29 Oct 2023: A Response to Actress Kangana Ranaut’s Visit to the Israel Embassy in New Delhi
29 Oct 2023
A Response to Actress Kangana Ranaut’s Visit to the Israel Embassy in New Delhi
As a Muslim of Indian heritage, with family members living in fear of right-wing political ideology in India targeting Muslims and Christians, I found the circulating video of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut visiting the Israeli embassy in New Delhi particularly disturbing.
In this video, she says the following to the Israeli ambassador.
“what you guys are fighting for is rightfully yours. Also because we as Hindu nation and even the Hindu genocide for centuries that continued we identify a lot with Jews. As we deserve a Bharat dedicated to Hindus, Jews also deserve one nation, And that they can’t give us that one land is rather inhuman and very stingy of the Islamic world they have the second-largest amount of countries on the whole globe.”
I am curious which Jews the Indian actress Kangana Ranaut identifies with. Throughout my years of engaging Jewish individuals, I find it hard to believe that a reasonable Jewish person would endorse her remarks, which seem to perpetuate bias against the Islamic world. The Jewish and Israeli people I know will not. I recently met Jewish individuals at a synagogue in India who only displayed a deep appreciation for my Muslim identity.
Expressions like "rather inhuman and stingy of the Islamic world" do not reflect support for Israel; instead, they are intended to foster prejudice against Muslims in a way that fosters an "us vs. them" mentality. People like Kangana Ranaut utilise this kind of situation to integrate their propaganda that creates negative perceptions of Muslims rather than actually care about Jews or Israel. It's crucial to recognize and condemn such divisive behaviour that exploits ongoing conflicts to advance hateful agendas against different communities.
This kind of behaviour by Kangana Ranaut isn't unique; it's also mirrored by some politicians and preachers who exploit wars to fuel anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish sentiments.
Perhaps it's helpful to remember that the Islamic World actress Kangana Ranaut speaks about also includes nations like the United Arab Emirates, which have normalised relations with Israel and made substantial efforts to support a thriving Jewish community in their country. I have joined the Jewish community in Dubai for Shabbat and enjoyed such warmth. I remain in touch with all of them now.
This Islamic World also includes individuals like myself who, on October 7, 2023, expressed solidarity with Jewish people and Israelis just as we would with Palestinians. Some of us continue to stay close in touch and be a space for dialogue.
Indeed, by highlighting these, I am not overlooking or disregarding any negative experiences that Jewish individuals may have had, nor do I deny the negative perceptions of Islam and Muslims that some may hold. Addressing these issues is precisely what we are striving to do—to heal and mend.
The sad reality is that such individuals will propagate hatred within any community to further their political agendas. It's not a new phenomenon for anti-Semitism and anti-Islam sentiments to escalate with conflicts in the Middle East, and our communities have borne the brunt of this exploitation for far too long.
We must unite against these divisive narratives and stand resolute. This kind of hate speech tends to generalise communities. It comes from people who never walked the ground and spent time in dialogues that bridge communities.
I recall the wise words of our Chief Rabbi in Singapore: "One of the best ways to respond to antisemitism is for the Jew to say…you know what? Let me participate in the fight against Islamophobia. So, that way, I can ask my Muslim friend to join me in this fight against antisemitism.”
These are the principles my Jewish friends and I embrace and uphold.
Holding the Ropes: Interfaith Dialogue & Reflections Surrounding the Israel-Gaza War is a blog series that follows the events, dialogues and reflections experienced by Nazhath Faheema in the aftermath of the 2023 Israel-Gaza war. Triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and Israel’s military response, there continues to be widespread destruction and civilian displacement in Gaza. Additionally, Israeli hostages remain in captivity.
Against this backdrop, Nazhath Faheema, through her reflections, provides insights into the dynamics of the war, its impact on interfaith relations, and the inherent challenges and opportunities in fostering understanding and empathy between Jewish and Muslim communities.
