Sunday, September 15, 2019

A primer of Muslim names, Islamic terms and Urdu words for journalists, writers


It is the basic rule of journalism to ask a person--his name, how he or she spell it, how it's pronounced.

If someone's name is Hamid, you call him 'Hamid' as in 'Haamid', NOT Hameed.

Both are different names. Journalists, writers are supposed to know it. That's too basic, too simple.

And, for those born and brought up in India, who have lived here, and could pronounce Jean and Jose, perfectly, but don't know Rashid and Rasheed are different names, write 'Hazi' or 'Burkha', don't even know dictionaries in Roman exist, a primer needed.

*It is Burqa, not Burkha. If you aren't comfortable how to speak certain letters (Kaaf and Qaaf) you can at least write, correctly. No! There are hundreds of such words in newspapers. On TV channels, anchors act is if they are from another planet, especially, when they take Muslim names.

This will start from tomorrow: It will be quite long, will be constantly updated.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Photo that shows Hindu-Muslim bonding, brotherhood has taken social media by storm: Communal Harmony Project-48

This photograph has just gone viral on the internet. 

So many people are sharing it on social media, admiring it.

Of course, no caption is needed for the photo. It shows two processions passing by a route and the participants meeting, greeting the other(s)

There are positive vibes that come out. It all looks so good, almost surreal. 

That's different from another parallel world where even an advertisement that gives a message of brotherhood, can lead to people calling for boycott of brands.

Frankly, there are still lot of mixed localities in most cities in India. There are committees that organise events, take processions and have members of different communities in them. 

And, there are organisations, peace committees, where too they interact, support each others in events. Culturally too Muslims visit many Hindu functions and Hindus visit many Muslim events.

Just that we must share these stories and pictures as much as possible. It is learnt that this photo is from Silwassa. The Muharram procession and the Ganesha procession were passing through the same road. 

[Harmony exists all around us but is often ignored. Instead, stories of hate, discord and communalism get spread easily.

There are a million examples in our daily lives across India but they don't get promoted, hence, news of hate and discord gets heard more. Let's change it, now.

This is a small attempt to change it through Communal Harmony Project]

For reading similar reports on this blog, Click the link HERE and also find out more about Communal Harmony Project]

#Communalharmony #Communalharmonyproject #India

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Power of Propaganda: How lies about Hindu-Muslim population in India, Pakistan post-partition are considered 'true'

The power of propaganda is such that people don't even think twice before peddling fake information and rather than facts, rely on WhatsApp forwards.

To say that Hindus-Sikhs formed 23% population in Pakistan and in the last seventy odd years they have reduced to 1.6% is just one of the several such false stories that are fed daily to people.

It is like someone saying that Punjab had 53.2% Muslims before partition and now there are not even 2% Muslims in Punjab. No, this was the population of undivided Punjab, not Indian Punjab and after partition Muslims left from this state, just like Hindus and Sikhs came to India from Sindh and Punajb in Pakistan.

This figure of 23% includes West and East Pakistan, Bangladesh got separated in 1971. The truth is that Hindus were 1.3% in Pakistan (this part, that was earlier called Western Pakistan) in 1951. The population has seen an increase to 1.85%.

The Hindu population in present day's Pakistan [West Pakistan] was 1.3% in 1951, 1.4% in 1961 and 1.6% in 1998. Now it is around 1.85%. You can check NewsLaundry report too for the statistics in this regard.

This is close to percentage of Sikhs in India. In India, percentage of Sikh and Christian population has been going down. But this is due to different factors. In Jammu, Muslims formed a majority before partition but now they are a minority because of the killings that are less talked about.

Propaganda, falsehoods are spread with a motive, they help parties in their agenda. It is aimed at justifying hate against Muslims in India and pushing Islamaphobia further, so that victimhood could be instilled in Hindus & this hate can fetch votes.

Statistics are available but little attention is paid. Who cares when you have info reaching your inbox, the Whatsapp messages or the forwards. But facts are sacred. And every country must take care of its minorities.

Friday, September 06, 2019

Islamophobia in Hindi newspapers: Front page report reveals bigotry under the garb of journalism

How prejudices get reflected into newspapers, a lot is subtle or clever.

On Teacher's day, Hindi paper Dainik Bhaskar interviewed Yuval Noah Harari as Page 1 lead.

Reporter questions him about threat of technology getting into hands of 'Islamic nationalists and terrorists'?

If paper feels that 'nationalism' (or ultra-nationalism) is bad, then it has to be all nationalism, why just 'Islamic nationalism'. And if it is Terror, then do you link it just with one ideology or faith? Trying to push own agenda!

You are well aware of White nationalism, if extremism is concerned, you have the neo-Nazis and racists who are behind most shootings in USA. Even if one person pushes own agenda, Islamophobia, then where is the desk? On front page, a mass circulating Hindi paper, lets anything go

What context? Not the first incident. But must be a test case & for future as well. Serious lapse. Perhaps, when papers don't have diversity in newsrooms, it happens. Lapse. But, there are sub-editor, news editor for this!!!

If you claim to be India's top Hindi paper, at least, have basic understanding. Name all, Jew-Hindu-Islamic-Christian-Sikh-Buddhist-Jain, if you have to name. Or if you want to link it with just one faith and show bigotry, then let us be clear. Wonder if you will explain!