Hindustan Times
Don’t tell me I am only Muslim
We as Indian Muslims are struggling to remain who we are — Indian Muslims. I am sorry to see so many people treat the term “Indian-Muslim” as the greatest oxymoron of our time. Don’t tell me that I am ‘only Muslim’. I am ‘also a Muslim’. I am also sorry to hear that we only wear our religion on our sleeves; that we fail to integrate and mainstream ourselves; and that we are not loyal enough. That’s done and over. We only have to look at our society with blinkers off. Mainstreaming is done. Assimilation is over. Loyalty is established.
However, what we are witnessing are post-assimilation issues, like millions of migrant Muslims in Europe. We are finding it difficult to find decent housing, jobs and above all goodwill. Like European Muslims, we are looked upon with a degree of suspicion and demonised for terrorism-related crimes that affect us in equal measure.
There are differences however: Unlike European Muslims like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, we did not come here to escape theocratic tyrannies or in search of a better life.
Unlike European Muslims who are still evolving into their European identities, our Indian identities are no less evolved than any other community, and still evolving. Unlike European Muslims, we did not come here to reap the benefits of progress we were not part of.
Unlike European Muslims, who nonetheless have spent enough time to perfectly reconcile themselves to secular European principles, racial integration is not our problem at all. We come largely from the same stock, having converted roughly between 700 and 900 years ago.
Those of us who chose to stay put after the Partition, did so not to ‘colonise’ or ‘Islamise’ India but to continue remaining who they are: Indian Muslims. Yet, post-assimilation issues are cropping up. (For instance, young Muslim jobseekers have become appropriate objects for extra scrutiny.)
The fundamental problem has to do with the perception that if you are a Muslim, you are a potential terrorist. It is through the prism of this prejudice that every prospective Muslim tenant is seen, as Muslim youths storm new cities in search of jobs as if they were another Bastille. This is not acceptable because this is not the truth. In the Muslim psyche, there is no contradiction between being an Indian and being Muslim.
While we only talk about a few on the fringes of Muslim society who have set out on the path of wanton violence, we ignore the vast majority of perfectly law-abiding Muslims. It is for them that I stand up.
Many fallacious presumptions have taken roots:
(a) Sometime ago, an egregious text message did the rounds. All Muslims aren’t terrorists, it stated, but all terrorists are Muslims. With this, I disagree, for we only have to look at history.
(b) Large Muslim households are the consequence of an express ambition to Islamise India. With this, I disagree. Large families are not unique to Muslims. A former President of our country had 14 children and he was not a Muslim. A sitting non-Muslim Union minister has nine children, while I am the only issue of my parents. We have to stop judging Muslims on the basis of very personal decisions they take, like the number of children they wish to have and the choice of their attire. Family planning however remains a national priority.
(c) Full loyalty is not possible because Muslims in themselves form a political community that over-rides national loyalty. With this, I disagree. Political Islam is not an immutable Islamic concept and Muslims in India have never, ever dreamt of a theocratic state.
Indian Muslims fully recognise that the diversity of our society is a permanent reality and not something to be ultimately overcome by a future Muslim majority. I am critical of what a narrow understanding of loyalty often demands of Muslims like me. There should be no problem, in a democratic country like ours, to accommodate all Islamic religious sensibilities that don’t infringe on our basic constitutional principles. Those that do are not immutable Islamic concepts and we shall talk about them in another blog.
Nonetheless, I have my own demands to make of Muslims like me. We are dealing with a crisis here and we are to blame as well. Going by the strides that the two communities have made, let’s for a moment, see how Hindu India has fared versus the Muslim India. The Hindu India has been far more synchronised to the emerging global order and has treated modernity as opportunity: the language of Bollywood is more like that of Hollywood and our fashion more Paris, etc. The vast majority of Muslim India has however resisted modernity, treating it as a threat.
One reason for this is the leadership crisis gripping Muslims. The Muslim religious leadership overlaps the religious leadership. As far as business role models are concerned, we have none, save Azim Premji. The worst thing our clergy-dominated political leadership has done is to instil fear. We have only been told to be cynical; transforming us into a community that has never realised that there indeed may be a level playing field out there for some of us.
One way to tackle the crisis, and ameliorate our lot, is by exuding a positive and creative presence wherever we go. No matter what, we have to deepen, not weaken, our stake in the system. Nobody looks upon AR Rehman as “only a Muslim”. Shah Rukh Khan is seldom looked upon as a Muslim movie star. Successful Muslims no longer remain ‘only Muslim’. That’s how the cookie crumbles.
Yet, whenever I am asked if I am a Muslim or an Indian first, then I my answer is I don’t answer stupid questions.
(20 votes, average: 4.05 out of 5)
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(4.47 out of 5)
rohan sharma Reply:
March 30th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Its quite human to see what is striking,
whenever there is a terror attack all Muslims in the society are looked upon with narrow eyes,
but then why doesn’t those eyes widen up when a Muslim gets you an Oscar or some other Muslim goes ahead and becomes the first man of the nation, the point is there has to be a sense of indifference in the society, which has ceased to exist. I am quite young to actually analyze what is the society actually like but the point i wonder the most is why do the Muslims call themselves minorities?
why are they given separate areas to stay, i mean why is there a divide still in this nation?
Even in cities like Delhi there are places where the Muslim population is dominant and there are regions where the Hindus are dominant. WHY??? just have a look at your locality where you are putting up and u shall find that there are only a few as very few Muslims putting up and rest all Hindus and vice versa, it is agonizing sometimes when there is this divide and segregation still persisting in the nation called secular and sovereign.
belonging from a Brahmin background i studied in the top notch school in Delhi and there was just one Muslim guy in our class and he too was a fast friend of mine, a very small issue though but he used to get beef in lunch, and we used to have lunch together even though i might not take a share from him but we used to sit together and eat on the same table and never ever i had problems or even him, but yes even amongst us there were students who had issues..!!!!
Its disgusting on the part of parents the society and everybody and lately Mr Varun Gandhi who truly is a disgrace to the Gandhi family!!!!
i believe this narrow mindset and the filtering views of the society are never going to end, religion is going to be the most dominant reasons for everything existing in this nation be it good or bad!!!
its the humans who created it, and its going to be the humans who shall destroy themselves just for the name of religion.
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renuka Reply:
March 30th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Well said, Zia.
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Sana Reply:
March 30th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Nothing can be worse than a feeling of alienation in ones own homeland. There are certain misconceptions that need to be cleared. Your post could be a step forward…….Best
Mayank Reply:
March 31st, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Muslim are not different than any other individual ,its just the environment and basic teaching which impact the mind that lead to the actions.But if someone says why most of the terrorist all the muslims.
we should not run out of this question ,its not a stupid one.
If we really serious to remove the tag of criminal activities from muslims,then its need to save the young minds.whatever u teach a kid he will deliver the same.why there are so much conflict in understanding the religious book of kuran?whether kuran is tough to understand or some pople are misusing the words of kuran by putting it in wrong way in ignited minds of youths.because every criminal attach his activity with their religious books(why?).
In all i want to say respect and morale can not be given by anyone it has to earn by themselves.
Rituraj Reply:
April 1st, 2009 at 11:29 am
Like some earlier comments, i too have the same question – Why must a Muslim ( Indian or otherwise) should be put through the task of justifying himself, not time and time again, but even once? If X is a muslim, and Y is a terrorist, why must X have to prove the X is not equal to Y? The major goof-up in this issue, is not ‘people trying to come to terms with the fact that there ARE good muslims who need to be heard’ but people from all backgrounds and faiths failing to see that the more the justifications are encouraged (read demanded), the more alienation it creates. Alienation – the alleged grand reason, for ‘local goodie muslims’ to just ‘cross the line’….is it that hard to see that while trying to unite a nation, all these justifications are rather widening the cracks? The Cracks, which the majority has taken upon itself to exploit. and yet, it doesn’t have to explain itself. Funny, i think.
The current social scene in India is not really helping. Look at the support that Varun Gandhi is getting after he proclaims that ‘he shall set the hindus free’ of this minority appeasing politics. Hasn’t he fit the perfect bill of the Hindu-Terrorist yet?? The Batla House incident where Jamia students were apparently harbouring terrorists (proof? none.), was seen as a success of delhi police. Same delhi police that also managed to create a martyr out of Amar Singh, who according to eye-witnesses, was seen walking out of the locality after suffering a ‘minor wound’. The Establishment will NOT help us. Clearly.
In this short time-frame( most of 2008 actually), we have also welcomed a wave of so-called well made movies that raise the questions of communal tension in this country. ‘A wednesday’ where Muslim terrorists are the cause of the problems of the AAM AADMI who has been forced to action against it. Very conveniently, the writers HAD to include a “good Muslim” in the Mumbai police too, who by the way, had to hide his ‘tabeez’ when speaking to the terrorists and his Hindu colleague coming to the rescue…Utter ****!!! if i may be allowed to say so. Well made movie? may be. but the message its sending across, knowingly or otherwise, is a very dangerous one. “Shaurya” – muslim army officer has to face the music this time around because he knew a thing or two about human rights violation and respected human life. Throughout the movie, the officer is resigned to giving it up to the laws of the Indian Armed Forces. Again, it is upto good’ol Hindu military lawyer to come to his rescue, and tell the world what exactly happened. “Aamir” – common man (read, Good muslim) sacrifices his life for a greater cause – upholding the moral duty of the good muslim of justifying his faith. Bollocks!!!!! all of these might be good movies, technically. but we can’t be naive enough to not see past the message that these movies are trying to propagate – some muslims are good, it is upon the ever-so-good hindus to acknowledge, understand, and help them.
something, somewhere is seriously wrong. Please try not to be blinded by the sense of this brotherhood one one hand, while totally ignoring the fact that some of us, albeit unknowingly, are fanning the flames by these justifications.
by the way, Good blog Mr. Haq.
Rituraj Reply:
April 1st, 2009 at 11:42 am
My apologies for typing “Amar Singh” ….i meant “Mohan Chand Sharma”….thats the police inspector who died as a result of the batla house incident. Sorry.
nbz Reply:
April 1st, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Zia,
My comment is missing from this page but it somehow landed up with Anil Maheshwari as a”Hate Mail”
Your comments.
Zia Haq Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
NBZ:
So many of the mails here, including yours, are a strong indicator of the need and place of Ijtihad (loosely translated as the appliation of reason and analogy and, contexualisation of Koranic principles by a qualified scholar to respond to a new situation.) It was practised in the early years after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Even when the so-called doors of Ijtihad were closed by the orthodox Ulama, scholars like Ibn Taimiyya and Shah Waliallah maintained the right of Ijtihad.
Frankly, I did not find anything unparliamentary in what you wrote. Going by what is there for us to see and what has been quoted, it is certainly not a “hate mail” but a opinionated response.
I am firm in my belief that Ijtihad is the next jihad for us. Let me try to re-word this, lest I am misunderstood: The next big struggle of Islam is to bring reason and reform back into Islamic theology and practice. Thank you.
Zia Haq Reply:
April 4th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I would briefly respond to the issue of Muslim population because I plan to devote a whole blog on this some time soon. There is no cohort stody, none at all, to suggest that Muslims have produced far more children at all points of time and at all places where they exist.
Let’s stop propogating this myth once and for all. The Muslim population of Mizoram has hovered below 1.5 per cent (according to a political party’s estimation) for decades. In Assam, it has substantially shot up, obviously because of illegal immigration. Even if your assumtion were to be true, don’t impute religious motives to it. If the Muslim fertility rate is high — there is no peer-reviewed evidence yet — there should be no objections save one: family planning is in national interest. But please stop judging Muslims on the basis of very personal decisions. I would really want to now the basis of this statement: “the average family size of Muslim family is larger than non Muslim family with same level of education and income”.
As regards Dar al-Harb, I would rather go by what Muslims think about it than a non-Muslim because it is an Islamic issue. The seminary Darul Uloom has already made this clear. A country where Muslims elect their own government cannot be Dar al-Harb. Either they refuse to elect governments or consider their country as Dar al-Harb. It can’t work both ways. In any case, few Muslims would even know what Dar al-Harb means.
I can understand some people will be difficult to convince. As they say, you can take a horse to the well, but you cannot make it drink.
Hemant Reply:
April 14th, 2009 at 6:52 am
I want to respond to big family part. It is more of socio-economic than religion. When more hands to earn is better than more mouth to feed a population explosion occurs. When you are poor and it takes very little to bring-up kids, and at the same time a little income by kids (by working or begging or any means) forms a big part of total family income ,people tend to have bigger family.
In poor family there is no cost of schooling, medical etc. hence bigger family hardly translates to any cost. Once family becomes middle class they start thinking schooling, college , medical expenses, food ,clothing costs and at the same time they do not want their own life standard to go down, families tend to have less kids.
Religion plays a part but not to that extent. You will see middle class families with 1-2 kids but poor families with lots of kids(one theory is also about survivor rate in poor families also contributes to more kids).
Muslims in India are more in trouble because of their leadership than anything else. Everyone has exploited them and left them to be just votes. Their is not a single leader who is not a Moulana and has a unifying voice for Muslims.
This is excellent blog. I have many Muslim friend and I prefer their views about Islam then my Hindu friend’s. If Muslims have to overcome world-wide phobia bout their religion it will require moderate voices from their own community.
We all have to understand , most of us did not choose our religion , we happen to associate to a religion because of our parents or so. We have not studied all religion and then found one which fits our thinking. If you are one of these , I am one, then please do not talk bad about other religion ( you know nothing about that religion). That is why I say voices of moderation should come from own community, who have some knowledge of religion.
Mr. Haq , if you find time , let me know your though about socio-economic theory of population explosion.
Diva Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 2:42 pm
As the famous quote goes: Who are we to say we are Hindus? Who are we to say we are Muslims? For there is Ram in Rahim and Ali in Diwali! We are all one basically. But Sadly this topic needs a broader platform than a virtual blog space.
Most of us have grown up with preconcieved notions nad over the years, have formed are own twisted versions of the truth…and recent activities under the garb of religion havent helped
Hopefully, we can have a messiah to help us understand one another in a better manner.
Aameen!
Spartacus Reply:
April 14th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Shall we demand an inquiry about Taj and Oberoi Hotels too? You were quick to conclude that Mohan Chand Sharma was walking out with minor injury, were you there? Why this minority friendly UPA government is not going for any inquiry? Is it humane to discredit the sacrificed life of Mr Sharma’s ? I live with Pakistanis and Muslims, these loose talks, discredit us. Disgusting, if I put it mildly.
Rituraj Reply:
April 15th, 2009 at 11:07 am
No one’s discrediting the life that was lost. in fact the India govt., credits only one life, one out of many, that was lost that day….students were murdered. so was an officer.one’s life is not above the other’s.the witnesses(neighbours/shopkeeers) saw him walk out. i’m not making it up. The inquiry also said the students were shot dead at a point blank range, that too shot in the heads from an angle above them. impossible if they say its an “encounter”. Mr. Sharma’s life was lost – true. But the question still remains, who shot him?. ..i think i have a clue.
The indian army/police/establishment has a habit of conducting such “encounters”….forget muslims in jamianagar, take a look at the north east….six out of seven states are still under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act(AFSPA) – an officer of the law, can detain, shoot, kill any local even under SUSPICION. And then rest of india wonders why are these north eastern people so disgruntled. same in kashmir. Try enforcing these laws in the rest of india. have the army barge into your room while you’re having dinner with family. let one of them hold a gun to your father’s head, let the other “search” your house, while the third and fourth one oggles at your sister. Been there yet? i have.
I don’t need to be present at the batle house incident. I already have my eyes open. the govt. and media never show you both sides of the story. and the system condemns anyone who raises his voice by labelling it “anti-nationalist”…
26/11 was an attack by terrorists on indians. then fight the terrorists, not the people the share their religion with. i’m not fighting my fellow hindus, for what happened in Kandhamal, Orissa, am i? i’m not fighting sardars when someone from the sikh regiment stationed in assam raped one of our women….my whole point is, know who your enemy is, before you fight it. Don’t just pick on someone just because he/she does not eat the same kind of meat as you do.
P.S. Funny how, spartacus was actually the name of a gladiator, who fought the establishment, not supported it.
Anil Kumar Reply:
April 15th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
You can’t wish away facts with anecdotes. Yes Lalu has nine kids but if you look the census data then state after state birth rate of Muslims is higher than every other community..
Spartacus Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 4:49 am
Allow me to answer you Mr. Rituraj. Spartacus was a slave leader, who rebelled against a very exploitative system. He was not a deviant; or rebel without a cause. You fight the exploitative establishment; you just don’t fight an establishment, for the sake of fighting. A pseudo-secular group of neo intellectuals may fill the shoe of an exploitative establishment. Crime conducted by an individual doesn’t warrant criminal tag for the entire group until and unless it is a pattern. Does the army or the political system justify the crime conducted by the individuals? Tough time warrants tougher measure, because gentleman like you can sleep, talk and live peacefully. There is huge gap between theory and practice. I will not fight this establishment for everything because I still find this establishment much better than Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Afghanis or Talibanis. Your instant inquiry of Jaminagar will leave, FBIs and Mosads off-color. I can portray million pictures when innocent kids, women and men are slaughtered and left into the pieces, I would love to see these “anti establishment” rebels to fight the perpetrators actively. Or a minority group is asked to leave their women and properties and asked to leave their ancestral homeland . If North-Easterns or Kashmiris have problem with the federal government or state government then find a solution through the constitutional means, fight with the government like an Indian, anti-Indian should be forcibly thrown out of the country. I belong to Kashmir, I belong to Indira Point, I belong to Saurashtra and I belong to Nagaland. A P J Kalam is one of my idol but I loathe Dawoods and Shakeels. Do I make my self clear?
Saima Reply:
March 30th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
i agree… the worst thing which is still very much prevalent here in india is the feeling of muslim alienation… people : indian muslims are as indians as any other indian hindu… Why do we always have to prove ourselves ??
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Swati Reply:
March 30th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
What I do not understand is that why is this issue about only muslim minority. I am a Jain and I know since a long time where ever I go, people ask me things like — ‘Do you guys have the same hindu gods’ or ‘Do you guys celebrate Diwali’ and other stuff. It was always presumed that since I am a Jain girl, I will just get married in a business family and have children. I have always been different.
True as of today, there have not been any terriorist with a Jain last name so we do not have to prove ourself in case of any terriorist activity and muslims have this problem. But, that was not always the case right!!!. I mean it has happened since the last few years since there have been many cases in which the terriorist or the anti social element caught turned out to be a muslim. I agree that every muslim should not need to prove himself for any other muslim doing anything.
But, one thing I would like to point out when you said – “Unlike European Muslims, we did not come here to reap the benefits of progress we were not part of.” What do you mean progress you are not part of … who is stopping you to be a part of progress. I am in the IT industry and I have had two muslim bosses in past 7 years. I have several colleagues who are muslim and are in the same situation as me. Now, here do not start talking about rich or poor. I know many Hindu and specially jain families who do not educate their girls and they end up being in the same situation as their parents. A person who does not want to grow will not grow irrespective of being a hindu or muslim or jain or christian or sikh. Why do we forget that our previous president was a muslim.
Point is I am in a good place today because I did not let anything stop me. Everyone can go to school, everyone can go to college if he has good marks and everyone can get admission to any course depending on his merit. If you keep thinking you are minority and the government should do something for you, then nothing is going to happen. Which general category candidate gets something done for himself. He works hard to clear all exams.
Frankly if you look at the numbers and percentage, the people living below the povertly line in rajasthan, haryana, bihar who are hindus is also very high. Simply because the state machinery does not let them rise and they themselves do not want any change.
herminder kaur Ohri Reply:
March 31st, 2009 at 12:57 pm
To be a good Indian it is necessary to be a good Muslim/ Hindu / christian/ Sikh/ Buddhist/parsi/etc.
only then can one be a good citizen a good human being is the most precious asset a nationhas
It is the rabid fringe of lunatics no matter what their article of faith that give the country and religion a bad name.
You do not have to answer this most unfair of questions, non of us can.
Mayank Reply:
March 31st, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I agree,actions of individual leads to the actions of public.so execute right activities get the rewards.
Zia Haq Reply:
April 1st, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Dear Swati:
When I wrote “Unlike European Muslims, we did not come here to reap the benefits of progress we were not part of”, I was comparing the social history of European Muslims vis-à-vis Indian Muslims. The sub-text of my comment is this: that Indian Muslims are very much part and parcel of Indian society and this is the time-honoured result of an evolutionary process. The majority of them are not immigrants like European Muslims. In other words, Indian Muslims are very much Muslims of India. Thank you
Shenaz Reply:
April 2nd, 2009 at 1:09 am
A very well written article.
Muslims are not just muslims but they are more than that. It depends on what you want to glorify and what you want to ignore. There is very much ignorance and misconceptions in our teachngs. Few months back, I visited an ‘elite’ educational institute in Gujarat and I was taken aback by the responses of the students. Are you a muslim or a parsi? If you are wearing jeans, then you can’t be a muslim. If you are educated and muslim and so on…….
I maybe neither parsi nor a muslim or say that my parents liked the name. But am I not a normal human being?
Do names also have religion and castes? then let me tell you ‘Sarah’ is a muslim, christian, hindu….a universal name.
Sarah is one of the name of Devi Durga. Sarah is also a very famous christian and muslim name.
All things are so closely related and infact have emerged from a single cell. But we love to remain ignorant.