`Return of the Muslim Other', an article by Soumaya Ghannoushi, director of research at IslamExpo, published in The Guardian online edition on October 24 draws heavily on writers like Edward Said whose critique of the discourse of `orientalism' made him an intellectual cult figure among the Leftish sections as wells as Islamists. Deep prejudices that marked the West's discourse of the Orient cannot be treated as rubbish. True to the tradition of post-colonial intellectuals, the author also hinges the central argument of the article on the West's obsession with the `Muslim Other' and its sense of superiority over other cultures. I agree with the author's observation that the idea of Europe being Islamised is the far-right's `figment of imagination'. However, if Europe has deep prejudices against Islam, Islam is also not free from its own set of prejudices against the West. The author accuses Europe of `unwillingness to extned the norm of tolerance to newcomers from the Muslim world'. A person from the West can make the same accusation against Islamic countries more forcefully and convincingly.
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Europe has its own fetishes. Let us look at France, which can truly be dubbed the cradle of Democracy and Idealistic liberalism. France was the frontrunner when it came to individual freedom and artistic ebullience. But like true cowardly dreamers, they came down heavily upon Islam, first by banning headscarves in schools throwing up a storm in the process.Now, one could always argue that a uniforn is a uniform and there is nothing more to it than learning to live by the rules.Nothing wrong with it either. It is when the idea of Pan Islamism found its way into our midst, the whole process of unity in diversity went topsy turvy. Pan Islamism is an idea which has no rationale. Take the case of the Kashmiris. Both Hindu and Muslim girls dress alike-in dark silky kurtas and pyjamas embroidered in the famous Kashmiri style. Recently boys of both religion agreed that the girls looked too bewitching and then Muslim fantics struck-all Muslim girls were forced to wear hijab, which is alien to Kashmiriyat. Their dress already cover their body and hair so why should they wear a dress of the deserts?
Coming back to Germany, where my sister has been residing for nearly two decades, there is simmering discontent already ignited by the rejoining of the East and the West Germany. It seems even begging appeared on the classy roads of the former West Germany. They have grudging admiration of Indians thanks to our computing brains, but the moment a head scarf is sported, their foreheads become burroughed.
In the UK the large number of Sub continental expatriates create a certain sense of pluralism, which again were dashed to the ground after the London bomb blasts by highly educated and well placed Muslim youths. I could not for the life of me understand what those youths desired, however hard I ruminated over the incident. Is religion a label that should be emblazoned on their chests or is it something private, that we turn to for personal solace or whatever? As a person brought up rather irreligously, all these talk of identity gives me a sense of disbelief.
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