A Distinct Pattern In Islamophobia In Maharashtra
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
27 August 2024
The editor Mr Sultan Shahin has brilliantly exposed a number of Ahadith that question the character of Muhammad and how the Islamophobes get ammunition to cast opprobrium on Islam, Muslims and the Messenger.
The question is not whether Muhammad was a perfect and irreproachable man or a reprobate. The point is different.
What Ramgiri 'Maharaj' of Nasik said about Muhammad and his wife is indeed reprehensible. But it's a pattern in Islamophobia in Maharashtra. Yours truly is based in Poona and he has witnessed this. Maharashtra is teeming with such dubious and small-time Babas who are very popular among their lowly Hindu followers. You come across such frauds in every village, town and city of Maharashtra. Even a city like Poona has scores of such Babas who instigate their followers against Muslims with their incendiary comments. This generally happens when Ganeshotsav is around. This is a very important festival in Maharashtra and such incidents get traction during this period. This happened last year as well but went unreported. Some other insignificant baba called Muslims 'Laandga' (a derogatory and rustic Marathi term for the circumcised Muslim men) prior to Ganeshotsav. Since Muslims of Maharashtra and India have got inured to hearing this specific insinuation (in all local and provincial languages), they ignore it. But this extremely unsettling term for the Muslim men is repeatedly used by people like Ramgiri, Shamgiri and politicians.
These Babas in Maharashtra get political patronage which lionises them. You may have read in newspapers how the CM Eknath Shinde rushed to Ramgiri's ashram after the incident and called him 'Param Poojya'! He touched his feet and sought his blessings.
At the moment, Maharashtra is India's most polarised state and the Hindu babas are adding fuel to the communal fire. These Babas remind the idle youngsters of Shivaji's 'exploits' and how he thwarted the juggernaut of Mughals. Shivaji is projected as a saviour of Hindutva who saved Hindus from the marauding Muslim invaders.
The emboldened Babas exploit these volatile circumstances to their benefits, knowing that political leaders are with them.
So, such occurrences keep happening here and in other parts of the country. Average Muslims are also to be blamed. They're obsessed with the Koran, Muhammad and Allah. This obsession makes them scream ' Sar tan se juda' as if it's a mantra for their salvation!
Humans will continue to indulge in these imbecile 'pastimes' so long as they remain yoked to religion, god, Allah, scriptures and all that jazz. We're doomed beyond redemption.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/muslims-islamophobia/distinct-pattern-islamophobia-maharashtra/d/133049
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