Zahid. Iqhlaq. Mazlum. Imteyaz. Mustain. Pehlu. Junaid.
I do hope that these names ring a few bells. Although I won’t be surprised if they don’t. Going by the outrage meter allotted by Media houses to any attempted subjugation that Muslims face, you might not remember any of these names.
But I’ll help you out.
These are some of the people killed by the so called ‘Gau Rakshaks’.
I’m still trying to understand as to what they are trying to protect. They clearly are terrorists. Of course, many would only associate the word, ‘terrorism’ with Muslims. Only a suicide bomber shouting ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’ is a terrorist. Bharat Mata ki Jay is yet to be accorded that status.
As I sit in the vicinity of my home while the world around me gets busy in preparation for Eid-ul-Fitr, images of Junaid’s mother refuse to leave my thoughts.
What are the odds of a ‘mob’ barging into my house and raiding the refrigerator to take out Beef?
Is there a possibility of a ‘mob’ getting into an argument for a seat on a train/bus which might lead to something ugly?
Is there a chance that a name on which you can put a familiar face on; might become a part of that list above?
Irrespective of whether your answer is a yes or a no; the thought scares me as well as almost every Muslim I meet these days.
If you’ve always wondered why the 14% Muslims (Yes, we are just 14% and won’t be overtaking Hindus) stay in ghettos, then this is it. Countless riots over the years have literally forced us to confine ourselves into not venturing out.
Chaand raat (the night before Eid) is supposed to be one of the most joyous times for Muslims but this year it just doesn’t feel right. The possibility of being a 15-year old Junaid traveling on a train and being killed by grown up men scares me. The possibility of even roaming around the northern part of my own country scares me.
And let me assure you, I’m not the only one feeling scared.
A part of me wants to outrage over the killings and ‘do something’; while a part of me looks at the rest of you and feels ashamed and helpless.
I do know there’s a lot of good out there but the more you ignore the reality, the more we get pushed back to the dark ages.
Many Muslims around the country will be sporting a black armband to the Eid-Gahs when they pray in the morning in solidarity with the families of those innocents killed by the Cow terrorists.
If you think we should feel scared, then just keep your voices down and let incidents like lynching be the new normal. Let this be the ‘Acche Din’ promised to the country.
And if you do care, then say something. Say something to your Muslim friend other than asking them for Biriyani or Sewaiyan.
Eid Mubarak!