Tarek Fatah, a prominent voice in the world of journalism and commentary, passed away at the age of 73 after a prolonged illness. Born in Pakistan, Fatah moved to Canada in 1987 and became a vocal advocate for secularism, human rights, and freedom of speech.
Throughout his career, Fatah was renowned for his audacious and sometimes contentious viewpoints on various subjects, spanning from faith and politics to societal equity and global affairs. He has been extensively documented for his achievements, including his authorship of numerous books like Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State and The Jew is Not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that Fuel Muslim Anti-Semitism. Today, however, I wish to reflect on how his perspectives played a role in my life as an Indian Muslim.
Unconventional in his views
About seven-eight years ago, I stumbled upon one of his videos and was taken aback by the novel and occasionally startling ideas he presented. Until then, I had never been exposed to the diverse facets of Islamic history that Fatah articulated so thoroughly. From that moment, my interest in his work grew stronger, and I found myself drawn to his content more and more. Although I did not always concur with his opinions, they were unlike anything I had previously encountered.
During my upbringing, I have come across intellectuals from various backgrounds who criticise the mentality and customs of their respective communities. However, it was particularly relevant to hear from someone within the Muslim community who could comprehend its mindset.
Nevertheless, at times, Fatah’s takes seemed a bit generalised, leaving no room for alternative perspectives. For instance, his argument that Indian Muslims should adopt names that have an Indic origin instead of Arabic ones seemed like a compelling idea. It made me ponder why we have never questioned the need to have Arabic names to be considered Muslim, and how this impacts society as a whole. However, when he delved into the name ‘Taimur’, it began to feel like a personal opinion rather than a discussion of an idea. This issue was exploited by malicious individuals to justify their cruel treatment and harassment of a child.
Another aspect that impressed me about him was his affection for India and its Indic culture. It was remarkable to witness how someone who was born in Pakistan could identify as an Indian. He taught me that there is more to being Indian than just being born as one. However, at the same time, I began to realise that there are certain practical aspects of physically being a part of a society, being a stakeholder in it, and experiencing the ground realities that affect its members.
Tarek Fatah could never claim to know these realities since he has never lived his life as an ordinary Indian Muslim. As a result, despite offering some valuable ideas for Muslims, his Twitter persona often failed to bridge the gap between different communities of India.
Fatah’s writings were marked by a deep concern for the future of Islam and its relationship with the West and India. Despite being a well-known figure and having the power to reach the masses, he faced opposition from the majority of Muslims. But he managed to initiate discussions on unconventional topics, even among those who were not interested in politics or social justice. I recall watching an episode of ‘Fateh ka Fatwa‘ on Zee News where the discussion focused on women’s rights in an ordinary Muslim household. As the conversation progressed, people began to side with Fatah’s argument in support of women’s rights and agreed that women in Muslim society deserve better treatment. While some of us may not like him, we must acknowledge that he was right in this regard.
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Conflicted Legacy of Fatah
Tarek Fatah always publicly professed his love and respect for the Prophet (PBUH) and identified himself as a Muslim. He was disappointed that the clergy never allowed Muslims to explore the reality of their own history and engage in open discussions about Islam. He vehemently criticised religious extremism and terrorism and was a vocal supporter of marginalised communities, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals. However, it is disheartening to see many Muslims on social media celebrating his death and labeling him “murtad”, an apostate.
It is unfortunate that the Muslim community does not readily accept or engage with criticism from within. Fatah’s case is a prime example. If he were a Christian or Hindu critic, he would have been listened to, engaged with, and respected. But we can see many co-religionists wishing that he goes to hell simply because he asked them to introspect.
His social media persona was overly combative, which didn’t help his cause. He was judgmental like the religious clergy, deciding who was a patriotic Indian Muslim and who was not. This tone and self-righteousness didn’t sit well with some moderate patriotic Indian Muslim intellectuals, who eventually stopped engaging with him. His fame in India was accompanied by the perception that he was pandering to hyper-nationalists and extremist factions of the majority community, ultimately affecting the quality of his scholarly academic work.
The ultra-radical communists and Islamists repeatedly accused him of being anti-Muslim, which I strongly disagreed with. However, none of this justifies cancelling him, and as a community, Muslims need to demonstrate that they can tolerate dissenting voices, even if they find their words unpleasant. We cannot praise non-conformists from other communities while hating those from our own. This hypocrisy is evident to billions of people in the age of the internet. Therefore, let us abandon this harmful game of deciding who is a Muslim and who is not and instead engage in debating and critiquing ideas and arguments with which we disagree.
As a fellow Muslim, I would say, “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un,” and I hope that he finds peace and fulfilment in the afterlife. As one of his quotes go, “We were snatched from the cradle of a great civilisation and made permanent refugees, sent in search of an oasis that turned out to be a mirage.” May he finally find the oasis he was seeking and have his mirage become a reality.
Fatah’s passing is a great loss to the world of journalism and commentary, and he will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues. His legacy, however, will live on through his writing and the impact he had on the many lives he touched.
Amana Begam Ansari is a columnist and TV news panelist. She runs a weekly YouTube show called ‘India This Week by Amana and Khalid’. She tweets @Amana_Ansari. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)