Being Muslim Woman

It’s funny when the extreme hypocrisy of some media folks comes out in the open. They struggle to face it when exposed. In the post “Praying Mantis” I wrote about how and why Muslims have no business lecturing Hindus about women, their rituals or entry to temples and so on. It is a simple fact that currently Islamic Laws or Sharia dispense the highest discrimination against women and extreme misogyny. In this day and age there are countries that still stone women or punish them with lashes. A rape victim in Saudi Arabia can be punished if she cannot prove it with some witnesses it seems. It’s worse in India when Muslim discrimination against women is discussed these hypocrites rant about some Hindu practices without looking into their mirrors. Something bad was meant to happen to one such hypocrite. This was simply written in the stars. And Barkha Dutt, one of the biggest hypocrites in media, got a resounding slap from Ayaan Hirsi Ali in a recent panel chat in New York on Islamic laws. Watch the video (4.06 minutes):

Ayaan slams the misogyny, bigotry in Islamic Laws which many Muslims across many countries want. I know it comes from her own experience in her past. She and Theo Van Gogh (a descendant of the great painter Vincent Van Gogh) made a documentary called “Submission” about the atrocities on Muslim women. Consequent to this, Theo Van Gogh was brutally stabbed to death, with the knife left on his chest, on the streets of Amsterdam by a Muslim. Following Ayaan's comments on the brutal Islamic Laws, Barkha typically tries her diversionary tactics that she is used to peddling on NDTV with exaggerated nonsense about misogyny in Hinduism and other religions. Unfortunately, Ayaan with all her experience on Islamic misogyny, slaps her brutally stating that 30 minutes were for the topic of Islamic Law and she should stick to it. 

Barkha even refers to India as a “Third world country” – a term that is now redundant. In a sly defence she claimed it was sarcasm though nobody laughed or found it to be sarcastic. She just spoke her mind on what she thinks about India. The audience naturally applauds Ayaan’s candour. This is what idiotic BJP spokies on NDTV need to tell Barkha; to shut up when she tries to spin and divert from the topic at hand.

Now, the problem in India starts with some tweets about the show in NY and subsequent reports. Here’s what Kanchan Gupta tweeted about what the New York Times said:

For long, because of her many prejudices against Hindus, cover-up of crimes against Hindus and blowing up and magnifying crimes against Muslims, Barkha was suspected to be a Muslim. I do not recall her disclosing her religion anywhere and not that it matters. She added to the suspicions because of her extraordinary love for Pakistan and her slanted tilt towards Pakistan on many issues. She's also a self-appointed Track-2 diplomacy peddler with Pakistan with some others. Add to this her past where she more or less condoned Kashmiri Pandits being driven out of the valley or her excessive sympathy for separatists and stone-pelters. She nonchalantly called the KPs "privileged elites" as if that merited their killings and being driven out of the valley. Islamic and Commie logic! The fun just began. Someone conducted a poll on whether people on Twitter thought if Barkha was indeed a Muslim. He tweeted the results and this was the response by Barkha:

She calls it a slur, a shame that people voted her being a Muslim or the manner in which the term was mentioned. Nonsense! I don’t see any slur or shame in that. She does! Why? If the same poll were to be run on someone like Afrida Ali of Timesnow people would call it a dumb poll. Why would such a poll be required for Barkha? It’s because it’s a fashion in India to wear Hindu names even when the person has converted to Islam or Christianity. There was a Reverend Khanna in Punjab and many others too. There are rumours Digvijaya Singh is a Christian as also Ambika Sonia. YS Rajashekhar Reddy, the late CM of Andhra, was a Christian who spent enormous money and energy on Jesus-sales. The problem is neither in the poll nor in the tweet that conveyed the results. Here below is the real problem:

I remember during the 2008 US presidential elections Barack Obama was constantly called a closet Muslim because of his middle name (Hussain). Former Secretary of State General Collin Powell was asked the question if Barack Obama was indeed Muslim. He offered what was the best reply to the question going on around the country. He stated “That is not the right question. The right question should be – what if he were indeed a Muslim? Why should he not able to run for president?”

There is absolutely nothing wrong in being a Muslim but somehow appearing to hide it to appear a fake-neutral is. In the context of Barkha and many Muslims like her in media and public domain, their excessive lecturing and commenting on Hindus, Hindu women or Hindu practices is hypocrisy when it relates to religion. It would be preferable that these hypocrites stick to commenting on rights and privileges that apply to women of all religions. They are not qualified to comment on Hindu women or practices in anyway whatsoever unless they acknowledge the severe drawbacks in their Muslim society. There is hardly any doubt, whether in India or any other country for being a Muslim woman is not exactly an equal place. 

Obama: "Yes We Canned"

The media, more than anyone else, is all excited about the US President's visit to India. None of them forgets to keep reminding you that this is the longest visit to a country by Barack Obama. Indeed, something to gloat about I suppose. Anyone with a decent understanding of this president's performance so far will have been quick to point out that this man is no friend of India. Some in the US even wonder if he's a friend of Americans themselves. The drubbing his party received in the recent mid-term US elections makes him a lame-duck president in many ways in his very second year itself.

I first heard an Obama speech in 2004, made at the Democractic convention. His oratory charmed everyone. That same oratory with catchy lines like "yes we can" endeared him to voters. Not just Americans, people across the world were charmed, and were delighted with the story of a black man being able to become the president of the US. It was a fairy tale everybody loved. Till he actually became president and his true colours started showing up. Much of his electoral oratory seemed to be just that - oratory and nothing else. He has turned out to be a man without any substance, harbouring deep resentment of Americans themselves, and actions that have led him to be taken for a muslim by some. Sample some of these:

1. He starts off appointments to his cabinet with many who were tax defaulters. Prominent among his appointments is Tim Geitner - incharge of treasury. He was the head of the NY Federal reserve while the collapse of 2008 was building up.
2. Starts off a policy of muslim appeasement (some Indian politicians will cheer that of course). Gives his first interview to Al Jazeera an Arabic channel. Gives a speech at Cairo University apologising for America. Sets an agenda for NASA to reach out to muslims! NASA? Is that their mission?
3. Bows to the king of Saudi Arabia, a first for any American president. Forgets that America was created in despise for such undemocratic kings and queens.
4. Holds Iftars for muslim community, claims "its the tradition of the white house" . A blatant lie that has been exposed all over. Frequent outbursts against Israel lends to suspicions of his being a muslim.
5. Claims muslims contributed a lot to the founding and growth of the US. Another lie nailed by thoughtful American historians and journalists. Muslims had nothing to do with America's founding or growth. Supports ground zero mosque and at the same time attempts to stop the Florida pastor from buring the Koran so as to not offend muslims.
6. Ignores the Tea Party movement as nothing more than a Right-wing backed movement.
7. Has alllowed himself to be misled by left-liberal writers, TV channels and comedy channels (like John Stewart's) as reflecting the pulse of American people's sentiments.
8. Continues his idea of big government, and ignores serious issues of economy and concerns of his own public.
9. Continues to fund the terrorist state of Pakistan despite severe resentment by Americans (and India too) Talks of pull-out deadlines from Afghanistan without a clear direction or victory. Supports talks with the Taliban.
10. Renames "war on terror" as "overseas contingency operations". Not clear if anyone understands this kind of nonsensical tactic.

Well, the Indian government and media even expected Obama to support them for a permanent Indian seat on the UNSC. For what? Of what significance is that seat anyway? This is the manner in which the Indian media fools the public, bearing similarities to the manner in which Obama fools the American public. The UNSC is a tooth-less body just as much as the UN itself. It is astonishing that a severely corrupt body like the UN sermonises the world on Human Rights, Climate Change and such other matters. In modern times the UN has become more of an extension of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) and proposes international laws on blasphemy. Is that the UN's job? It is time India pulled out of the UN itself instead of longing for a stupid seat on a stupid UNSC.

In short, let us welcome Obama as a state guest with honour in true Indian tradition and send him off with nothing more than our affection and best wishes. It would be foolish to expect any significant treaties with the man. Great orators do not necessarily make great leaders.

All the teleprompters probably just rehash many of his routine lines. He could now say:  "Yes We CANNED"