One thing that even today, Hindus seem to underestimate is the power of propaganda. And two recent videos – one by a Muslim female and another by a young rising actress with a Hindu name, which is an advertisement, is the best testimony to this fact.
The first video is a tutorial by Radio Mirchi Jockey, Mohtarma Sayema. Not sure why and how Radio Mirchi is providing a platform to the RJ for furthering her religious agenda. She educates netizens on the meaning of the two most common words used by followers of Islam – Kafir and Jihad.
To most of us and I guess even to a common Muslim, Kafir means, someone who does not follow Islam. This also means followers of all other religions, namely Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism or Jewish faith. In some instances, it can also mean Shias, Ahmediyas and Hazaras too.
And against such non-believers, true followers of Islam must wage a holy war, which is called Jihad. Now, this holy war can be fought by all means. Either they can be persuaded to convert to Islam, failing which they can be threatened or even subjected to violence by the faithful (Followers of Islam). Faithfuls can also take the lives of Kafirs in case they refuse to give up their faith or belongings or Women.
But somehow scholarly Sayema Bi tells us, that the popular meanings of these words are not correct. And for this Google needs to be blamed. Because Google will only pick up what is popular. So it’s the internet that is responsible for spreading the wrong and popular meaning of these words.
On which my first question to Mohartma Sayema is, that did she check why and how these meanings got popular? Who made them popular? Was it followers of other religions or Muslims themselves?
Anyway, I am sure neither Sayema Bi nor any of the so-called Islamic Scholars will be able to answer this question.
Coming back to the video, the RJ goes on to explain the dictionary meaning of the word Kafir. Per her, the word Kafir, is derived from the word Kufr. Which means to hide or to conceal. She explains, that the one who tries to hide is a Kaafir. Here (presumably as per the dictionary), one who refuses to accept that, It’s the God who created us, is a Kaafir. And hence non-Muslims are Kaafirs is not correct.
Going ahead she tries her hand at the word Jihaad. The dictionary meaning of Jihad is ‘To Struggle’! Or to try hard to accomplish something. To Sayema bi, Jihaad is not the Holy war. She again blames the common public for giving a bad name to the word.
Frankly, I am impressed by Sayema Bi’s delivery and erudition. But again, being a Kaafir myself, I have questions for her. Let us for argument sake, concede, that what Sayema Bi is trying to explain is the correct meaning of these words. But then how come they are not known to the common public? Muslims or otherwise. Or why so-called Muslim Scholars do not subscribe to these benign meanings of these words?
Let us also concede that, those who killed Girija Tickoo and hounded Pandits out of the valley, or Muslim Terrorists who rammed passenger aircraft into the Empire states building, or those who blew bombs in Mumbai Trains or those who killed Charlie Hebdo cartoonists, or those who performed the murderous act in Berlin could not understand the right meaning of the word.
But then why there was no condemnation from the scholars? Why not even a squeak of protest from those who understand the correct meaning? And do you know what’s real sorcery? Mohatarma Sayema does not utter a word against the mindless killing of hapless common citizens. I beseech Sayema bi, to spare us the sermon and have a program every Jumma on Radio Taliban. Because you see, it is those folks who need this education. They need to be told that even a Hindu and a Sikh is not a Kaafir. And if you wage a religious war against them it’s not Jihad.
Not to forget and forgive Bennett Coleman and Co which owns the Times of India group, which owns the Radio Mirchi. Must say, this is another instance of ToI’s shocking double standards. Don’t trust me on this? Here is evidence from an SM platform.
The second video which I mentioned earlier, is an advertisement by an upmarket clothing brand, with a seemingly Hindu name. And is a perfect example of rabid duplicity adopted by advertisements & Media houses. Here a Bollywood actress, with a seemingly Hindu name is shown deriding the Hindu Marriage ritual – Kanyadaan. In the commercial, she denigrates every word and concept related to the Hindu marriage system. Such as ‘Apne Ghar’, ‘Paraya Dhan’, and of course ‘Kanyadan’.
What I found astonishing is the collective low level of intelligence and the highest level of cunning displayed by the advertisement team of the clothing brand just to besmirch these concepts. The brutality with which they have shredded (literally and metaphorically) these terms, could have even put Temple destroying Arungzeb at shame.
The basic thing that most Hindus understand, is that these are metaphors and need not be taken literally. For example, the English phrase ‘Blue Moon’. I mean if anybody cuts the phrase into two and takes it literally, the person will be only ridiculed. And that’s what the commercial does when it cuts Paraya and Dhan into two and tries to mislead.
Ditto for Kanyadaan. By taking the word literally, the commercial not only derogate the beautiful ritual but also betrays the amount of hatred Liberal Hindus have for their own religion.
Immediately after the advertisement was released there was a torrent of angry reactions from Hindus. But then, what more they can do than trend ‘boycott this, boycott that’ on Twitter and other than vent their anger and frustration on the internet. As they say in Hindi, “Is desh me tumko poochta hi kaun hai!”
Why I am taking up two different videos in the same article is, that I want you to compare these two. I want you to see how deftly and with stealth RJ Sayema glorifies those very concepts (Kaafir and Jihad) that form the very foundation of expansionism in Islam. And have resulted in hundreds if not thousands of holocausts and innumerable deaths, rapes of women and unimaginable destruction of wealth.
Against that, how a company owned by a Hindu family, is scoffing at tender & pious traditions and cooly running down own religion.
To rephrase the question which I asked earlier, why do Hindus allow this to happen? Why are they not doing anything about it? That’s because most Hindus refuse to learn the modern ways. They refuse to believe that to protect religion way forward is self-aggrandisement and propaganda. Otherwise, they would not have allowed the corporate houses to deride the Sanatan.
In the end, one more proof of how those who are supposed to protect our unique way of life are short selling us.
And heartfelt Dhanyawad to Professor Vaidyanathan for bringing this to our notice. And another request to RJ Sayema to start Urdu ki Paathshala on Radio Taliban!
