Being A Khan
Let’s face it critics, Muslims all over the world are not safe utterly and that is partially not entirely of course, a repercussion of the acts executed by and traceable back to some of the extremist Muslim groups all over the world. Anyways let’s not go into another debate all together of whose fault it actually is for what Muslims are going through in this era, but let’s keep our focus on a micro-minute issue which has for some reason attracted so much interest and hue. And surprisingly Pakistani media as well as some religious figures have taken such deep plunges into the debate, that it was not just shocking but frankly not even close to their domain of expertise.
Khan’s entire article pointed out the fact that there are bigger things in life than criticizing one’s religion just on the basis of a generalized misconception based on the portrayal of a few individuals or small clans and the fact that a man should be judged by his character and not by his second name. The whole argument, in my opinion had an underlying point and a more of a theoretical description of his movie- My name is Khan, where he explicitly criticized the biased attitude of the world towards a Muslim especially towards a Muslim bearing the name of Khan. He in his article did reflect upon ONE of the stereotypical images which run acoss his head for bearing the name of Khan.
“Then there is the image of me being shoved into a back room of a vast American airport named after an American president (another parallel image: of the president being assassinated by a man named lee, not a Muslim thankfully, nor Chinese as some might imagine! I urgently shove the image of the room out of my head).
Some stripping, frisking and many questions later, I am given an explanation (of sorts): "Your name pops up on our system, we are sorry". "So am I," I think to myself, "Now can I have my underwear back please?"”
But before throwing mindless suggestions to Khan or making off-route assumptions out of his article, many clearly forgot to pay heed to what Shahrukh equally argued for and emphasized in his press statement later that all it takes for being a Khan, living anywhere in the world, is to love and be loved back.
“So I am a Khan, but no stereotyped image is factored into my idea of who I am. Instead, the living of my life has enabled me to be deeply touched by the love of millions of Indians. I have felt this love for the last 20 years regardless of the fact that my community is a minority within the population of India. I have been showered with love across national and cultural boundaries, they appreciate what I do for them as an entertainer – that’s all.
My life has led me to understand and imbibe that love is a pure exchange, untempered by definition and unfettered by the narrowness of limiting ideas. Sometimes, they ask me what religion they belong to and, like a good Hindi movie hero, I roll my eyes up to the sky and declare philosophically, “you are an Indian first and your religion is Humanity”, or sing them an old Hindi film ditty, “tu hindu banega na musalmaan banega – insaan ki aulaad hai insaan banega” set to Gangnam style.
Why should not the love we share be the last word in defining us instead of the last name? It doesn’t take a superstar to be able to give love, it just takes a heart and as far as i know, there isn’t a force on this earth that can deprive anyone of theirs. I am a Khan, and that’s what it has meant being one, despite the stereotype images that surround me. To be a Khan has been to be loved and love back….””
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Author: Maliha Naveed
Posted On: Thursday, January 31, 2013
Source: Pakistan Herald
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