A Muslim friend forwarded me the below clip. These days, it is fashion to pass on slur or incendiary remarks against common innocent Muslims. Spare some time to listen to those. However, my reaction addresses the core of such aggression against the Muslims.
Racial slur against Muslims in actually painful and intolerable. It is definitely an outcome of deranged minds. Give me an example of one sane person who can agree to any of the tweets which Sadiq Khan has shared.
Let’s visit the other side. Commoners form the base of the pyramid. They exists everywhere, in Islam and other faiths. They subscribe to most common apprehension, anxieties and fear.
Let’s look at the Muslim commoners – the uneducated, irrational and poor ones. They feel the pangs of frustration the most. However, they are the ones who are likely to be reactive to such racial slur. No doubt, if they find their back against the wall, they will react aggressively, with animal instincts overriding their wisdom and cognition. We can presume the outcome very well. A mass terrorist act that incites a ripple of anguish against the name (of the person) that gets associated with the faith he follows. let us admit, there is more aggression amongst the followers of Islam. However, Islam is not the only faith with aggression. We miss the point that those sane, educated and elite don’t protest vehemently against the act of violence (especially during this juncture when it is required the most).
Let us understand the non-muslims who are commenting to Sadiq Khan on Twitter. As mentioned earlier, they are the irrational uneducated that respond to the global scale of violence that has been unleashed by Muslim radicals and mercenaries.
Islam as a faith and ideology never promotes such aggression, it is much misinterpreted faith (see below a clip to make an impression). However, the elite, educated and the clergy within Islam are muted, San Bernandino shooting is an example (2015 San Bernardino attack). They only respond in defense when Islam is affected (most protested the ban on Muslim nations when President Trump promulgated the ban of nationals of those eight countries).
To emphasize, they respond tepidly when a Muslim mercenary (aka terrorists) savagely kills scores of innocents. If these same elite and educated start responding to Muslim aggressors, it will be a show of solidarity with the general masses. That will automatically stop any slur or violence against the innocents.
A noteworthy incident happened in Mumbai. After the 2008 Mumbai bombing (26/11), Ajmal Kasab was found guilty and hanged. The Muslims in Mumbai did not give their land for burial of his body. The lesson here is the expression of solidarity with the general masses. That one incidence played on the collective subconscious mind of the general population. The non-Muslims realized that the Muslims too share their faith and agony.
This is a case in point towards weaving that social fabric on which we all exists. We have to rise above our ideologies, faith and narrow interest when it comes to wider cause such as society and our country.
As I have mentioned earlier, the onus of protecting our faith lies with the elite, erudite and educated. The responsibility falls on them. They should take the gauntlet and spearhead the cause of general social well being.
Social media is responsible but changing the social media policies will only help little. I see social media as a mirror to this looming malafice accumulated from the national and international acts of terrorism, I see it as an expression of the repressed fear and frustration. Changing social media policies towards responsible behavior is essential. However, changing social media policies will not be the best option to address the root cause.
Let’s address the root cause.
Meanwhile, please listen to this select interpretation of Islam. Muslims have a greater responsibility for sharing this.
mymilieu.org 