The Recompense

Ref samankhan #24

[``The Indian Muslim is required to do something that is abominable to him --``

Not true. Period.]

Let us see. The Indian Army allows the Sikh soldier to wear his turban. Does the Muslim soldier wear a fez, a skullcap or any other distinctive headgear? If not, the Muslim soldier is making a compromise to be in the Indian Army -- in fact, to earn a living.

Do you think Infosys or even Wipro (owned by Azim Premji, the richest Indian and a Muslim, as Indians on the Chowk are wont to point out) would allow a Muslim woman employed as a software engineer to wear a burqa? If not, the Muslim woman is making a compromise to be employed.

Maybe `abominable` is too strong a word but isn`t the sight of a woman out of burqa abominable to fundamentalist Muslims?

[Since the author has clearly stated that ``the story is based on a true incident,`` to attribute the same to being an allegory or draw any other conclusion or read between the lines would only qualify one as a dummy here!]

I said the story is **meant** as an allegory of Muslim life in India. The author has admitted that he added the ending to the ``true story``. What did he add -- just the part about the riots, or the part about the maulvi`s advice too?

But that is all irrelevant. Initially you all assumed that it was a piece of fiction and criticized the author for his style, the contents, etc. When the author revealed that it was a true fact (as most Indians like to say), people demanded proof that this indeed happened. As if that mattered!

The article becomes an extremely powerful piece when viewed as an allegory. When I say that you come back and start defending Indian society. Stop being so defensive.

323
``The Indian Muslim is required to do something that is abominable to him --``

Not true. Period.


``I think this story is meant as an allegory...``
``Since none of you have drawn this (in my opinion, obvious) conclusion, the author is going along with you in his replies and treating you as the dummies that you are.``
``Learn to read between the lines.``

Since the author has clearly stated that ``the story is based on a true incident,`` to attribute the same to being an allegory or draw any other conclusion or read between the lines would only qualify one as a dummy here!

I think this story is meant as an allegory of Muslim life in India.

The author is trying to say that the life of an Indian Muslim is similar to that of a childless wife. The Indian Muslim suffers everyday as much as the childless woman suffers, both by cruel comments/thoughtless actions from others and his own repeated agonizing over his plight. The Indian Muslim is required to do something that is abominable to him -- just as Samina and Shakeel have to give up their beliefs for a few hours when they go to the Shia mosque, Indian Muslims have to publicly give up their faith or at least put a gloss on it to gain acceptance from the majority of the Indian public. But despite that, Hindu-Muslim riots break out and nice folks such as Samina and Shakeel get killed just like they get killed in the story. The unsaid part is that the maulvi used Samina and Shakeel to provoke a riot by his followers much as politically motivated persons use religious people as unwitting agents provocateurs.

As an allegory, the story is an extremely powerful one.

Since none of you have drawn this (in my opinion, obvious) conclusion, the author is going along with you in his replies and treating you as the dummies that you are.

Learn to read between the lines. You will understand authors and poets better that way.

An interesting article, which was surely going to leave a bad taste. [pun intended] It`s difficult for pious muslims to think of God and shit in the same breath.

This article reminded me of the ``Marquis de Sade``. He found it arousing to consume fecal matter, among other things. Thoroughly repuslive, the general consensus must be.

Cheers.

I think its absolutly stupid the way the bride was treated just because she could`nt produce a child. This just goes to show the degrading mentality of our soceity. On another note, the article was excellent in potraying the truth.

I think its disgusting the way the bride was treated just because she was unable to produce a child. This just shows the degrading mentality of our soceity. On another note, the article was well written and does well in potraying the truth.

Thank you Ras and thank you Leila for your kind words.

Zafar

can one persume that the parents were victim of the riots - so the much desired son is left orphaned.
I think the story has potential, particualry given the issue of fertility, culture, martial and social relations, the pressures on women to be reproductive facories, and the insecurities this causes - even if it meant eating shiit event hough one persumes not literally. Im syuprised to find the husband so supportive - given his lack of understanding or support at inability to concieve in the first place.

This story has a lot of potential.

The moral of the story is sound, even though presented in a vague

manner at the conclusion.

Ras

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i started reading with excitmentafter so long war articles but shit spoil every thing.

I am overwhelmed by the replies. Thank you. As somebody said, I should not have expected any better feedback.

First things first, this story is based on a true incident, though the ending is my own imagination. It seems the ending has not worked; however, my idea behind it was to state that riots are often triggered by some filmsy, ridiculous events.

I wrote this story in response to what I heard. I myself found the story so disgusting that I thought I better pen it down.

I am glad that your response is what it should be--human.

So thoroughly disgusting.

As others have said, the story had potential but the introduction of $hit and somewhat unbelievable ending left the potential unfulfilled. You might want to work at another version of it.

I can excuse some of this by saying that there is all sorts of weird notions among people in rural areas. But the implication here seems to be that eating dried bread by a shia mosque is like eating Scheiß to a sunni! Wow!
I find the story weak. The ending is artificial and the language is wanting. Too many cliched sentences for my taste. This actually reads like a bad translation from another language.

Gripping beginning and development but in the end, a tale without any head or tale!