Trigger warning: Islamophobia
Lately, an incident at Manipal University has been taking the Internet by storm. During an ongoing lecture, a professor called a student ‘Kasab’, a reference to the convict in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks because apparently “his name sounded similar”.
“How can you pass such derogatory statements?” the student asks in the video. After the student called him out, the professor tried to dismiss this derogatory remark as a joke, to which the student said: “26/11 is not funny… being Muslim and facing such things in this country is not funny. So how can you label me as a terrorist in front of everyone in the class?”
The professor apologized later, and Manipal Institute issued a statement on their social media handles saying they had suspended the concerned faculty. But is it enough?
The student further added: “Sorry alone will not help, sir. It doesn’t change how you think. It doesn’t change how you portray yourself here.” This has stayed with me and as a college student myself, it hurts to see that no other student stood up for him.
Nobody defended him. Have we all turned so ignorant? Why have we made it so difficult for the Muslims of our country to co-exist with the rest?
Campuses are supposed to be safe spaces for students irrespective of their religion, caste, gender etc. Normalizing such derogatory remarks by a teacher (or anyone else) in an educational institution is NOT okay!
An educational institution is considered as a place where students are supposed to learn basic morals and values, with teachers being our guides. So, why are we still attacking students based on “how their name sounds”?
The absurdity of this angers me. I talked to a couple of my Muslim friends who are students at different universities in India about how this incident made them feel.
This Is What Young Muslims Have To Say
A friend of mine said that, “The teacher was extremely wrong to call him that, and he knew what he was doing. How can it be a joke?” People often try to cover up their insensitive remarks by calling it a joke. He continued:
“I have seen a general feeling of hatred among people against the community. I have often seen people relating terrorism and Muslims, which bothers me. Some hate the community and read/hear what they want to read or hear. It’s just the fact that people don’t understand that loving one’s community doesn’t mean hating other communities. So, this incident is just a small part of the bigger picture that’s happening in the country.”
Another friend of mine studying in my college said that, “A professor calling a young Muslim student a terrorist is neither funny nor justified. No amount of justification can make a wrong right. The remark passed by that teacher was wrong and it just showed how people feel about Muslims in general.”
He continued “In a country where everyone talks about equality, secularity and brotherhood, I feel like being a Muslim, we don’t get such rights and our voices our often muted.”
He further added how instances of Islamophobia are growing on the daily: “I have been denied a flat in a Hindu locality just because they didn’t want any Muslim in their society, Going to job interviews and being looked down on because of my name is heartbreaking too. Society in general sees us as inferiors and this makes me question why Muslims aren’t considered normal human beings?”
Here Is What Twitterati Had To Say
A Twitter user, Priyadarshi Telang, said:
“Dalits & Muslim students been discriminated, are victims of biases of teachers & called a terrorist. Unfortunately, the brave students fight alone & other students are spectators. Our educational system failed to address discrimination & untouchability. #manipaluniversity”
Rajdeep Sardesai, one of India’s well-known journnalists, tweeted:
“Breaking: Manipal Univ has reportedly suspended the professor who called a Muslim student a ‘terrorist: this is what ‘normalisation’ of awful bigotry does for which public figures, civil society and media need to introspect.”
I totally agree with what this politician from the Samajwadi Party, Rais Shaikh, has said above because this is genuinely the India we don’t want… an India full of hatred. Islamophobia is on the rise in India and it’s downright scary!
The hate-mongering really needs to stop. We need to call out so-called jokes cracked in our own circles and WhatsApp groups. We also need to stand up for others when they are taking a stand for themselves, be in a classroom setting or elsewhere.