Islamic Terrorism

Being a Muslim and also that my dad got the opportunity to work abroad, I was brought up most of my life in a strict country, Saudi Arabia where I could follow my religion uninterrupted in the more undiluted and clear way. When I came down to India, for my higher studies, I was exposed to secularism and freedom of speech. One should actually feel comfortable at that but I could feel the pinch of the effect of so called open-ness of speech. And one of its big fat target was the term Islamic Terrorism in the media. The branded stamped narrow window through which most view this cult is indeed sad. The jests and mockery that even your close friends seem to use, does actually hurt.

Issues like these even extend to the point where a Muslim starts disliking his own religion, starts looking anti towards it. Islam as a religion and ideology is a staunch arch enemy of torture, oppression and terrorism though. The standard structure of the name “Islam” is derived from the Arabic word “Salm” or peace. Islam is best defined as “ Peace obtained by submitting one’s will to god.” What say, there is an entire chapter of the Holy Book Quran dedicated to tolerance as a holistic approach. Adding to its flavor, one can always find oppression towards anyone, regardless of their community seen as a blasphemy to the law of God.

Staining a whole community with the brush of blame, thanks to the media, always portrays a false impression of the religion. The constant linking of the terms “Islam” “Terrorism” “Jihad” is disturbing for a passionate Muslim. As Dr. Zakir Naik may say, there are black sheep in every community, that doesn’t make the community a negative force in the universe. Christianity cant be blamed for people like Hitler or Mussolini who put together had taken off more number of lives than all the Terrorist organizations linked to Islam.

I love my religion. I might not be an orthodox follower but I know the basic ethics that it teaches. I have found it to be clear and free in laying out laws against those presently alleged. I don’t support terrorism, I stand hand in hand with any oppressed, but I want the world to accept this from us. I want them to understand and term us and those anarchists differently. 

Media exposure to negative thoughts, horrifying pictures does create a disastrous image of the issue. It’s always the world “Muslim” that is disliked, religion “Islam” that is hated. Movies like “My Name is Khan” are surely to be applauded for the work done.

I just want to reach out and flatten things while waking the present young Muslim generation to combat terrorism with whatever they can for it’s a duty for us all. 

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Adrenaline Pumper

As I drool through the long rubbery Theory class, the familiar event of the day takes place. This short, dark haired person, somewhere in his late 30s carrying a steel canister places it with a sigh onto the platform outside the class. He dutily taps out some adrenaline pumper, a khakhi brown tainted fluid, with a dash of ginger in it into a paper cup. He then enters the class with a soft knock, standing at the door with immense respect. The Airheaded professor inside the class, mechanically gestures him to place it on the table behind him, without bothering to look at the newcomer. The former then comes in, making sure he doesn't make enough noise to disturb, places the paper cup on the table and leaves, saluting the prof. The prof and the students carry on with the class just as if no one had paid them a visit.

The most monotonous, mechanical human beings ever. People too bothered about life and meeting their ends to introspect at what's happening with them. Yes, the typical Indian Chaaiwaalas. Teaboys. Fancy, the name might sound, something like the Currimbhoys, someplace in Chennai, these people fear dreaming wishing more than they earn. The most integral part of the Indian community.

Tea, one of the widely consumed beverages in India and also around the world, is vital for rejuvenating a famished mind, with the nicotine in it. 

Chaaiwaalas. Teaboys. Fancy the thought of thinking if we ever did something to them. Respect them atleast for the human being
in them.

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Fight AIDS, Not People With AIDS

There was this slogan on a poster promoting AIDS awareness. It was a brilliant poster, with two hands, white and dark in complexion, joined in the form of the AIDS ribbon symbol. The picture expressed elegantly a strong message about the hostility the AIDS victims face from society. It put my internal cog wheels into motion about the secure bubble we teenagers or well off people stay in.

AIDS, one of the greatest killer diseases has undoubtedly one very contagious and piteous symptom feared the most- FEAR. The fear of being associated with someone tested positive for AIDS or even someone who is related to someone else tested positive. The tag one subconsciously puts on an AIDS victim being so destandardised dis-regarding outlook, is very natural of us Indians. Children victims are given the same narrow window of dislike as they are given to adults and sex workers. The society has branded AIDS with a very demeaning tone, something unruly and not worth living if affected by. The contempt people show, immaterial how helpless the victim might be is sad to comprehend.

The society that we make is enriched with awareness programs, processions, demonstrations, informative ads, etc but the common Indian Middle Man outlook has a long way to go. The safe over protective bubble Indian parents exercise on their kids, adds as a hindrance to open sex education at school level. This safe bubble that we keep confined our children in becomes an integral reason of their notions and stigmas when they grow up to be adults. They turn out to express the same hostile and unfriendly relation to the AIDS notion as a whole.

India having Chennai opening the doors to AIDS, now stands at a staggering 2.3 million, of which, an estimated 39% are female and 3.5% are children. Hopefully, data and the success rates preventing the disease target a decline in growth rate in future. Apart from spreading awareness on how to prevent AIDS, we need to acknowledge the social stigma implicated on the ones who already suffer from it.

Stigma is made worse by lack of knowledge about AIDS. The percentage of people who have heard about HIV and AIDS in urban areas is 94% of men and 83% of women as compared to 77% of men and 50% of women living in rural areas.

Albeit we have awareness programs and others promoting information, common superstitions strongly discriminate the victims living in rural and low literacy level areas. The situation in rural areas desperately needs change. These beliefs with no scientific support and certain deep rooted baseless beliefs, blow up already existing hostility. For example, in 2009, NACO carried a certain survey in Nagaland, which showed that 72.8% of people thought that HIV could be transmitted by sharing food with someone. Majority of men and women in rural areas believe that AIDS can be transmitted by mosquito bites. People living with HIV have faced violent attacks, been rejected by families, spouses and communities, been refused medical treatment, and even, in some reported cases, denied the last rites before they die. These problems arise not only in rural areas; it is a very disturbing situation at urban locations too.

Thus being the situation, apparently the life of an AIDS victim is stripped off. Worse, people in marginalized groups - female sex workers, hijras (transgender) and gay men - are often stigmatized not only because of their HIV status, but also because they belong to socially excluded groups.

AIDS victims are not necessarily innocent, save one’s who dint have any hand in it like oppressed women or children. Indulging in unsafe sex, drugs etc could be blamed for, but that should not prevent one from lending a helping hand or here, lending them a broad mind accepting them as a part of the community.

With all the grey and white matter, we might throw a lasso to tame the disease and may eradicate it one day, but the aura that the beast leaves behind, is truly torturous. Its not only the diseases that we must prevent, as a society, as a group, it is the mis-conceptions commonly associated with them which must be completely eradicated in order to grant the deserving rights a common man needs. The right to live with form and dignity.

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