Attn @salonayyy & @shubhangi_misra

"Saloni Gaur's Nazma Api isn't Islamophobic. We need better terms for things we don't like."

I agree, Islamophobia may not be the problem. The problem begins with two privileged Non-Muslims determining what is 'Islamophobic'.

Listen.

1/n https://twitter.com/Meherr_/status/1255005486157455361

The character of Nazma is a manifestation of ignorance and peak privilege. The caricature comes at a time when the community is constantly dehumanised, stigmatised, violence is justified & apartheid looms. There's talk of denial of citizenship. The caricature isn't 'harmless' 2/n

Salony uses the words 'jaahil' 'zaleel' 'nalayak' - 2 of them were in the video she referred to the Tablighi Jamaat propaganda of spitting; which was proven wrong. Thats propaganda

May I ask you who gives you the right to degrade and demonise Muslims in the garb of humour? 3/n

Re 'young artist' who will 'mature'- it is not my resp. to watch an privileged, tone deaf artist mature of the back of my community which is at the brink of genocide.

Salony has the option of living in ignorance while reproducing racial stereotypes of a beseiged community

4/n

Salony doesn't have the lived experience of the Nazma Api she wishes to caricature. She has the privilege, great.

But when Muslims are screaming on top of their lungs, this entitled Brahmin, chooses to look away instead of challenging herself what is it that she must know?

5/n

Salony's intent becomes irrelevant when it adds to the machinery that working hard to dehumanise Muslims and then to justify the violence & call for more.

@shubhangi_misra the ability to blame Muslims for being 'sensitive' is codified privilege. Reflects in your DP. Reflect

6/n

By choosing to ignore Muslims and sit in her privileged zone and embraces the chance to mock (remember people are laughing at Nazma), Salony has picked her side. There's no question of that. No excuse is good enough for replicating dehumanisation esp in the face of g*nocide

7/n

Satire and humour has a purpose; part of that purpose is dealing with things intelligently and not blindly reproducing stereotypes in times of persecution; not the least when it used to peddle propaganda like Saloni did .i.e Tablighi Jamaat.

8/n

Shubhangi calls Salony brave for talking about Narendra Modi's sleep? Comical.

But ofcourse, at Shekhar Gupta's @ThePrintIndia that kught just be a very brave act. I understand.

Lazy articulation of courage when we saw so many citizens of India stand up for their rights.

9/n

Monisha? Middle classes aren't being lynched.
Yet another lazy false equivalence rooted in ignorance& caste privilege.

The ignorance & privileged depiction by itself may not Islamophobic but it feeds into Islamophobia & will go on to ungird it; in times of g*nocide.

10/n