[Reader-list] The Islamic Flag of Indian Muslims

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear All, Dear Kshmendra

In the first mail of this thread, there are following references to
the so called 'Indian Muslims'

-The green flag with the crescent and star on it which is used by
Indian Muslims..

-One recent example has been Simi Garewal talking about Pakistani
Flags being flown by Indian Muslims.

- If this is factual, then the question arises for the Indian Muslims
that should they be thinking about using the Islamic Flag without the
Crescent and Star so that it does not appear to be close to being the
flag of Pakistan?

Yet it is stated in your response above that- I was not talking about
'Indian Muslims' as a monolithic entity.

I understand that you were trying to draw attention to the purported
relationship between a flag and a religious entity. That point is
taken. I have no problems with it. None what so ever. However my
contention still stands.

Could you please elaborate on the use of what seems like an explicit
social category called 'Indian Muslims'?

-On crescent and star

We all know that crescent and star as a symbol was first developed
during the reign of Zhou dynasty. And it has survived in various forms
with Greeks, Persians and Mongols before Turks appropriated it much
later.

Therefore to ascribe chand-tara to an erstwhile corrupt despotic
empire is still okay with me but to associate it with something that
which is an unclear social category is problematic.

I know that one can find many instances in popular culture of south
asia where we can see an association between chand-tara and Islam,
but, could we take this representation as given?

Interestingly crescent and star is also the symbol of New Orleans
Police department which to the best of my knowledge is neither Indian
or Muslim.

Regards

Taha