Islamophobia – Conversation with a non-Muslim friend!

Last year, I was posting on Facebook regarding women’s rights in Islam. Probably, it was on the eve of International Women’s Day – a day Islamophobia seems to engulf the sentiments of non-Muslims than the global celebration itself.

One of my non-Muslim friends from India would always argue with me regarding my posts. She would always try to prove her point against Islam. She used to comment on my status but we never messaged each other.

One day, I received a message from her. The chat goes like this:

She: You always used to say we treat our women as Princess, the Queen of the family.

Me: Yes. Any doubt?

She: Where is your Women’s Day greetings then?

Me: For me, everyday is a Women’s day actually. Why should I confine myself to respect women on this particular day only?

She: Come on! You’re just arguing.

Me: Anyways. Are you a Princess?

She: Yes. Any doubt.

Me: If you could quote few examples to justify that.

She: Yes, I live the way I wish, I’m free to do whatever I want unlike your women who are restricted. I work and drive like men…

Me: Oh! You’re a Princess and you work? You’re a Princess and don’t have a driver? You’re a Princess and everyone can see you, even touch you. LOL!!! Your claim is contradictory to your explanation.

She: How?

Me: If you can prove that anytime, anywhere a Princess has ever worked or driven by herself. I will be in your favor.

She: 🙂

Me: Our women are real Princess. We work for them but they are never supposed to work for us. We drive for them but they are never supposed to drive for us…

She: Hmm!

After that she neither messaged me nor commented on my Posts for a long time. After few months, I received her message. She again started attacking me in person as a Muslim. This time she choose a different way and different story.

She: Hi

Me: Hi

She: How are you ?

Me: Fine. You ?

She: Fine too but ahh! Look at these Muslims (Jihadis). Bloodbath everywhere. I’m out of peace. These Muslim beasts kill people everywhere. They kill kids, men, women.

Firstly, I decided not to reply her but ultimately replied her.

Me: Do you know even what humanity is? Are you a human?

She: Yes. Humanity is even having pain of the thousands who are butchered by Islamists in Syria, Iraq, Kashmir and Afghanistan. Thousands of women are raped there.

Me: Come on! You just hate Islam. You have Islamophobia (Muslimophobia)! You just want to speak against Islam that’s it. Let me introduce you to few facts:

1. There are almost one million Muslims killed in Iraq alone. The ratio of Muslim to non-Muslim killed in Iraq is almost 100:1. There are thousands of Muslim women who have been raped. Thousands of Muslim kids killed.

2. Do you know anything about Syria and Palestine. Its tall buildings were raised to ground, actually changed into dust. More than million innocent Muslims including children were killed. Rapes? The non- Muslims did more than ten thousand.

3. Afghanistan! Think, when some foreigner attacks your country, kills your children, rapes your women, destroys your houses, destroy your religious places! Tens of thousands of innocent Muslims have been killed in Afghanistan by non-Muslims.

4. You know, I’m from Kashmir and bear it all. Do not believe your biased media. They lie to you everything about Kashmir. I mean they are more dramatic and fictitious than Bollywood movies when it comes to reporting Kashmir. They do not show you even 5% of truth regarding Kashmir. You might have heard about Kunan-Poshpora mass rapes?

I was expecting her to argue more but was surprised to read her reply.

She: Thank you! Actually you know there is hue and cry all around the world about terrorists who unfortunately claim to be Muslims. I just wanted to know a bit that’s why I provoked you. Thank you again.

Yes, there is no doubt that I was having blind pre-occupied hate for Muslims. Actually when I had a chat with you last time, I felt humiliated. I decided to gain some knowledge and discuss that’s why I didn’t message you for so long.

After reading these comments, I was furious so decided not to chat with her anymore. But at the same time, that chat provoked a thought to learn about the sufferings and killings of Muslims all around.

I concluded that the only reason to trend the news by different organizations whether Print Media or Electronic Media about the killings of innocents, rapes by Islamists (according to them) and other inhuman activities is just to blanket the brutalities done to Muslims whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria or anywhere else. They just want us to forget all the tyranny they inflicted on us. And, look how innocently we just discuss the same trap.

If we keenly observe social media, there are more Muslims who propagate this concept that Muslims are killing innocent all over the world. We start giving Futwas against others without confirming or studying / examining a particular event or incident. We have been polarized!

If I have learned anything from it that’s we Muslims are suffering everywhere, terrorized in every part of the world, hijacked by few within us, polarized in the name of Islam, stopped respecting each other’s perspective.

During the Kashmir Uprising 2016, there was no mobile internet service available, so I was offline. She had sent me nearly hundred messages on Facebook asking about the situation.

When internet services were restored in the valley, I replied her.

Me: Hi

She: Hey! Why did not you reply my messages.

Me: Don’t you know that our telecommunication system was barred.

She: Yes. Ok, bye!

Me: Good bye!

She: Keep smiling…

She never messaged me since neither did I. And, she deactivated her Facebook account!