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India's Muslims: When identity becomes a problem
Judge Sachar is pushing hard for reservations (affirmative action) for muslims The very visible identities of Islam-burqa, beard, skullcap and hijab-are posing problems to large numbers of Muslims in India, a country with the world's second largest Islamic population. And Justice Rajinder Sachar, whose 404-page report on the status of Indian Muslims has been submitted to Parliament, says that the police, media as well as the society at large need to be blamed for the community's negative image. Among the report's shocking revelations is that the mere identity of Muslims has become a headache for them in public spaces, be it a railway station, park, hospital or school. "Being identified as a Muslim is considered to be problematic for many," says the report that has sparked many eyebrows because it has gone into great details about the pathetic socio-economic conditions of India's largest minority. "Markers of Muslim identity-the burqa, the purdah (veil), the beard and the topi-while adding to the distinctiveness of Indian Muslims have been a cause of concern for them in the public realm," it said. Posted by: john 2006-12-03 |
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