[Reader-list] Gentle Reminder: मियां की डायरी: Conversation with a young Muslim @Paradigm Shift, Date: 18th April, 2015, Time: 18:30

[Kabir Khan]

What it means to be a Muslim in India? Strange question isn't! India is
home to world's third largest Muslim population. According to many, it is
the presence of Muslims which gives India a secular and plural character.

So, why are we asking this question?

Let us take the following cases, in an alien city a boy in his twenties go
around looking for a room to stay, the first thing landlords ask is - what
is your faith, religion? The moment he says he is Muslim- the doors of most
houses are shut for him. A lot many will recommend 'why don't you stay with
your people'? Who are his people? Aren't all Indians his people?

India-Pakistan cricket match- O Muslims of India wear patriotism on your
sleeves, otherwise you shall be declared anti-national, Pakistan
sympathizer.

Any bomb-blast anywhere and most of us will believe that the cowardly act
can only be committed by those who follow Islam. Herds of topi-daadiwallas
(men with skull cap and beard) will be arrested within a blink. The only
reason for their arrest is that they profess Islam as their religion. No
questions further asked. If you say anything against these arbitrary
arrests, you're declared to be anti-national by both media and the
government.

Encounters are done in broad-day light; police version is filled with
loopholes. Dare to say those were fake- you shall be deemed as anti-India.
And further if the one who is questioning is Muslim, my dear friends,
beware he will be termed as 'conspiracy theorist' and dismissed.

Encounters, arbitrary arrests, institutionalized discrimination, make
believe binaries of extremist, moderate-liberal- all that is alienating
Muslims from 'mainstream narrative' is what Mahtab Alam- an activist who of
late started loving 'five star' chocolate will be speaking about this
Saturday at Paradigm Shift, Bangalore.

Mahtab Alam: Mahtab is a Delhi based civil rights activist and writer.
Currently, he is a consultant with Amnesty International India, where he
coordinates Human Rights Defenders Project. He co-editswww.indiaresists.com,
an independent web portal focused on the issues of Democracy, Justice and
Resistance. Previously, he has worked with various rights
groups/organisations, including Human Rights Law Network (HRLN),
Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) and Coalition for the
Protection of Human Rights Defenders (CPHRD).He blogs at
https://mahtabnama.wordpress.com/.

Vegan cookies and lemon tea are in the menu. Do come and bring your
friends, colleagues, family members along.

Date: 18th April, 2015

Time: 18:30

Venue: Paradigm Shift, 3rd-4th Floor, 8, Above GKB Opticals, 80 Feet Road,
Koramangala 4th Block, Near Sony Signal, Bangalore.

For more details you can either write to us email:
paradigmshiftbangalore at gmail.com, or call: +919663427315, visit our
website: www.paradigmshift.org.in