DR. S. AUSAF SAIED VASFI analyses the Emraan Hashmi episode to find that this is not the lone case of discrimination and hate against Muslims or even against those having Muslim-looking names, and wonders why they not care to follow Islam in letter and spirit.
It is not for the first time that a pointless controversy has arisen over the attempt of a Muslim to purchase a house in a posh locality in Mumbai. It came to public notice simply because the buyer happens to be an actor and his patron or moral Supporter an eminent film director.
EARLIER CASES
Earlier Ms Shabana Azmi, Mr Javed Akhtar, Ms Zeenat Amaan, Mr Saif Ali Khan, Mr Amir Khan had also confronted similar problems. Almost daily, an average Muslim, in one part or the other of the country, faces avoidable harassment just because he or she happens to be a Muslim. What his or her religious nomenclature has to do with the rent that is received by the owner of the flat or the property owner who sells his or her property to a Muslim?
The ground reality however is different.
IN GENES?
Discrimination is perhaps in the genes of our nation. A Tamilian, they say, thinks twice before accepting a gentleman from Punjab as a tenant. So does another pious soul in West Bengal. The case is not different with the Gujaratis or the Kannadigas or the Haryanavis or the Rajasthanis. But in these cases, religion as such, is not involved. What is involved is culture, or at the most language. There is widespread discrimination against the Dalits, against women and against the female child.
ROOTS IN HATE
But the content and colour of discrimination against the Muslims is totally different. Its roots happen to be in hate.
Mr. Emraan Hashmi’s mother is a Christian while his wife happens to belong to our Hindu community. The actor has no record of any variety of subversive activity. Even his antagonists have never charged him with fundamentalist thinking or extremist inclinations.
And so, incidentally was the case with his predecessors like Ms Zeenat, Mr Saif or Mr Amir. None of them was what they call a “practising Muslim”. What, thus is being sought to be understood is that a mere Muslim name is enough to cause irrelevant as well as irrational irritation among a section of our countrymen.
What, in brief has happened in Mumbai is that Mr Emraan wanted to purchase a house in the Nibban Housing Society in the posh, Palli Hill area of suburban Bandra. Charging him with not adopting proper procedure in getting a house, the society concerned, it is reported, refused to give him an NOC and the owner of the apartment has, in the meantime, given on rent the said apartment to a German gentleman.
TOO-OBVIOUS
After a complaint by Mr Hashmi, the State Minorities Commission has entrusted the case to a high ranking police officer. The police investigation results appear to be too-obvious in the light of the fact that the police authorities have already filed a case against Mr Hashmi. He has been accused of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion by his acts under Section 153-A and of deliberate and malicious acts with an intention to outrage the religious feelings under Section 295-A. But the Bull’s eye was shot by Shiv Sena when its mouthpiece Saamna editorially advised Mr Hashmi to go to Pakistan and buy a house there. To quote the edit, as reported, in the newspapers, “People like Hashmi have spoilt the mindset of common Muslims.” It added, “Go to Pakistan as a Muslim and buy a house there…”
MISCONCEPTIONS
The edit also accused Mr Mahesh Bhatt of seeking “publicity through such stunts.”
Instead of joining the issues with the Marathi weekly, we feel the Saamna establishment would do well to hire a well informed editorial writer who has some knowledge of the Mumbai film industry as well as the actual ethos of Pakistan.
At the bottom of the prejudice against the Muslim minority lies a plethora of misconceptions about Muslims and Islam. With ulterior motives in mind, these misconceptions have, during the ages, been used against Muslims by the motivated. The cumulative effect of these efforts, made with perseverance has painted their picture as uncouth and unacceptable. This campaign of vilification, which started in the early 1950s, continues unabated till date. Initially a plea was made to Indianise the Indian Muslims, as to their sceptics, they were not sufficiently Indian. These essays were punctuated with the advice to change their names so that they may sound Indian. The Muslims turning towards Kaaba during prayers was taken exceptions. Muslims were advised to delete some verses of the Holy Qur’ān as well as some Traditions of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless and greet him). The Qur’ānic permission of polygamy continues to remain a thorn in their soft belly. “If Saudi Arabia or Pakistan attacks Bharat, with whom would be Muslims sympathies,” was the oft-posed question to Muslims.
DEMONISATION
Then came the phase of demonisation of Islam and Muslims. Israel and America played a significant role in this filthy game. That Islam is utterly intolerant of the non-Islamic ideologies; that Muslims are mad Jihadists by nature; that Muslims are uncivil and uncultured and deserved to be kept isolated from the civilised world has been the general refrain after the 9/11. At educated level, the Muslims were taunted with “All Muslims are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims”!
Things went to such an extent that the Supreme Court of India also lost balance. The highest palladium of justice, in March 2009, called for “No Talibanisation of India”. What had provoked Mr Justice Markandey Katju was a student’s plea to sport a beard in his convent school. All these less-than-responsible arguments, leading to a blind alley, boil down to the point that Islam teaches terror and Muslims are terrorists.
POINT-TO-PONDER
The point to ponder is: with this black mark on the forehead of a Muslim, who would rent or sell his property to him?
That Islam stands for humanism, that Islam envisages a humane society and that Islam is all for human rights, and that Islam is wedded to higher moral values and commitments is yet to be driven home.
And incidentally, if this is true that a Muslim is denied his due simply because his name sounds Muslim, why does he not honestly and sincerely care to follow Islam in letter and spirit?