I thought and so do most that all the ’sweeping’ and ‘generalisation’ had been initiated by Shabanas statements and her supporters..and is in my view unwarranted.

“that those who hold a different view from Naseer have shown themselves to be posers and communal in reality.”

Finally one’s thoughts and reactions to events of the kind prove just how secular one is.

One can approve or disapprove of Naseer’s statements, but it’s far too sweeping, and in my view unwarranted, a statement to say that those who hold a different view from Naseer have shown themselves to be posers and communal in reality.

Comment by Kaveetaa Kaul on 25 August 2008:

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar have more or less epitomised the voice of Liberal Muslims.They were looked upon with great admiration for their sincere secular stand despite being targeted by fundamentalists. Therefore when such a person chooses to focus on something which is not the handiwork of a select group but more a fallout of the situation as it exists, one is bound to feel a tad disappointed, especially in light of the fact that Shabana in her professional life and personal socialist activities cannot possibly scream ‘bias’. She has been warmly embraced in all she has done by Indians as a whole. One expected her to have spoken of it more or less in a mature and conciliatory fashion, if she was so compelled to bring the issue to light.

There are pockets in Mumbai and am sure elsewhere in India where Hindus are not allowed to buy property either in Muslim dominated localities.. In fact not just Muslims but a neighbourhood in Bandra (W) which boasts of premium property rates does not lease or sell property to anybody but Christians.They are ready to sell at half the market price but only to Christians! How come nobody has brought that into focus or for that matter societies who insist on Vegetarians only, or Gujaratis only and the list goes on.

Sometimes its prudent to turn a Nelsons eye to such happenings since the chances of the situation healing is far fetched but that of it worsening, greater.

http://www.naachgaana.com/2008.....bana-azmi/

Comment by Kaveetaa Kaul on 26 August 2008:

This is a sensitive issue and the responses are pretty evident. Those who espouse the cause of tolerance and enabling are unwittingly silencing the contention of those who differ. It more than clearly establishes why discretion is the better part of valour..as cliched as that may sound.

There are a million causes to complain..I could cite a hundred in a matter of a day.If personal experience be the criteria which to my mind limits the scope of argument, I assure you sometimes making a choice is difficult as to which is it that has left one numb with indigantion . As an anonymous individual whose words may not be dissected one can get away with a lot.
Shabana is someone who heralded almost single handedly a generation of open minded Muslim citizenry. Had it been the utterances of any other (of which there have been plenty) the scenario may have been different. But a reiteration of something which has been prevalent for more than a decade now in almost all communities was not expected from someone of her caliber. For the same reasons that she quotes as having been the recipient of so much honor and acclaim is the very same cause for concern today at her statements. She has taken on the mantle or rather proven to be the spokesperson of the Moderate Muslim…hence the reaction.

Saket your $.02 was worth much more. If we address the issue as Indians then the root of the problem should be the area of concern.. Symptoms are only indicative of the malady and usually fail to present a 360 degree perspective.We have all suffered various forms of discrimination at different levels. Sometimes what we choose not to highlight speaks louder of our values and sense of patriotism.

I may be wrong..but nevertheless felt the need to communicate.

So here is one Muslim who has vindicated my stand on NG by almost unwittingly echoing my comment…remember Rockstar? Not just mine and yours but I think every right minded Indian citizen who would rather keep the peace than rake up sensitive issues which pose no immediate solutions.

Naseer by virtue of this one statement has proven to be more secular than all the averments made previously by those merely posing to be so but inwardly harboring deep rooted resentments.

indirect refrence to mr raj thackrey first celeb who has done it openly