My Name is NOT “KHAN” and I am also not a terrorist
It’s a typical Johar movie, a love story, a dramatic adventurous mission of “Meeting the President of the United States of America” to tell him THE MESSAGE, and to add mirch-masala, instances to glorify the “Rizwan Khan” a.k.a. SRK himself, blah blah blah. Nothing surprising, nothing different.
Point here is not to discuss the film, which some people may like, some may not. But I want to centralize this topic around certain message given in the film.
“Do not stereotype all Muslims as terrorists.”
Is it something we don’t know already? Is anyone arguing against this message? Is it something that mass majority of world’s population really thinking? I don’t think so. Because otherwise how could 200 Million Muslims are able to live peacefully with other 800 Million Hindus in India? Are people not working together? Aren’t they not celebrating Diwali as well as Eid? Do I think about my Muslim friends that they have some secret connections to Al-Quaida?
What happened on 9/11 can not be justified, similarly what happened post 9/11 also can not be. But as every action has a reaction, there were certain spontaneous reactions of certain groups. That does not mean entire society thinks that way forever.
There have been several instances when innocent people have been targeted just because of their certain identity. Some of examples from our own history are riots followed by assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, where innocent Hindus were targeted just because assassin was Hindu? After assassination of Indira Gandhi, riots broke and Sikhs were killed? After Babri Mosque demolition, after Godhra attack…. List is endless.
In all these instances there were certain elements in each of the groups who were operational in “action” as well as “reaction”. Not the entire population. Not everyone felt that way.
So, this stereotyping can happen to anyone on any identity, it need not be religion also. Today it’s KHAN, tomorrow it can be KHANNA. Like you can not make a movie and deliver a message of peace to Laden, similarly this movie does not send message to those for whom it is intended.