India’s Muslims are going to fight back: Naseeruddin Shah

Calls for genocide could lead to civil war

One of the top Muslim actors of Bollywood, Naseeruddin Shah, has said thatare made for the ethnic cleansing of Muslim in India, they are going to fight back.

“If it comes to the crunch, we will fight back… If it comes to that, we will. We are defending our homes, our family, our children,”he said.

Shah’s remarks sparked a storm in India as many hardline, extremist Hindus started hounding him on the social and mainstream media. Naseeruddin Shah’s made these remarks in response to the calls made by Hindutva leaders for the genocide of Muslims.

Speaking about members of the Dharam Sansad, who 10 days ago in Haridwar called for genocide and ethnic cleansing of Muslims, Shah said that he wonders if they know what they are talking about? “200 million are going to fight back…

We were born here and we will live here.” He said it could lead to a “civil war” that would destroy India. Shah was being interviewed by senior Indian journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire.

The central question posed was “what does it feel like to be a Muslim in Narendra Modi’s India?”. To this, he said, “Muslims are being marginalised andmade redundant.”

“They are in the process of being reduced to second class citizens” and added, “It’s happening in every field.”

“It’s happening in every field.” Naseeruddin Shah said that “a concerted attempt is being made to make Muslims insecure”. “It’s an attempt to make us scared.” However, he added, “We should not be scared.”

“An attempt is being made to spread a phobia among Muslims”, but again, he added that “we must not admit this is frightening us.”  “I’m concerned about what will become of my children,” he said.

Speaking about the Prime Minister’s criminal silence after the bloodcurdling calls for genocide and ethnic cleansing, Naseeruddin Shah said “he doesn’t care” adding “at least you cannot accuse him of being a hypocrite”. Naseeruddin Shah said not only is there no chastisement of the people who threatened genocide “but the Prime Minister follows them on Twitter”.

Our leader keeps silent but claims to care for everybody… He’ll parade his own religious beliefs yet issue dog-whistles against Muslims.”

Very few – if any – Bollywood stars of Naseeruddin Shah’s stature have the courage to speak out the way he has.