If you can't find islamophobia in a central university campus, that doesn't mean it is not existing, it just means that you are privileged enough to not even spot it. You sometimes might not even be able to make out the islamophobia residing within your own self.
It was after a number of reconsiderations that I could gather the courage to write this short note. It is not difficult then to imagine why the deceased IIT student, Fatima Latif, chose suicide as an option. For a long time, the fear of creating fissures in our so-called "secular" campus friend circles prevented me from freely and fully expressing myself. But when you see a message from a friend, that person who alway used to smile at you, stating "do not trust any Muslim," one realizes that it is foolish to refuse to pen down thoughts for the sake of such hypocritical friendships. When the message was made public, my friend was quick in justifying the act claiming that the phrase was used in a sarcastic tone. (So dear friend, consider this as also as sarcasm. I also like sarcasm as much as you do).
I never considered having to repeat the comments (questions) twice for the teacher to hear in my first year in Ramjas college as a big problem. I didn't give it much thought.But I began to reflect and dwell on it after a particular incident. Once, after asking our teacher to make exceptions for the children attending the Jumu'ah Prayer on Fridays, instead of getting supportive understanding, I had the experience of being reprimanded in front of the entire class for being late to the lecture. This was the same progressive teacher who had taught us that no one needs to rise in respect when the teacher enters the classroom, and that students need not ask permission to enter the class if they are late. Understandably then, I was confused at his unwarranted rude behaviour towards me. I had in fact begun attending the class only two days prior to this incident, and I was on time at every occasion before this incident. I initially thought this entire episode might have been some sort of misunderstanding , but later on I realized that this peculiar behaviour wouldn't seem so peculiar once I take into account that I was the only student wearing a hijab in class. This, my friends, is something that is highly unlikely to be overlooked.
The phrase "jai Sriram" becoming a natural phenomenon in class whatsapp groups, and those who discuss Kashmir issue becoming 'anti-national Pakistanis', are some of the sweet memories gifted by the Central Campus to me.
A friend of mine, had to move to another room after noticing that her roommate refused to drink the tea prepared by her because she was a low-caste girl. Being from Kerala, I know many proud Malayalees who believe that islamophobia doesn’t exist among Keralites. I have another friend's story for them:
We have a friend who visits our room where only six Muslim students are staying. Her senior Malayali in her campus has advised her to not enter our room as we are Muslims. He told her that they would indoctrinate you, provoking you into religious conversion . But this beautiful woman who just said 'salam' to that guy in reply to his "concerned warnings" is still a regular visitor among us.
As a non-regular student in the class, I thought it would be unfair to generalize the entire campus by considering such small experiences, and this often prevented the topic from being discussed among friends. But the thought that this silence could be the predecessor of horrific experiences is what prompted me to rethink. The same can be said for friends who have learned to embrace such experiences as natural.
Dear friends.
OFTEN WE NEED TO UNLEARN THINGS IN ORDER TO LEARN BETTER THINGS.
~ Raniya Sulakha (Ramjas College, University of Delhi)
‘Sudarsan Padmanabhan is the cause of my death,’ says suicide note of girl found dead at IIT hostel'
Comentarios