Have you seen the complete video ? Awesome !
From the moment Muskan rides in on her scooter and gets off in her Burqa Avenger attire, the hooligans of RSS are already chanting the slogans Jae Shri Raam, Jae Sena and Burqa Ukhero in the background. Muskan calmly ignores them and starts walking the small but challenging distance to her college. As the chants get louder and ruder, Muskan glares at them with full force instead of cowering. And then in a strange moment of courage, she steps ahead and shouts four reverberating Takbeers …
‘ Allaho Akbar … Allaho Akbar … Allaho Akbar … Allaho Akbar … ’
Making a smart turn, she starts walking towards her college entrance once again, with the hooligans racing at her back now and cameras racing ahead to capture her proud, Muslim poise.
As if in a trance, she once again shouts …
‘ Allaho Akbar … Allaho Akbar … ’
And then she finally breaks down to tell the media persons that she is being harassed for wearing the Muslim veil, called the Burqa. College authorities are seen sweating to take Muskan to safety as the RSS hooligans prance around waving crimson cravats. Finally and gladly, Muskan is escorted to her college entrance.
Dejected and defeated, the RSS hooligans pick up the chant again, and start chanting like a bunch of madmen for the purpose of what ? The Takbeer had reverberated and the Burqa had persevered !
And the world went crazy in awe of her outrageous bravery …
From the East to the West, from the North to the South, from the Muslim world to the non-Muslim world, form the religious world to the secular world, everyone is all praise for her. Scholars, politicians and even movie stars have stepped out to show support for her. She has become an icon of Hijab, an icon of Defiance and an icon of Bravery.
And why not ? What she did was incredibly daring … anything could have happened. It was a ratio of a single female to a male crowd. She could have been beaten, trampled, raped and thrown out like Jyoti Singh. And guess what ? She did say in her interviews later that she felt scared by the approaching mafia. And that is why she cried out the Takbeer ! Because whenever she used to feel scared, she would inspire strength by proclaiming Allah’s Greatness …
As I watched Muskan’s pictures and videos flashing and playing across screens and social media, another girl flashed across my mind. A girl who had been young just like Muskan, a girl who had lived in a non-Muslim country just like Muskan, a girl who had proudly worn the Muslim veil just like Muskan, a girl who had been revolutionary just like Muskan and a girl who had glorified Allah Almighty just like Muskan, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui !
And I am surprised.
Rather I am disgusted.
A twenty-year-old, Indian Muslim girl alone can have so much courage in the face of the Hindutva aggression, so what’s wrong with our Muslim men ? What’s wrong with our Muslim scholars ? What’s wrong with our Muslim politicians ? What’s wrong with our Muslim leaders ?
Why don’t they speak up for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui ? Why have they not spoken for Dr. Aafia Siddique yet in the last 19 years ?
Are we afraid ? Are we more afraid than Muskan ? Are we more vulnerable than Muskan ?
And as Muskan said, it was not as if she was not afraid … she did feel afraid … but she gathered her courage and did what had to be done !
What about us ?
How long will we keep clapping on the achievements of others ?
How long will we feel brave upon the bravery of others ?
How long will we wait for a messiah to arrive while the messiah lies within ?
