I’m not sorry that I eat Beef

Beef.

It took me a lot of effort to write this post. You’d think, for someone like me who has been vocal on social media, it shouldn’t be difficult. Right?

Penning that first word itself has put me in a lot of dilemma, whether writing this was a bad idea in the first place.

I eat Beef. So do many others around the world. And so do many in India. Almost all muslims in India, have at some point or the other eaten it as well. I know for many of you it might be offensive to even hear me say that I do this.

Frankly, I’m not sorry.

In many parts of the country, terms like “Bade ka Gosht”, “Bhakkad” and the likes are used instead of bluntly referring to it as, Beef.

Over decades we took special care not to be offensive. When friends would ever ask, whether you eat Beef? The answers would be vague enough to not show that we do. Yes, at some point or the other, our parents have told us to try not to openly say it to others.

But that time has gone. It went off when an old man was killed for eating Beef. Oh sorry, on rumors of eating beef!

Forget just that, for than the shameful act of actually killing the person, it is the people who are actually trying to justify the act. Trying to find reasons on blaming the family by labeling them as thieves?!!

The world might laugh on hearing this news, but we in India, “The beef eating Muslims”, aren’t. we cannot. Be prepared to add another clichéd label on your next vilayat visit, where you’ll happily enjoy alongside other beef eating people, who aren’t Muslims!!

Beef is offensive to you?

Alcohol, pork and many of the religions which have anything to do with idol-worship might be offensive to many, if they don’t come from the same thought school as you do. Would you also help us get rid of all these?

Many out there are nothing but hypocritical fools, who won’t eat beef but are okay with showing off their leather jackets or their new branded bags. Where do you think leather comes from? From the vegetable skin that you eat?

The idea to call a beef ban is not to ensure that it doesn’t offend religious sentiments, but to try and show power that now the fringe can do what they feel like. They want to show that we, the minorities are at their mercy. But sorry, that ain’t gonna happen. We won’t back down, if you think we would. Our Idea of India is not a Hindu nation. We have fought for it’s freedom too. Are my fears of how the nation is going to be, before the elections, coming true ?

You are completely okay if you don’t want to eat beef, and we do try not to offend you to. No one goes and sets a slaughter house near a temple or in a densely populated population which doesn’t eat meat. It is mostly located in muslim ghettos far from the comfort of your homes. The fact that a lot of our population is depended on this trade, their livelihood and the three square meals their families get, are depended on it, makes it more important than anything else.

If any of us, tries to shove beef down your throat, or try to show disrespect to your values, then I’d be sorry.

But, I’m definitely not sorry for eating beef.