No, They Weren't Muslim..!!!!

RJ Nasar from Red FM wrote an open letter to the world. What he writes is something everybody knows, but fails to remember time and again. Not every Muslim is from the Taliban; no sane individual can even think of doing what happened in Peshawar yesterday. Must read. Must think....

Hi, I am a Muslim, and I am scared again.. Ohh wait, this time I am terrified! I am gonna be judged, again. I'll be reading people commenting on social media abusing my religion and my community, again. I'll be sad, very sad... Again!

When I meet a non-muslim, and when I tell them my name, I majorly get one of the 3 reactions..
1. Ohh you're a Muslim? So? You know who I am?
2. Ohh shit!
3. So what? We are brothers! You and I, we're all the same.

They don't always say it, but they still say it...There is anger or fear or sympathy. These reactions have made me like I am different. Like I am not normal! Whom do I blame? These people I am talking about? No... I blame the people with muslim names, who dress up like muslims, they represent muslims, they say they are fighting for Muslims and are actually the biggest enemies of Muslims!

Result?
- we don't get a house on rent because we're judged.
- we don't get jobs because we're judged.
- we don't get visa because we're judged.
- and we don't get the trust of our own countrymen because we are judged! Hearing about what happened in ‪#‎peshawar‬ today sent shivers down my spine.

Do I again have to prove to the world, to my friends, people I work with, that I am NOT like them, because I am NOT ONE OF THEM! And I HATE THEM, and I hate them more!! They are not only killing the innocent, spreading terrorism, making this world hell for all of us, they are representing MY RELIGION! It's MY RELIGION!!! Who is giving them this right? My prayers are with the families of the innocent children who died, may my Allah give strength to them, and may my Allah make the killers burn alive.I request the world... Please don't judge us, it wasn't the MUSLIMS..‪...

It's 16th December Again..

It's 16 December again.

Two years ago, we were on the streets. Shouting, lighting candles, protesting, demanding, getting arrested.

Two years ago, The protests were massive. We had gathered on the streets to register our protest against the lax laws that did not deter rapes enough.

Today we have stronger rape laws, but the rapes have not stopped. Irony is, the recent ‪‎Uber‬ rape case survivor had been a part of those protests too. She had protested for a change in the people's mindset, but alas, little has changed. If something changed, it's the news headlines. Then it was Nirbhaya, now its her.

Today we have a strange situation wherein the rapists can walk around freely but the women are expected to stay indoors for their safety. We have politicians playing down heinous crimes like rape with obnoxious remarks like "Boys will be boys, mistakes can happen". We have politicians accused of rape getting tickets from major political parties.

This is not what we had promised to ‪‎Nirbhaya‬ two years ago.

We had promised to give a safe and secure life to women. We reneged on that promise by doling out hashtags instead. We limited our role to posting and tweeting about these issues, but never rolled up our sleeves high enough and brought about real change.

Even little children are not safe inside school premises, and this just goes on to show how fast we need to put a comprehensive action plan in place. But what can that comprehensive action plan be? What is the solution to this dreadful problem?

•FIRST, we need to make sure that the stronger laws actually act as a real deterrent to crime. Strong laws are useless without a swift investigation and a speedy justice system. Even today a huge number of crimes against women go unreported. When a woman does manage to muster the courage to request for police action, she is often made to feel embarrassed. Despite there being safeguards in place for rape survivors, our police administrators and politicians often ignore them. This calls for a major overhaul of the manner in which law and order is managed by our states.

•SECOND, we need to inculcate strong values in our children, and encourage them to fight evil at every level, because that's what education is meant for. A child correctly guided today will not only grow up to become a responsible individual, but also inspire others to fulfil their responsibility. That's the kind of citizens our country needs.

•THIRD, our politicians must realise that taking issues like rape and molestation lightly is no longer acceptable to the common man. The world is getting closer each day with the advent of technology, and a closer world has resulted in a more aware, a more vocal citizen. This citizen knows how to make all the right noises, because he desperately wants to be heard. The only way to make our politicians listen is through the ballot. DO NOT VOTE ON THE BASIS OF CASTE, RELIGION, LANGUAGE or any such fickle criteria. Vote on the basis of the candidate's actions and words. Never forget the names and the faces of the unscrupulous politicians who rant derogatory comments about women and sexual harassment.

Lighting candles just for the sake of it is not enough. What we need is an illumination of our hearts and minds.

This 16 December, let's work towards an India where we don't have to keep such dates in mind.

Jai Hind!

Courtesy : The Logical Indian..