How weird am I?

I am tagging on to my friend Reshmi. Felt it was pretty interesting.., coz I have never really given any thought to the weirdities within me as they are bound to be there in any individual.

Here's what I could think of ;-)

1.When by myself - One weird aspect about me woule be my habit of talking to myself. When I study, I happily imagine that I am surrounded by nice studious kids and then lecture away to glory, at times pausing to attend to their doubts and answer them back their questions. I have been this way since my childhood. This was one chief source of amusement to my brother. Sometimes, I do a commentary on my own actions. Like when wanting to type on a new line, I will repeat “Now lets hit Enter”, or when walking I will say to myself “Now we take a right”.. There have been times while on my own, when I think of something so funny, that I have burst out laughing right there and then on the road when all by myself.
2. Driving like crazy – I love to hit the accelerator and zoom away. The only thing that keeps me back is the fear to endanger fellow roadies’ lives. I never drive when my mom’s around coz I am afraid it will hike up her BP. Usually I am a considerate driver when I have a passenger – I just get rash when I am out on my own on a long stretch of road. I guess one friend who enjoys my freakish ride is my best friend Sreela. She tells me "vaa Soorya, namukku doo laa kaanuna vandide bumper idichellakki kondu pokaam" as we fly over a speed breaker.
3. Thick skinned and obstinate– Don’t give 2 hoots about what people think, if I am comfortable with what I am doing. I am pretty arrogant on that level. If I feel I am right doing what I do, I can do anything no matter what an impossible situation it puts me into.
4. Loud Commentaries at the cinema - While watching or reading thrillers, I have this habit of guessing out the culprit, and most often I hit bulls’ eye. Also, while watching Hindi movies, I can predict the next scene or happenings so correctly that my friends swear that I would have seen the movie before. And when I go to the cinemas to watch movies, I cant helping passing comments aloud much to the irritation of companions.., which is something I again enjoy. And there have been so many instances where in I wished to "onu neetti koovan" but the convent bred + my Mom's teachings on decorum and conduct holds me back. ;-)
5. Not demonstrative - I can chatter for hours without touching a subject that preoccupies my mind wholly. This is a deceptive trait I have, because while in a group and socialising, people could think I am right there.., whereas I can be miles away. Also, I could be on a really down state of mind, but still I can gear up for the benefit of friends and cheer away.
6. Cleanliness Freak – Especially when it comes to bathrooms, I cant have anything less than spick and span.

Penalized for My Faith

I am a normal citizen of India - born and brought up here. My youngest memories, my relations and my friends were all formed here only. Yet, now-a-days I find myself being looked upon as a Pakistani. Why? Because I am Muslim?

I do not support forced singing of "Vande Mataram" because I stand up for a monotheistic faith, and the song has references to godesses and Hindu theology or faith. But anyone who wishes to sing the song should be free to sing it.., if a Muslim friend wishes to sing it of his/her own free will, I will never oppose it. But I do not support force, nor will I sing it. Does that mean I rever India less than an individual who does sing it? Does it make me a lesser Indian?? Is Vande Mataram to be made the yardstick of nationalism or patriotism? When a politician who sells his motherland for 2 pieces of silver sings it, he is proclaimed to be a nationalist. And just because I decline to sing it, am I to be denounced as to love my country any less or to have a lesser pride of its culture and heritage? I feel outraged.

I denounce the Mumbai blasts.. and all blasts and all inhumane actions. I do it as a human and as a Muslim. Which God would demand slaughter of innocent lives? And if a God does demand slaughter of lives, would He be fit for worship?Which faith would propogate violence? And yet, I am a devout Muslim. People ask me about Jihad. They tell me that 9/11 is Jihad, Pakistani militants in Kashmir are doing Jihad. Bull shit!!! Jihad means war in the cause of truth.., and the Prophet teaches that the biggest war is the war that u fight against the falsehood, selfish motives and evil in yourself. When a milkman who is about to adulterate his milk with water, refrains from doing so, even when there is no other witnesses - for the sake of righteousness, for the sake of God, it is the biggest form of Jihad. When ur best friend does something wrong, and u stand up to him and tell him "NO" with all the courage and truth in you, it is Jihad.
War bw nations, bw people when faught for a rightful cause, the people who fight for right are doing Jihad. Indian National Freedom struggle itself is a Jihad. The "Non Co-operation Movement" is a Jihad. Sometimes, physical wars need to be faught for a rightful cause.. but no war can be a Jihad when an innocent life is wiped off. No war.
The rules for war stipulated in Islam are :-
1. Women and children should not be harmed
2. Civillians should be left alone - war is to be faught bw soldiers alone.
3. Trees shouldnt be cut down or harmed.

Allah through Qur'an says " If you save an innocent life, it is equivalent to saving the whole of humanity. And if you kill an innocent life, it is equivalent to killing the whole of humanity".
How then can I, or any muslim for that matter support terrorism.
I keep hearing from people "Not all Muslims are terrorists".
No. What I state emphatically is "No terrorist is a Muslim".

If Ossama Bin Laden is behind 9/11 or any terror attack which has affected an innocent person's life, I can say without a moment's doubt that he is not a muslim inspite of his grand Arabic name and his long beard.

What is happening in Kashmir has nothing to do with Islamic ideologies. It is the war that ensues when a neighbouring nation wishes to annexe the property of another nation, and the resultant insurgence and sponsored rebellion and the presence of the military - and the story of a section of normal people who have lost their freedom to the terror of fire and counter-fire, and have lost the right to lead normal lives. Please do not attribute ISI, or Pakistani militancy to the Islamic ideology.

What happens in Palestine is the struggle of the Palestinians to fight for their land, and their right to live a normal life. It cannot be attributed to Islamic ideology. The cause is right, but the method they have employed is non-Jihadi, because they kill innocent civillians through their retaliation.

I denounce and strongly object to the term "Islamic Terrorism". If an Abdul etc etc.., or an Osama or someone else with an arabic name kills, attribute it to the individual. Not to the faith. If Iran or Afghanisthan people fight, its about Islamic Terrorism. If the US government under Bush goes on fighting and waging wars and killing hundreds and thousands of civillians, why is it not called Christian Terrorism or Bush Terrorism. There is Baj Rang Dal and other outfits that act on extremism, but have u ever heard of Hindu Terrorism.., even when there were many instances of the Baj_Rang-Dal and their likes' inhumane actions? Because, in all these cases, the actions are rightfully attributed to a particular individual or a nation or a sect, not to the theology or ideology.Why the Hell, the double standards!!!

When there was an attack at the IISC campus in Bangalore, I was warned by a friend against wearing my head scarf and venturing out. Why? Was I responsible in any way? Did I contribute to it even at a mental level?? Did I morally support it? Then why me?

At my work place, I find the foreigner lady looking at me uneasily.. coz I have this scarf around me... it proclaims that I am a Muslim. When I resist the compulsory singing of Vande Mataram, I am indirectly likened to a Pakisthani by friends with whom I have studied for 4 yrs, by colleagues who have been around me for months. I am hunted down and victimised. I am outraged.., grievously outraged.