Moderate Muslims

As in Rajdeep Sardesai’s A tale of two Azmis (Hindustan Times, Sept. 5), the media generally keep blowing non-issues like Imrana etc., ignoring Muslims’ real problems. Of late, the liberal Muslims have started concentrating on the community’s genuine problems. 

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June 22, 2022
As in Rajdeep Sardesai’s A tale of two Azmis (Hindustan Times, Sept. 5), the media generally keep blowing non-issues like Imrana etc., ignoring Muslims’ real problems. Of late, the liberal Muslims have started concentrating on the community’s genuine problems.  But, unfortunately, the moment they take it up, the Hindutva forces brand them  ‘irresponsible’ etc. as happened in the case of Shabana Azmi.  Once, Rajdeep had observed that ‘the media love a fundamentalist’ (Indian Express, October 16, 2001).  When Talibans demolished Buddha statue, Islam was seen as the problem.  ‘Is Islam the face of terrorism?’, thundered a TV programme. ‘Islam in crisis’ became title of the main story in a leading magazine.  But when thousands of kar sevaks pulled down the Babri Masjid or thousands of Muslims were killed in Gujarat, it was not the Hindu religion but extremism that is clearly seen as the face of such outrage. May be, the Azmis are victims of it!
Naushad Ansari
New Delhi