Ghazala Wahab has articulated the Indian Muslim experience precisely, and most of us can relate to it.
We lived on Main Street, the ‘only Muslim family’ (these phrases did not exist then), and we never felt any different; we were a part of a fully integrated society. I don’t recall any bias towards us; even the idea of discrimination did not exist then.
Like Trump has emboldened the divide, Modi has done precisely that. We have to change this, one person at a time.
We are all in this together. Let’s learn to acknowledge and know the difficulties each community faces.
What is the benefit of getting along?
It offers peace of mind, removes apprehensions, and frees one to fully connect with spouse, kids, mom, dad, siblings, friends, and community. If we are tense, we don’t give 100% of our pure attention to anyone or even provide 100% performance at work. Live and let live lends itself to improving the quality of our lives rather than battling with tensions.
Let’s do our share of work.
Let’s accept and respect the otherness of the other and work towards a cohesive Indian community here in the United States. Let the covid go, and we’ll start participating in each other’s festivities. Let the goodness begin here.
Mike Ghouse