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Why some think the ‘Talk to a Muslim’ trend on Twitter is problematic
At a time when religious differences are plaguing the world, social media comes up as a tool to remind us of the fact that India has always embodied ‘Unity in Diversity’.
Updated : Jul 18, 2018, 03:57 PM IST
 "Talk to a Muslim")
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People on Twitter joined hands under a trending hashtag ‘Talk to a Muslim’ on Tuesday, to show their unity against the alleged 'Islamophobia' that block many minds to work for a better future to reside in. Twitterati like Swara Bhasker, Gauhar Khan, Rana Safvi took to their respective handles to speak their mind about the same.
‘#India is standing up for love and peace.. #TalkToAMuslim,’ read one of her tweets. ‘#TalkToAMuslim it’s not a crime !’ she further posted.
Retweeting author Rana Safvi’s thoughts, Swara wrote, ‘Word. From one of contemporary India’s finest culture scribes :) #TalkToAMuslim’
Safvi, on her Twitter handle, posted, ‘I'm an Indian Muslim’I have fun’I enjoy life’I can talk to you on Shakespeare, Ghalib, Meerabai, the Mughals and the First war of Indian independence’Of Muslim contribution to freedom struggle’Come talk to me #TalkToAMuslim #TalktoaMuslim’
Actress Gauhar Khan extended her support to the trending hashtag and wrote, ‘#TalkToAMuslim seriously didn’t think a day would come where talking to a muslim leader or a commoner would question ur patriotism or ur belief in ur own faith!!by land I am a Hindu ,by faith I am a Muslim and by heart n soul INDIAN is my identity !!! #killThehate #spreadlove’ ‘#TalkToAMuslim we are all humans first #StopDividing #StartUniting,’ wrote a user.
‘I'm An Indian Muslim. I'm Human too. You can talk to me.#TalkToAMuslim,’ wrote another user, Zainab Sikander, reposting a tweet by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, clearing his stand on the 'Congress is Muslim party' controversy.
The hashtag ‘Talk to a Muslim’ came to life when communities across the United Kingdom, earlier, started responding to some violent threats, contained in a letter, which promised that April 3 would be marked as a ‘Punish a Muslim Day’.
However, there were many Twitters users who felt that the hash tag was wrong. They felt it was ‘othering’ Muslims and segregating them. One Twitter user wrote: “This trend of #TalkToAMuslim is so laughable, the very first step is to segregate and then talk. You defeat the whole purpose by the 1st step.”
Another said: “#TalkToAMuslim is the craziest hashtag I have come across n shows how inane the placard activists of social media can get. Objectifies the Muslim community in my view and does them no good. If nationalism need not b worn on sleeve, so also love for fellow indians this way!”
Check out their tweets below:
stop this #TalkToAMuslim hashtag
— Priyanka Lahiri (@lahirip) July 17, 2018
1. You aren't doing any favour by talking to anyone
2. This is absolutely condescending.
3. Stop this us and them rhetoric because there is only 'us' here
4. Wtf is wrong with you'all
If you think you need to #TalkToAMuslim, don't come near me.
— Omair Ahmad (@OmairTAhmad) July 17, 2018
If you can't see another human being without seeing their 'identity' (race, caste, gender, whatever), you are the problem.
#TalkToAMuslim? Please do talk to me and after two minutes, you will realise the redundance of it. Because I am just like you, who eats, drinks, reads, sleeps and has fun!
— Ifra Jan (@ifra_jan) July 17, 2018
Next what? #LetUsPutAMuslimInAZoo
I am not a bigot so don’t go looking for #TalkToAMuslim I talk to people without any discrimination or even thinking about who they are
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) July 17, 2018
This #TalkToAMuslim is the most juvenile and stupid hashtag that has come up. I won’t even call it an idea. Like ‘Intolerance’, ‘Award Wapsi’, ‘fear-mongering’ this too shall pass. Yet do realise the forces behind it won’t ever help the nation, leave alone Muslims.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) July 17, 2018
This trend of #TalkToAMuslim is so laughable, the very first step is to segregate and then talk.
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) July 17, 2018
You defeat the whole purpose by the 1st step.
#TalkToAMuslim is the craziest hashtag I have come across n shows how inane the placard activists of social media can get. Objectifies the Muslim community in my view and does them no good. If nationalism need not b worn on sleeve, so also love for fellow indians this way!
— Vikram Sampath (@vikramsampath) July 17, 2018
Completely flaggerbasted by the #TalkToAMuslim hashtag. It imbues TALKING to muslims with a stigma that never was, and is patronizing as heck. I'd imagine people with friends of different religions including Islam are quite taken aback by this and unsure what it attempts to fix.
— Narasinga (@syrinje) July 17, 2018
Today it’s #TalkToAMuslim. Tomorrow it would be #TalkToADalit. And then #TalkToAWoman. After which #TalkToNonYadavOBCs. If you need to be told to talk to other human beings to deal with your hate & paranoia, the problem rests only with you. That’s why I advocate #TalkToAShrink.
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) July 17, 2018
What’s this ridiculous hashtag #TalktoaMuslim ? I am a Muslim & I don’t want to talk to you. Go talk to yourself first & be human. I am not going to prove to you that I am human. Enough is enough.
— Irena Akbar (@irenaakbar) July 18, 2018
With inputs from ANI
