Is it just an election campaign slogan or this is a factual statement about Indian Muslims being more accommodating to other groups leading to exploitation.
Days before Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Shazia Ilmi has landed into a controversy because of her alleged “Muslims ought to be communal this time” remark.
The party distanced itself from her remark and said she should not have said it.
“Muslims are very secular. Muslims ought to be more communal. (They) do not vote for their own. (AAP leader) Arvind Kejriwal is your own. I say, it is enough of secularism,” Ilmi, who contested the Lok Sabha polls from Ghaziabad earlier in the month, is seen saying in the video.
“Here helping the Congress win, there someone else. Please do not be so secular. Muslims are secular. They will continue to vote for others. Other parties don’t do such things?” she said.
It is a short 1.19 minute video clip, apparently a sting operation, where Ilmi is seen talking to Muslims. The video, believed to be shot in Mumbai, where she had gone for campaigning for AAP’s South Mumbai candidate Mira Sanyal, shows Ilmi talking with her head covered with a dupatta. Mumbai goes to polls on April 24.
"Muslims are very secular. Muslims ought to be more communal. (They) do not vote for their own. (AAP leader) Arvind Kejriwal is your own.
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**"Here helping the Congress win, there someone else. Please do not be so secular. Muslims are secular. They will continue to vote for others. Other parties don't do such things?" she said.
The above statement is ridiculous. When voting for public office, one votes for whomever is best qualified for the position and whomever can do the job most effectively, regardless of their religion or background. The mentality of "vote for our own" often has disastrous consequences and leads to individuals being elected who may not be fit for office. The above statement is simply a divisive campaign tactic to garner more votes. I'm not certain what the voting habits and trends are among India's muslims, but I would sincerely hope that they thoroughly evaluate a candidate based on their competency and ability to do the job and cast their vote based on that, rather than simply voting for him/her simply because he/she is Muslim.
Unfortunately, this mentality of "let's vote for our own" (in terms of ethnicity though) is quite prevalent in Afghanistan and is the reason we often end up with unqualified, uneducated, bordering on illiterate, politicians. People often vote for a candidate simply because he is of their same ethnic group "our own" rather than critically evaluating whether or not he would actually be suited for the position. This tendency to vote on ethnic lines and "vote for our own," which has served the politicians rather well I must say, has only served to create further divisions among the various ethnic groups and create further resentment.
Don’t be a political slave to a party but be a slave to your religious affiliation instead? I don’t really know what she means here. Honestly, what is the difference between voting for someone simply based on party loyalty and voting for someone simply based on loyalty for other things (ie. religion)?
I think that the statement to look past political party and not be a slave to it could have been made in a much better way. The rather hasty manner in which she made her point comes across as divisive. In general, I don’t think sarcasm works very well on a large scale, such as politics, because not everyone is able to pick up on it and some people have the tendency to take everything that is said literally.
I think Muslims have always relied on Congress and somehow failed to develop their own leadership in India.
One can understand where she's coming from, but unfortunately she chose the wrong words to throw in the mix. It's an argument hastily and irresponsibly made.
On contrary… Muslim candidate of AAP…Javed Jafri…“Bollywood actor and Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate from Lucknow Jaaved Jaaferi is reluctant to play the minority card in the constituency, claiming he is not a “Muslim candidate” but an “Indian candidate”. Jaaferi reached Lucknow Friday.”
I don’t really know what she means here. Honestly, what is the difference between voting for someone simply based on party loyalty and voting for someone simply based on loyalty for other things (ie. religion)?