A 24-year-old Muslim woman, Arshi Khan from Mathura, adopted Hindu Dharma on Thursday, saying that women do not have any respect in Islam.
As per a Times of India report, after adopting Hindu Dharma, Arshi changed her name to Arushi and filed an application with the SSP office that she had taken the decision because of her faith and love for Bhagwan Krishna.
Talking to media, Arushi said, “In Islam women have no respect. While Hindus pray to Maa Durga, Laxmi and Sita, there is no place for women in Islam.”
The TOI report quite needlessly mentions that Arushi’s statement is ‘bound to invite the ire of the Muslim community and Maulanas’. In a community where fundamentalist elements openly proclaim that the price of apostasy is death (and act on this radical belief too), this comment is like stating the obvious.
Viewed cynically, it can even be interpreted as TOI signalling the Muslim community to vent their ire at Arushi. It also raises the question that if mainstream English-language MSM like TOI is so sure that Muslims are ‘bound to’ be irate towards any Muslim who shows a mirror to the community, then why isn’t the MSM doing more to expose such intolerance and intimidation and make it easier for Muslim women like Arushi, Nida Khan or Farhat Naqvi to be heard?
Moreover, at a time when there have been multiple cases of acid attacks against Muslim women in UP campaigning against regressive customs like triple talaq and nikah halala, one would expect far greater empathy from media towards this courageous young woman.
Did you find this article useful? We’re a non-profit. Make a donation and help pay for our journalism.
