A lot has been already said and written on the new debate whether to protest as a muslim with muslim identity intact or not?
As an alumna of Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU, the two universities which were brutally targeted in the protests against the draconian act CAA with the combination of NRC, and as a person who was involved in protests as well, I would like to lay emphasis on some points.
– It has been a month now, and I believe by and large people are aware by now that CAA should not be seen isolated, the combination of CAA along with NRC is clearly discriminatory and not only discriminatory it is a proper planning to deprive muslims of their state.
– It is no denying the fact that India is a country which has a poor documentation record, it is hit by floods, riots and people have to run to save their lives, who will think at that point of time carrying their documents?
India is a country where approximately 269 million are poor, an estimate which even the government has accepted.
NRC and CAA are anti poor as well, many will be affected in order to produce documents, but only muslims will be the ones who will suffer ultimately because of their name and identity, they will be excluded from getting citizenship under CAA which other non muslim communities will get eventually.
So, the all in all point is if my name is Sana and not Sneha then I am going to suffer ultimately, even to the point of being landed in a detention centre.
NRC along with CAA is clearly ISLAMOPHOBIC and *though it will affect many but only muslims will suffer ultimately.*
Now, the question comes – “Who is a Muslim?”
The answer is the one who recites the Kalima is a muslim.
What is a kalima?
La’ilaha illalAllah Muhammedur Rasoolullah is the Kalima, the basic foundation upon which one becomes a Muslim.
Well! We all know about Shashi Tharoor’s Islamophobic tweet in which he termed Kalima as extremism and said in another tweet that it should not be used in protest as it will not resonate with others and will exclude them in joining them in solidarity.
Well! first of all, the reality is that it is coming from Shashi Tharoor who himself has written a book on “Why I am a Hindu?”, we have seen Shashi Tharoor performing many hindu religious acts openly and asserting to his identity openly.
I appreciate all those who came with placards of Kalima and raised slogans of it when Shashi Tharoor came to Jamia, post his Islamophobic tweets, because the point we need to understand is that if we will not tackle Islamophobes such as Shashi Tharoor then it will somewhere go down the line that Kalima is extremism and it will only open the doors to criminalise the Kalima, the basic foundation upon which one becomes a muslim!
– Some argue that it is not the time to make new enemies, we already have a battle to fight.
Yes, it is not the time to make new enemies, but who said Islamophobes are new enemies?
Whatever we are facing today is because of Islamophobia which was instilled through mainstream media, through state machinery and is now in veins and blood of almost every one who follows blindly what is served to them.
The antagonist are just exposing themselves now, who were disguised otherwise.
– It is also important to reflect upon the side that why and by whom Shashi Tharoor was invited to Jamia despite his Islamophobic tweets?
Why?
Are we so helpless, miserable and depressed that we need anyone, even those who are against our basic identity to be invited just because they are against BJP?
Shashi Tharoor and those who invited him, knew well that he will face criticism, why then he was invited and why he has accepted the invitation?
– Why the people who were peacefully protesting and showing placards and raising the slogans of kalima were mishandled by the the management there? Is this not against freedom of speech and expression now?
What is the difference between BJP and these people then who were stopping protestors to protest?
– By inviting people like Shashi Tharoor, are you not making the stage congress friendly and giving them a readymade platter to serve in their interests in upcoming elections, knowing that congress has also failed you systematically?
The common people are sincerely going and coming in protest for their rights and sincere Shaheen Bagh brave women are sitting there for more than thirty days constantly for their existential rights, which are under attack because of their religious identity but sadly the stage and microphone is being hijacked now often by political party leaders or sympathisers for their own selfish interests.
We need to understand these points and questions to go deeper in lines and not get stung from the same hole twice.
We need to understand, all parties have failed us. BJP is bigger evil but Congress is no less either.
Having said that all don’t consider me as an agent of AAP, I am not even a voter of it either.
– Now, let’s come to the question that whether this fight should be in line without asserting to our religious identity?
The attack is clearly because of our religious identity, as I said above if I am Sana, I won’t come under CAA and will be denied citizenship, but if I am Sneha then I will be given citizenship under CAA if I failed under NRC, so clearly it is an attack on our religious identity, to fight this battle without asserting to it will be absurd, grotesque and another example of identity crisis which has been installed by Islamophobes and has successfully been embedded now even inside many muslim’s mind.
Why is it so that no other communities fighting for their rights is asked to fight, keeping their identity aside? Why only us?
The point that this will alienate others is ill-advised as those who are with us in this battle knows well it is against our existence because of our religious identity, in addition to this they know that it is anti poor as well, because they too will be affected under it, even if they will not suffer ultimately because of their non muslim identities, but then too they will be affected very badly.
People who are in this battle also knows well that how much the state machinery is corrupt and how much bribe will take place in registering the documents (which has happened in Assam) even if they are all complete because one will be left under the mercy of the visiting official.
People who are in this battle are also there because they know that it will make India under developed as India is already suffering from low GDP and economic crisis and in all this process, the making of detention centres will make India worse.
The people are also with us on humanitarian ground and because somewhere they too are aware that this system will do anything for its interests, even if it means making life of their own people worse than animals.
People are also with us because they know how the system is going to deal with Dalits and other oppressed sections after they will sideline us.
People are also joining because they think that it is against the ethos of constitution, which on papers say no discrimination on the basis of religion.
So, there are many reasons why people are supporting us, they too are sick of this government somewhere.
– The only people who want to be with us but with conditions applied are the ones who are politically inclined somewhere else and want to have their interests fulfilled from such a massive crowd, and others in such category are Islamophobes themselves and next one are the ones who are muslims but are the victims of Islamophobia which has made them suffer identity crisis.
– To ask Muslims to fight this battle without asserting to their identity is clearly Islamophobic and oppressive, muslims are compelled to fight the battle of their existence even without their own religious identity, the same identity because of which they are on the verge of being stateless, detained.
– Those who are supporting us will support us because people are sick of this fascist government, this system which has made poor more poor and rich more rich, and corruption on steer.
– Those who are asking us not to do this or that for gaining support, beware their support is conditional and it is for their own interests somewhere.
– We are not asking or compelling people to say La’ilaha illalAllah, with us but we won’t tolerate its criminalisation either!
– Muslims should realise that they should not bother what he or she will think of, they should understand that Prophet Noah a.s was building his ark when there was no sign of apparent flood, people mocked him but he was busy doing what he was commanded to do, he was not even supported by his own son but he did not compromise in anything getting support of his own son, thinking that what people will say that he is so weak that he did not get the support from his own family, from his own son?
And we all know, the devastating flood came, Prophet Noah a.s was saved and those who embarked on the ark, and his son was drowned.
So, time to understand that help comes from Allah, the whole earth is one nation which is made for humans to live and relish. Sadly, man made imaginary boundaries and their respective selfish benefits involved in it has made people suffer hugely, and on top of it the system where the rich gets richer and poor more poor has made people live like worse than animals.
Allah has praised us in Surah Imran ayat no 110
“You are the best people brought forth for mankind, you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah…”
We are praised upon the criterion of being best for mankind, enjoining good and forbidding evil and believing in Allah.
Sadly! Now, we are in the state of asking others for justice, let alone deliver it. We are the ones now asking for good and stop doing evil upon us, though we were supposed to be the ones delivering good and forbidding evil. ATLEAST have BELIEF IN ALLAH.
– Makhlooq se beybunyaad shartein bhi manzoor aur itni ummeedein hai waabista,
Jo Khaaliq hai har makhlooq ka, Usse na’ummeedi kyun itni beypanah?
– Islamophobia se nukhsaan hua itna ke
Khud musalmaan apne wajood ki ladaai ko lekar chal pada apni shanaakht se alaidah!
The dua we need to ask often that May Allah save us from despair, from evil whispers of shaitan and may He keep us firm on His deen. May He – Who is AL Fattah – The Opener of closed doors, open for us the door of good and khair in both worlds. Ameen.