As a young female Muslim, I have often held back the urge to express my feelings on the plight of my community. I back off thinking it is an overreaction to fear. I was hopeful that things would die down and thoughts would change. I expected people would speak up because their moral conscience would overpower their fear.
I wished influencers, celebrities, friends, acquaintances, and all those who lauded the diversity India possessed, to speak up! If not, I thought a messiah would come forth and put an end to all the incidents that discouraged me from living in my own country.
But, my fears always prevailed. Every time I was sure they would. There are many more like me. While some remain silently hopeful, others are advocating for change—to restore hope.
Political consciousness dawned on me only three years back. Very soon, I also learnt the repercussions of advocating for yourself and being vocal.
“We Are NOT Playing The Victim Card!”
I saw a stark contrast between when my non-Muslim counterparts spoke out against injustice against Muslims, and when I and other Muslims did—their opinions were heard, but they were abused. On the other hand, we were accused of playing the victim card and being too fearful.
How does one explain the fear with which our parents and grandparents spoke? The much-discussed Babri Masjid demolition or the riots of Gujarat… How does one explain that people look at us with suspicion when we don the yarmulka cap or the burkha?
When we are frisked and checked at the airports only because we happen to wear these? Or when a broker informs us that the owner has denied a flat only because of our caste? These are personal prejudices. I still backed India.
But, what happens when we see Muslims being lynched due to their “alleged” consumption of beef, without any evidence? Or harassed because of their Muslim identity?
“Muslim Women Have Been Auctioned Online”
The two-year-old uproar against the CAA-NRC laws only showed us the plight of young Indian Muslims. Many of them have been charged with UAPA on shoddy grounds. Their only mistake was their decision to assert their right to speak and protest.
Their arrests showed us the repercussions of not conforming to the ruling party’s decision. Yet, those who chose violence to support the ruling party escaped charges.
We began the second decade of the 21st century with Indian Muslim women auctioned online. The very recent instance of young Muslim girls being denied an education because of their hijab. Is there more to come?
As the marginalised community of India with the lowest literacy rate (lower than those of the scheduled castes and tribes), it can be concluded that most of us within the community continue to remain uneducated and ignorant.
“What Happened To Beti Bachao Beti Padhao?”
The absence of strong leadership remains a pressing need in the Muslim community. As a minority, we are barely present in schools, colleges, healthcare, corporate, military, and government positions. Yet, you think we play the victim card… Despite this lack of representation?
This becomes much worse when abuses are hurled at you, and when you are catcalled and persecuted because of your identity. Despite this, the ministers of the ruling party and the prime minister continue to maintain silence.
I, then, wonder what does my future and that of my community look like? Will my silence to our persecution always imply my nationalism, and not otherwise? For how long do we have to be conscious of the fact that we aren’t being too Muslim or seen as playing the victim card?
A country that runs campaigns like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (save the girl child, educate the girl child), is also a country where its women are also auctioned and denied their right to education. I see selective silence and no outrage.
“We Need To Come Together And Speak Up!”
Social activism and feminism takes a hit when Muslims are the victims. The same people who complain about injustice in foreign countries keep quiet when injustice occurs within their own country. The ruling party of India—the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)—thrives on Muslim hatred and polarisation.
Young people in this country fail to envision their future when people from their cohorts are being jailed, harassed, and even killed. Atrocious bills and Acts are being passed filtering Muslims out of them. But, what hurts the most is the silence of our friends.
As they say, ‘silence protects the perpetrators and imprisons the victims’. A democratic country is shaped by its people and it’s for the people! We are also the people of this country.
It’s sad that we have to remind ourselves of our equal rights even after 74 years have passed since independence. I still remain hopeful, though. I know of the tales of how Bhagat Singh and Ashfaqulla Khan fought together for Indian independence, as young brave men should. We, too, must fight together this time against ultra-nationalism and Islamophobia, as the youth of India should!
Jai Hind!