When Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s Meer Foundation helps survivors of acid attacks, he is just a kind-hearted actor, not a Muslim actor. Those who perceive Muslims as barbaric simply neglect the compassion of a Muslim man who forgave the murderer of his wife who was killed in Christchurch mosque attack.
But when the act is something negative, Muslims become a collective entity for those who want to exploit every opportunity to blame them. The reminder that Muslims will be seen as a group, bereft of any diversity, keeps coming with every incident.
Women of Shaheen Bagh sat on a peaceful protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) for nearly 100 days. Their appeals for unity — from Republic Day celebrations to interfaith prayers — failed to make them the face of community. But when Sharjeel Imam purportedly asked for roadblocks to cut off Assam from India, he was projected as the collective voice of the Muslim community, which allegedly wants to “divide” India.
In incidents such as the attack on a gurdwara in Afghanistan or when members of the Tablighi Jamaat are tested positive for Covid-19 — all in the community, regardless of their ethnicity or belief, are made to share the burden of their Muslim identity.
Also read: From Ola to Zomato to social media, I now hide my Muslim identity everywhere
Bigotry over tragedy
The actions of Jamaat were irresponsible and stupid. The gathering cannot be justified by saying that people from other religions were also not self-isolating or that Kanika Kapoor partied after returning from a Covid-19 affected country. But it is hard to ignore that all singers from her community were not ostracised for her actions or made to share the blame for possibly infecting several people. This shows that religious discrimination in India is reserved only for a particular community.
News channels and social media users are both treating the tragedy involving Tablighi Jamaat as a fresh opportunity to vilify Muslims. The alacrity with which certain news channels and hate mongers on social media latched on to the development makes it seem like they were waiting to put the blame for the coronavirus crisis on Muslims. The negligence of Jamaat has provided fodder for TV channels constantly on wait to stoke communal tensions. One anchor even asked if this was a conspiracy to turn Delhi into Italy. This comes almost a month after the anti-Muslim Delhi riots, which polarised the city and left 53 people dead. But bigotry overpowers media responsibility whenever the issue is related to Muslims.
Also read: Tablighi Jamaat scare: Arnab calls it deliberate, ‘whole country in danger’ says Liyaquat
No other identity for Muslims
Social media, as always, is many steps ahead of news channels. Bizarre conspiracy theories about Muslims are being spread on Twitter and Facebook, accusing them of ‘corona jihad’ — implying that Muslims are deliberately infecting people with coronavirus.
The term ‘jihad’ is regularly used and abused by India’s Right-wing to categorise every action of a Muslim it doesn’t like. Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor was made the face of ‘love jihad’ by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an outfit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, when she married actor Saif Ali Khan.
The lifestyle choices of Muslims, which may or may not be connected to their religion, are predominantly seen from the communal lens. The community has been painted as ‘beef-eating fundamentalists’ even though the food choices can vary from person to person. This stereotyping is not limited to hate on social media but has resulted in several incidents of mob lynching.
Stupidity, especially in the name of religion, is a luxury, which Indian Muslims cannot afford — not unless they are seen as individuals with separate identities.
Views are personal.
Do not try to pacify readers. When india is under risk, you do not care and create turbulence and pulling pandemic to other sub continent in a greater extent. This is not acceptable.
ShahRukh Khan was not educated in Madrassa. Shah Rukh Khan did not force his wife to convert. ShahRukh Khan did not waste his valuable time by chanting Allah Allah. According to Allah’s direction he worked very hard and honestly to succeed in life. Plus he is from a very respectable family tree. Don’t try to snatch him from us on religious ground. Only Kaam chor takes the path of religion. Foolish people don’t understand that there is no connection between the God and religion.
What and watch what will happen to Bengal….!!!!!
You must be naivest reporter or author. These are your words “For Muslims in India, and perhaps even across the world, the shame is collective while the glory is always individual.” The individual never invokes Islam when he does a good deed, he does it as a fellow human, but the shame is done by invoking Islam, that’s the difference and hence the shame will be entirely on the whole community.
Perfect.
No mam bigotry is that if such irresponsibility was shown by some other religious group like what happened in Solapur and Ayoydha celebtrations in the country the so called liberals have deride it. But in this so called liberals including you mis direct the people.
To the author and the editors of THEPRINT, fact check for you. I do not know where the author got the information that AZIM PREMJI is a Muslim. For your kind information, he is a Parsi, another community which was historically persecuted by the rise of Islam and found shelter in India, a community which is the smallest minority in India but did not claim reservations and came up on their own merit, have their own retrogressive religious beliefs and stubbornly held to them but the majority community never had problems with them. Do you know why? Because they still put justice & humanity above religious beliefs.
Secondly, why people have a problem with organisations like Tablighi is not just because they are ignorant & retrogressive minus violent methods, they are similar to any Islamic fundamentalist terrorist organisation. The organisation is supported by the Muslim community who are not even its members and I have never heard of any bigshot Muslim celebrity criticising or advising them to reform. The organisation is part of the Indian social fabric and it has a social contract to respect other human lives too. But, by behaving in this manner, in a country like India, which provides their freedom and sustenance while all other religions have restrained themselves, wouldn’t you call it religious terrorism?
Third, I do not know why you call the organisation a reformist organisation. Please study about them. They want to get back to their roots at the time of Prophet Mohammed 1600 years ago, which is retrogressive and the next step towards violent terrorism is not far once they have decided to violate the social contract and the law of the country they are living in. The word REFORM is used when it is suited to current circumstances.
Hats off sir. I am impressed with your trustworthy words.
Azim Premji is a shia muslim from Khoja subsect. Dr Mahesh Dochelra what is your source of information that he is a Parsi?
Then Khojas are not muslims. They dont fit in.
Now if it was only the TJ one could agree with the author. What about the Shaheen Bagh protesters, the sacked Infosys employee who encouraged people to spread the virus, the mobs in Sadiq Bagh, Bengaluru who attacked ASHA activists, the organisations in Kerala instigating mob protests, the people who returned from Mecca etc. and happily went around spreading the virus ignoring quarantine instructions. So there should be no surprise if they are blamed. Don’t wish to be scapegoated then abide by the rules. No point in indulging in victimhood and self-pity.
But they are misguided youths please.
You cannot label ‘pieceful’ community with broad brush of ignorance and communalism.
They have constitutional right to spit, not show papers, Beat medical staff, burn properties and create mayhem, spread corona, congregate for prayer amid lockdown.
If you question this freedom this is an attack on Islam and secular fabric of this nation and kafirs shall be ready for jihad.
The writer is trying to defend whom? Azim Premji’s philanthropic efforts are in every media and there is no advertisement required by this writer. Irresponsible in one word describe, putting everyone to high risk. That is Tabliqui jamaad. Moreover the violation, adamantly, lies, visa rule breaking and violence against doctors by thie supporters of this sect deserves condemnation. Also the celebrities and secularism gang who always come to criticize Modi, at a drop of pin, is totally silent. They may claim to be in quarantine, but their social media is not under quarantine. Still they are silent to raise their voice. By the way, there was a virus from middle east, spread and killed many in 2012. No one named it improperly. It knowns as MERS. If this writer wanted to misinterpret “M”, he is free to do so.
Whether CAA or Corona, Whether all or few, it’s the Muslims who have become the bottleneck in India’s progress. Librabdus may come with any rubbish argument. The impact of Muslims indifference to national progress is visible to all.
If bigotry is practiced by right wing then support to such insensitive incidents n not one but many are always supported by the leftists who find it convenient to marginalise a caste of 210 million people n yet call them minority. There is no smoke without fire n likewise what one does brings worry Glory or shame and disrespect to his immediate family n when it happens on a regular basis then to an entire community he belongs to. This is prevalent irrespective of the caste.. if not terrorism would be practiced by Hindus around the would but that doesn’t happen n it shows y only one community is blamed for it. Practicing namaz on terraces n in mosque n required fatwa to close mosque shows they follow sharai
Muslims are always radicalised, it is nothing new. You are threatening the Hindus , this is nothing new.
Wherever there are Muslims, there are problems. Non-Muslims have to learn to live with you people. But please note, in this war, Muslims will be the loser. you have very little education, and no technology. With oil hovering around 25 dollars, money is also running out.
Drop this jingoistic mentality because that is what creates animosity . And about ‘militant Islam’ . Islam was, and still is, always ‘militant’. Nothing new here.
Madam, what about the mob that attacked healthcare workers in Indore?
Or the ones that snatched the phones and charts of ASHA workers who’d gone to spread information about Covid-19 in a muslim neighborhood in Bangalore? The workers are on record saying the call to stop them came from a mosque.
But no, you’re still the religion of peace, right?
Please accept that your religion has a problem. Acceptance is the first step towards change.
Some introspection is necessary for Muslims themselves. Among all the communities in the world, why is it that Muslims are always suspected to be the ‘bad man’ in the room. Just blaming others for all their ills, does not always work.
This Author thinks everybody except Muslims should change. It’s simple Muslims minds are fed with stone age living. They are not raised to live in today’s time.
Because unlike others you guys are always busy playing minority cards. None of you come out to condemn such things but u try to frame others rather than saying your fellow muslims brothers and sisters that it is wrong. So, in a way u all encourage such events……………..No one said Tata or Akshay are from a particular religion and they have donated …………..its always individual. Dnt defends act (massacre) done by these idiots.
That happens because majority of Muslim community don’t condem these few. If they had done that then entire muslim community would not have been blamed. It’s time for majority of Muslim community to stop playing victim card and start proactively condemning the bigots and extremists within their own community.
When Indian Muslims raise hell in Azad Maidan for Rohingyas, take out candlelight marches in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, why shouldn’t they be held responsible for the acts of their Ummah in Afghanistan and Syria. Can you explain why Muslims
from Kerala are making perilous journey to join Isis and shoot small children in Afghanistan.
As far as corona tragedy is concerned, Muslims mobs not only disobeyed govt dictate against social distancing but they did it willingly and as an act of defiance against what they perceive as a global conspiracy to interfere with Islamic rituals.
Not only that they are now not cooperating and even pelting stones at health care workers. No measure of eloquence and specious arguments can defend the defensible.
you missed one thing – when some sane muslim oppose the the bigorty of few, like Kerela governor, then such person is attacked from all side by the same community. yet you have audacity to advocate that whole community is not to be blamed.
fact is that muslims have become so regressive and fundamentalist that no progressive muslim can oppose/critise them for fear of being ostracized.
this is crux of issue.
Don’t mix up issues. This is a typical case where an extremist ideology of a fair number of Muslims is at play. Hear the speech of that gentleman.
We sincerely respect all the great members of the community. The grouse of the nation is directed at those who are not aligned with the country.
Recently it was reported that the Afghanistan bomber was a Muslim from Kerala. Now tell me why should a Malayali end up as a terrorist in Afghanistan if not for radicalism.
Now don’t make it sound as if the whole community is being vilified. No it’s only the idiots.
And there are idiots in journalism as well.
Well said
Another victim card, why don’t you move to Arabia if you want to follow your arabi drama.
The word Indian muslim is oxymoron, you can be only one out of it. Secondly, why should India keep Arabi religion here.
While Islamophobia is strong is Hindutva circles, we cannot deny strong clannish mentality and donning of Islamic identity on the shirt sleeves of a majority of muslims. They have to give up bigotry and obscurantism of 7th century social mores as sacrosanct for all the times. Their madrasas breed jinoism and jihad. BJP govt patronizes similar mindset among Hindus and RSS saakhas. It is necessary that we all have to accept Indian nationhood and the pre- eminence of State and govt over religion. Religion is personal and private and can be practiced at home only and it should not be a public exhibition. All sections should support and follow a uniform civil code. Akbaruddin Owesi, another Majalis MLA in Malegoan and a third Majlis leader in Gulbarga have made highly provoking speeches against Hindus and exhibited despicable conduct. Moderate muslim leaders remain mute. In short, we are beseeched by Muslim and Hindu Talibaanis which the secular majority of both sides should jointly condemn and demand of the State and society to deal with both with an iron hand.
THE VIRUS OF COMMUNAL HATE IS WHAT WILL DESTROY INDIA NOT CORONA
How true this article! As a Muslim I feel the same and a thousand other cuts.
The schism between Muslims and the majority community’ grows.
It’s a schism between Muslims and the upper castes in particular the parts of the Brahmins community which has poisoned India.
Brahmins established this tyranny over the lower castes for over a thousand years.
There is an attempt to reduce Muslims to the status of lower caste subjects not citizens, to drive them into ghettos.
The blatant discrimination going on for dozens of years since independence , is the cause of a growing anger amongst India’s Muslims
The elders of the community with the guilt of partition previously accepted this discrimination
The Muslim youth are beginning to question it.
The reason Ajit Doval is worried.
Doval visited NIZAMUDDIN to persuade this sect to leave
Doval also visited the Muslim communities in Delhi on the last day of the riots.
India’s million’s of muslims is too large a minority to put under the jackboot. The young Muslim will not tolerate it.
Once the virus of insurgency spreads it will be too late
Communalism and polarisation is the cause of radicalisation, if it infects India’s minorities it will be fatal.
Do not underestimate the feeling of anger and helplessness amongst Muslims . Militant Islam if it arrives, will really be bad for India a country which I love.
Only a Muslim can think of India’s destruction. The word COMMUNAL would have become meaningless if all Muslims of India would have gone to Pakistan.
For militant islam to arrive , first islam has to survive. Once all oil in middle east is gone,islam will also go along with it’s smoke.What will be left is illiterate ,poor,famished few who will shiver at being called muslims for they would want to get job as servants in our houses after all.
You can bring it on your militant Islam… We will face it and defeat it like we have been doing it for the last 800 years. After 1947 we don’t owe anything to the Muslims…. So better accept the law and culture of the land and integrate with the masses or better get out.
What about if Hindu militant come.remember previously it almost eliminate Buddhism.
So be positive put secularism above religion. Constitution above qaran or hadiya.
Accept UCC
And be helpful of banning burqa.and madarass.
Militant Islam? This was always militant since its founding, and expanded by massacring millions of humans through out its history. Muslims are militant and natural terrorists. Look how they divided the country, based on religion. And the post partition genocide happened in the only Muslim majority state Kashmir, when Hindus were massacred and driven out. So never believe the Muslim on his politics, they are always violent and without any remorse. Waiting for the day when this shit can be swept out of our country.
So in your view, you should be allowed to all kinds of idiocy in the name of religion and you should not be criticized, right? Otherwise it becomes the humiliation of your community. It can work, only when people like you start criticizing the mistakes within your community. But you will never do it as for you supporting every bad act within your community is more important than doing what is good for the bigger community i.e. our nation. Everything for you is how it impacts your muslim identity and nothing else matters. Height of ego and closedmindedness.
Your view is engouh to describe a muslim point. f comparing Kanika kapoor with markaz is foolish people didn’t hide meeting with her neither she gave speech on virus as moulan saad did and yes if you cannot criticized any illegal and lethal activity of your community you are responsible for their behaviour. Peolole like you are still searching the religion of terror. Being silent and blameing other is comman behaviour of muslim why don’t majority of muslim criticized that but if it is from some one else they start barking Fromm all parts of world
This is because Azim Premji and Shahrukh, also you are a minuscule minority in the community. There are far more fundamentalist and their voices are louder than Azim ji’s and Shahrukh ji’s. I think it is best if moderate Muslims become more vocal, like moderate Hindu’s are against extremists like rouge BJP MLAs and MPs and RSS Karsevaks. Otherwise communal flare-up are a certainty.
Very tricky debate. Let us not go into this at this juncture. It is case of mutual responsibility. I reproduce a very famous quote by late Narayan Kurundkar, a great Marathi thinker and author.
या भूमीवर हिंदूंइतकेच प्रेम आहे हे मुसलमानांना सिद्ध करत राहावे लागेल. आधुनिकतेकडे पाठ फिरवत आंधळेपणाने धर्मतत्त्वांचे आचरण करीत राहिल्यास तो धर्म त्यांना या देशावर प्रेम करू देणार नाही. म्हणजे त्यासाठी मुसलमानांना खऱ्या अर्थाने सेक्युलर- निधर्मीवादी- व्हावे लागेल. आणि मुसलमानांनी तसे व्हावे अशी इच्छा असेल तर हिंदूंना प्रथम पूर्णाशाने तसे व्हावे लागेल.
Briefly translated : Muslims are always required to prove their loyalty to their country ( i.e. India). If they reject modernity and blindly follow their religious practices, this will not allow them to love their country. Therefore, there is need for Muslims to become truly secular. And if the Hindus so desire (that Muslims should become secular) , first they themselves should become totally secular.
There is need for all of us to introspect. But this is not the time to debate this, when we are engaged in a fierce war against a deadly and virulent enemy, which ironically behaves in the most secular manner targeting all irrespective of their religious affiliation.
Well written defense under the typical victim-hood raga. Conveniently missing out names of the ex-president and a governor who did not have adequate money to buy their way into media.
You cannot merge with a community by insisting on keeping your physical identity different.
Interestingly the Arab DishDash or Kandura, which used to be a dominant sight on many of the European Airports , just disappeared post 9/11.
The identities disappear the moment a price tag gets attached to it.
Unfortunate but true. Today, Shah Rukh Khan may look good but on some other occasion, he will let his bigotry become visible. Same goes for many others
Original stupidity of congregating in large numbers is compounded by spitting on doctors, going into hiding, violating visas provision, issuing public appeals to ignore the government message to stay indoors, insinuating a sinister plot to divide Muslims ( not just the Tabhleeghis), congregating at all mosques across the country…… The list is endless.
Why not just follow the lock down like anybody else & keep others & yourself safe? Let us practice social responsibility.
No Individual in the world will be called / recognised by the name of their community for their Good deed Acts of Philanthropy/ Kindness / Generosity / Inventions etc.
But at the same time any Individual in the World will be recognised by the name of their community for their Bad, Ugly, Grave deed acts.
Infact it is the verymuch nature of Human Psychology.
For example if an Individual commits an act of theft, then the whole family will be recognised with that act of Individual.
Doesn’t matter what you say or what you do, Muslims are always gonna be branded as Terrorists. Don’t get me wrong, attending this Jamaat was a serious blunder, at a time where social distancing was crucial. But seriously? Using them as a scapegoat and cover-up for govt’s mistakes? Govt knew the risk of this epidemic, Right? So Please stop protecting them, this bandwagon’s got no wheels.
Corona Terrorim? Come on, this hilarious and takes Fascism to a whole new level
Did oppose these blunder? Were you vocal against this blunder?
in 50 mulsim countires we got only one azim premji
ans haheen bagh ladies which are hardly educated wont get info without reading abt laws they were on raods due to mis insformation by maulvis on friday prayers
these jamat is happily spitting on roads and on doctors
print is doing mistkae by taking spreading hidden agenda of radical muslims
There are many people who don’t make this a muslim non-Muslim issue. But you also paint everybody in the same brush. Right ?
The reason why it became a muslim issue is when a bunch of people start defending this stupidity in the name of religion instead of condemning the same. Have you seen anybody defending Kanika Kapoor because she is a singer ? If it had been in any temple or so, most of the Hindus would have blasted the organisers by this time. Even now in TV, there are a bunch of Muslim community leaders defending this Tablighi issue, in the name of religion. So who is responsible for making it a communal issue ?
If people can respond to the issue without thinking it is mine or not, life for all of us Indians would have been much simpler.
There are just too many Muslims who take the Quran literally… and too many others who couldn’t care less about the violence done in the name of Islam.
There is a reason, a valid one at that, why Muslims are seen as a collective rather than individual. When non-Muslims bear the brunt of Islamic fanaticism, whether it is as small as Muslims denying Ganesh Chaturthi to go via their street, or as big as a suicide bomber blowing kaffirs to pieces, not a single Muslim comes forward to condemn the barbaric act, or to support the kaffirs. So kaffirs have come to the correct conclusion, that Muslims are collectively involved in fanaticism – only some may engage in it, but all others implicitly support it. This has made a particular meme popular – “The terrorist is one who slashes a knife thru the kaffir, while the moderate is one who holds the kaffir’s legs.”
No other community in the world is held as a collective, for the exact same reason, When perpetrators use religion to assault other communities, members of the perpetrator’s community CONDEMN the actions of the perpetrator. So the actions are seen as individual actions.
Also, the sheer absolute number of barbaric actions committed by Muslims as well as their scope in space and time is just too overwhelming – more than 36,000 terrorist attacks in all continents since 9/11 – as tracked by the website thereligionofpeace dot com.
So if Muslims’ barbaric actions are considered collective, it is valid and reasonable, unless Muslims come out of their feudal mindset and start condemning and stop supporting their coreligionist’s barbaric actions.
As long as Muslim writers expend their energies to defend the indefensible, the negative image of the community will be buttressed. A person like Azim Premji has never identified himself with the obscurantist attitudes of his religion or community. Give him credit for that.
Aren’t all hindus mob lunchers, as accused in the article? If an entire community can be called names for the act of a few, I guess the road goes both ways. What is sauce for goose should be for gander too. Hypocrite shekhar Gupta and print
People the world over are smart enough to distinguish between community behaviour and individual behaviour! These are two distinct things, and to confuse them is stupid.
To illustrate my point, let me use the following example:
* Arif Mohammed Khan, governor of Kerala, supports CAA.
* The Muslim community carried out an intense agitation against the CAA.
Any doubts? The first was an individual point of view, and clearly in variance with the view of the Muslim community. Every reasonable human being will treat Mr. Khan’s opinion as his personal opinion, and will not be under any illusion that the Muslim community supported the CAA.
So, to repeat, most of us are quite capable of distinguishing between individual behaviours and the behaviour of communities. This understanding comes through a life time of experiences of observing and drawing conclusions based on events around you,
So, if the author’s claims are true that Muslims are being blamed for the latest Tablighi Jamaat incident, why would that happen? Is it because that people who harbour such beliefs are bigots? Is there something else at play?
Since the author uses the anti-CAA protests as an example, let me use that too….
For most people, the CAA was about granting asylum to severely persecuted Hindus from Pakistan, and nothing to do with Muslim citizenship in India. And yet, inexplicably, here were lakhs of Muslims livid about the legislation, calling for the repeal of the CAA (yes, repeal, not changes). For months, the majority of the country watched the protestors block a key arterial road, resisting any attempt to relocate the protests to an alternate site. We watched their arrogance dealing with the negotiating team sent by the Supreme Court. We watched little kids, proudly paraded by their mothers, chanting “Death to Modi” and “Death to Amit Shah”. We watched a mother respond “I will continue the protest” after her 4 month old died due to the cold and exposure while she protested. We watched continuous chants of “Jinnah wali Aazadi”, senior leaders like Owaisi and his AIMIM party men talk about “we ruled you for 800 years”, and “you see what we are able to do with just our women?”. We watched Muslim communities around us sporting “Repeal CAA” posters and digital pictures,. We watched the continuous flow of hatred and bile towards PM Modi and others, and we watched the violent protests in almost every part of the country, and we read about how most of these protests were done without taking any permissions from the police. And finally, we also watched how there was widespread rioting, timed right on cue to coincide with one of the most significant visits by a foreign head of state to India.
On a broader theme, the ludicrous spectacle of a community that has since independence enjoyed many benefits based solely on their religion, without a whimper of shame or protest (separate personal law. minority welfare boards, minority scholarship schemes, pilgrimage subsidies, endless political patronage…) protesting against allowing a severely limited number of Hindu refugees into the country, on the basis of “Secularism” was too much to digest. If the majority of the people made inferences about the values, the tolerance and broad mindedness of the community based on the anti-CAA protests, i would think that they learnt the right lessons. Ditto for the lessons learnt from Ramjanambhoomi, the Triple Talaq protests….
So let us not do a wholesale whitewashing of history by referring to the anti-CAA protests as “peaceful”. Most people got the exact right lessons watching the Muslim communities’ actions during this episode! Just as they did during the 60+ year fight to get a temple built on a small piece of land where our beloved Lord Ram was born. Just as they do when they see Tipu Sultan and Taimur (documented mass murderers) being celebrated!
So, once again, please stop treating the majority of the people as stupid or bigoted! They are neither! Most people have a rich set of personal experiences, and what they read and watch on media and social media are just part of it. Most people are also fair minded, tolerant and intelligent, and able to see through and draw the right lessons from events around them. If the author suspects that all Muslims are being blamed for the actions of an unrepresentative Tablighi Jamaat, i would suggest deeper introspection and also a review of how the community and it’s leadership have behaved during critical events in our country’s history. Continuous swallowing of outdated liberal absurdities will only cement known beliefs that assume the “others” are bigoted and unjust, and trust me, when you start thinking you are the only smart one, the only tolerant one, usually it is the other way around.
And today being the start of Ram Navami festival, Jai Shri Ram!
It is typical of All Muslims in India that they are denied special status because they are Muslims.Look at the Mullah of Tablighi Jamaat is self hiding instead of coming forward and trying to save the community.Indian Muslims and Pakistani Muslims have same blood but All Muslims think they are Arabs and inferior then the Hindus.India has Older religions then Islam, Hindu,Budhism,Jainism,Christianity,Sikhism to name a few.,Muslims will not be treated in positive manner after the Tabliught Jamaat. They were reported as Scholars but sign’s indicate they are screwed up Muslims and have no brains.
Until Islam go through true renaissance it kerps happening.All my islamic friends hate SRK,Azim premji as they help Kafirs(Hindus).So it is not this society aluenates them it is they themselves do that.An Hindu has identity of language,state,place born etc but on too of it they unite as Hindu.But Muslims never want any other identity.Obviously everybody will blame same identity as everyone has same identity.But what this Tableen jammat teaches going back to 1500 yrs ago for purer islam.You call it as Reformist movement Joke is on you!!
Note:You ignored the Social service of Honble Governor Of Kerala Arif mohammad khan.Since he has an identity apart from normal muslim.Which you yourself dont like.
Grow up Kiddo!!.Think better!!
Yes. We can recognize Arif Mohammad Khan as good Muslim.
This acceptance he has earned through his actions and deeds.
The writer must understand the difference between individual act and community action. The act of Tabligi is a deliberate attempt to defy Govt rules and put entire nation into danger. And people like you are more responsible to spread hatred towards Muslims by covering all ill customs and sins in the name of Religion. You must have gut to condemn such act but you cannot. You too are an educated orthodox writer afraid of Fatwa.
India is only country where saying, “Gaddaron ko goli maro” becomes communal. All other countries hang Gaddars but it is communal in India.
WTF did I read
Premji or khan are individuals. Is Tablighi jamaat an individual?
I would lile to point out that not every individual blames the entire Muslim race for a misdeed of a few. Also,I would like people to remember how Hindus were criticised when the issue of Gau-Mutra came up.On social media,many hindu’s were taunted by people of other religeon within India and called ‘gau-mutra’ n ‘Gobar’ fanatics,which isn’t true. Our deeds and choices should be percieved as something ‘individual’ and not ‘collective’.Religeon in itself is never at fault.Its the people and their wrong actions that is to be blamed.If a few Muslims attended the Nizamuddin gathering,so did the Hindus in the Tirupati procession a few days back.And only the participants of these gatherings are to be blamed for their foolish action,not their religeons.
The author must answer who kills whom in countries like iraq,Afghanistan,Syria,Sudan,pakistan,Lebanon where RSS & BJP r not there?
Imagine: since 1948, a total of 11 million Muslims have been violently killed. Of the 11 million, 10 million were killed by other Muslims and 1 million were killed by Jews, Christians and Hindus. The News, Islamabad
Muslims must accept their mistakes gracefully while not blaming others for their mistakes.Hindus never supported kanika Kapoor for her stupidity.what about Aamir khan,naseeruddin shah & javed akhtar who could not even donate 1 rupees for Covid 19?
Did you donate? How do you know they did not donate? Not everyone is like your MoNa who would go on a marketing spree for any duty they do.
The moran whoever wrote this, Azim Premji is a great paarsi.
The question which should be asked can a charity of few be used to gloss over the behaviour of the majority in a community
But what about the fact that most of these good hearted/ natured/ generous/ intellectual/ liberal muslims according to a large group of general muslim population are considered not proper/real muslims and they themselves do not accept them.
Or if I can say in their tongue – KAAFIRS.
I wish it wasn’t true.
As muslims try to defend some stupid acts of some muslims, then they will have also to bear same criticism. Think!!
Puzzling!!!
There are individuals who have faiths or may not have faiths and there are people who wanted to play with only ONE fake identity – religious identity.
They are not Tamils, Bengalis, Punjabis, Marathis, Indians but Muslims.
And if you play with only ONE identity, you have to live with its consequences. Because, the identity comes from medieval books, Arabic Books,
Either you believe in those books blindly or you are critical with every line you read from there. There is absolutely no other way.
Then as a “true” and “orthodox” Muslim, how on earth a man or a woman can make decisions – if all decisions are already ]made by somebody in the past. Can the author please elaborate.
The faithful are doing what the scriptures are telling them to do. What choice any believers have???
According to several Hadith collected by the most famous of the Collectors. Sahih Al Bukhari
1. Allah Apostle did say that diseases are NOT contagious.
2. Allah Apostle did say that martyrdom is the ultimate thing.
3. Allah Apostle did say that there are 5 ways of martyrdom.
4. Allah Apostle did say that Death by plague and other epidemics is martyrdom
Please read. It is available online.
So, if you are a true believer and trust Allah’s Apostle seriously, and blindly – what else you can do? can the author elaborate.
Is the Author suggesting that people should NOT trust Sahih Al Bukhari or any other collectors of any Hadith??? Yes, all these Hadiths were collected and written down almost 200-250 years after Allah’s Apostle’s death, So that assumption may not be a bad idea. Or is it that Allah’s Apostle made mistakes??
Or open up your mind and brains, and be a conscious human being … and read these scriptures, or any other scriptures for that matter, as historical documents only – NOT messages from Allah or his Apostle(s).
And most importantly, as a conscious human being, stop identifying yourself with the scriptures forced down your throat.
May Allah, the all-knowing and the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate help us in the truth.
Have you ever thought about why this happens only with one religion. The world has many religious sects. What unites every religion against this one religion. Or is it the other way – that this religion fights every other reliigion. Food for thought!
That is why Azim Premji who is one of the few exceptions.
The trend and pattern are not misguiding.