[Reader-list] "The New Muslim" in Hindustan Times

[vidya shah]

Dear Yousuf,
 
While the questions and concerns that you raise are totally valid, in fact I pretty much felt like that when I read the series, but clearly you and I do not fit popular perception. My neighborhood of fairly Jagran attending, satyanarayan puja believing families who think of us as reasonably weird and unconventional, have also talked to me about these stories in HT. If the stories have caught their attention, then I would think that it was at least some kind of an attempt where none existed. Not that I want to compliment HT but I think in our own insular world we tend to underestimate both the ignorance and the intolerance that we are surrounded by. How else can you justify the silence and lack of reaction from the community at large on the Tehelka expose? We didn’t see the Rang De Basanti effect on this one!
 
It is unfortunate that we have to even articulate categories like the “regular Muslim” (i.e. not the burqa clad etc). But I think Sadan’s question of representation is very valid. Parthiv recently did a project with NRI’s in UK where they framed their own identities for camera. And at least 90 % of the first generation wanted to sit either near Gandhiji’s photograph or the triumvirate of Ram Laxman and Sita. Their favourite book was the Bhagvad Geeta or My experiments with truth… 
 
Perhaps you should suggest to Neelesh that they should do another series a sequel on the "everyday" Muslim now that people seem ready for it!
 
Vidya> Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:53:11 -0700> From: ysaeed7 at yahoo.com> To: sadan at sarai.net; reader-list at sarai.net> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] "The New Muslim" in Hindustan Times> > Dear Sadan> Thanks for your comments. I will try to clarify on the> use of certain words that you mentioned from my> letter. When I say "dishonest images of Muslims" I> don't mean to say that there is something called "the> honest image" and I know it – certainly not. You and I> know that some images in the popular media are> definitely dishonest as their intention is to vilify a> certain community. But in the case of the New Muslim> series in HT, I found many images problematic or> naively dishonest since the author assumes that to be> a Muslim is to be deeply religious and to be coming> out of a ghetto, and so on. In fact, someone asked me> if I have a problem with these images (in HT), then> what is my ideal and honest picture of the Muslims. I> said the only way to portray an honest picture of> Muslims (or any other community) is to portray them> not so conspicuously at all - let them be ordinary> people trying to live ordinary lives. And I think> that's what should answer your question about> objectification. Why make them objects or museum> specimens on the front page.> > You may be right about the aspirations. Yes, most> readers who liked these writings find them at par with> their aspirations. And I don't know about my> aspirations, but my discomfort is mostly due to the> generous use of religion and the newly defined jihad> and so on, that is shown to be their aspiration. Do> you find that cool? Should we promote such role models> for the Muslim community’s future?> > Cheers> > Yousuf> > > --- "sadan at sarai.net" <sadan at sarai.net> wrote:> > > Dear Yousuf,> > thanks for sharing your anxiety about Hindustan> > Times series on 'the new> > muslim'. I have been following your postings ( on> > reader list) and your> > work on religious posters as well as representations> > of muslim steriotypes> > and hence thought to respond to you by raising few> > questions back to you.> > This may help you to think about your anxiety from a> > different vantage> > point. If so I would be happy.> > You have used certain words and I want you to go> > back to them. these are> > 'dishonest images' and objectified community (> > 'objectification'). While I> > can , to some extent, anticipate your anxiety I am> > not certain about why> > you have used this word dishonest image. Do mean to> > say that these images> > are not true representatives of the social realities> > they are trying to> > convey? What is true representation? what is honest> > image? Can we portray> > this 'true' this honest picture?> > We both know ( i hope so) that this would be a> > dream. I think your anxiety> > is not about the truthfulness of these images but> > the way these reports,> > this series bracket muslim identity and portray an> > image that are> > fossilised within majoritarian politics of> > representing 'muslim subject'.> > The series claims to break stereotypification but> > accroding to you it fails> > to do so and actually caters to the same mindset.> > So, in a way you have> > deciphered a set of meanings, certain politics that> > operate there.> > However, many readers prefer this image. They> > receive this series> > differently then you. Now, to say that they cant> > understand the politics> > that you can would be unfare. At the same time, you> > cant not say that> > because some readers like it as iconoclastic images> > the purpose of this> > series is achieved.> > This is all about aspirations that an image> > generates. You have your own> > aspiration and your own criticism. Other readers> > have their own way of> > looking at same representation. And your anxiety> > comes from the fact that> > you do not find a voice that can echo your> > viewpoint, your anxiety.> > Having said this, I must say that I fully agree with> > your concerns, your> > anxiety that this series certainly produces another> > set of otherness and> > hence politically quite problematic and difficult to> > accept.> > Hope I made some sense.> > wishes,> > sadan.> > > > > > > > > > On 10:49 pm 10/29/07 Yousuf <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com>> > wrote:> > > Dear friends> > > I don’t know if any of you have been following a> > > series of articles in the English daily Hindustan> > > Times, called “The New Muslim” on their front> > page,> > > for last 10 days or so. Each day this series> > features> > > a unique Indian Muslim who has made it big in life> > > while remaining steadfast in his/her faith. Most> > of> > > these characters have the typical ghettoized> > Muslim> > > image – each one having been victimized by a> > communal> > > riot or an orthodox family, each going into a> > deeper> > > study of her faith and finding the blueprint of> > > worldly success in the holy scriptures, many of> > them> > > walking on a tightrope between terrorism and> > peace,> > > many grappling with the definition of jihad, each> > > being proud of being a practicing Muslim, and> > finally> > > making it big financially while remaining in the> > > decorum of a burqa (veil), or a skullcap and beard> > –> > > the most idealized 21st century, post-Godhra,> > Indian> > > Muslim one can be.> > >> > >> >> http://hindustantimes.com/news/specials/thenewmuslim/> > >> > > When I read the very first story of this series> > > (called “From masjid to stock market” by> > Neelesh> > > Mishra), I wrote a letter to the editor saying> > that> > > this story and the proposed series seems to be> > > affirming the most hackneyed stereotypes about> > Indian> > > Muslims, and one doesn’t see what’s new in it.> > Of> > > course, millions of Muslims (just as millions of> > > Hindus and Christians) have been victimized by> > > something or the other, and want to progress and> > make> > > it big in life, WHILE remaining steadfast to their> > > religious faith. But why do you have to make only> > > Muslims as some kind museum specimens and feature> > them> > > on the front-page as New Muslims.> > >> > > Neelesh Misra replied saying that, unlike my> > feedback,> > > majority of their readers have written in to say> > that> > > they really liked these articles, and that HT’s> > > purpose by this series is really to break the> > > stereotypes of the community. I of course didn’t> > > agree, but I happened to visit their feedback> > section> > > on the website, and was quite shocked to see the> > > letters written by readers. Almost 90 percent> > readers> > > (with Muslim names) have congratulated HT for this> > new> > > initiative. They think that HT is doing a great> > favour> > > to the Muslims by featuring these young achievers> > who> > > should be the role models for the entire> > community!> > > Some of their comments were: "it’s a> > revolutionary> > > idea", "Continue this column", "Inspiring!> > Inspiring!> > > Thanks for defining what most Muslims are not",> > "You> > > are doing a phenomenal job - this is what> > journalism> > > is all about", and so on. I felt like a fool since> > I> > > was probably the only person to have disapproved> > this> > > series on various grounds.> > >> > > My biggest problem is the "objectification" of a> > > community (which has already been objectified> > beyond> > > recognition), and that too by featuring the most> > > clichéd characters (a guy who dreams of an> > Islamic> > > stock exchange, a burqa-clad woman who runs a> > > restaurant, a bar-singer who starts praying> > 5-times a> > > day, Muslim schools that don't teach Darwin's> > theory> > > of evolution – each example more emblematic than> > the> > > other). Any way, this series continues in HT every> > day> > > and is certainly getting more bouquets and hardly> > any> > > brickbats. Most Muslim readers are overjoyed by> > the> > > fact that this is the first time a national daily> > such> > > as HT is not calling them terrorists and instead> > > presenting "positive" stories about them. I wonder> > if> > > most Muslims are in such low spirits that are> > actually> > > pleasantly surprised to see a jazzy picture of> > them on> > > the front page? But no one is realizing that what> > the> > > New Muslim series actually says is that "look, not> > all> > > Muslims are terrorists (or no longer are), they> > are> > > now finding peaceful meanings of jihad, they want> > to> > > progress in life, make money and be happy, but> > > continue to wear caps and veil". I am amazed that> > > nobody else (among the so-called Muslim> > intelligentsia> > > or any other kind of gentsia) is recognizing what> > such> > > === message truncated ===> > > __________________________________________________> Do You Yahoo!?> Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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