Exactly a year back when Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of the JNU students’ union, was arrested on sedition charges along with general secretary Rama Naga and former president Ashutosh Kumar, JNUSU member Shehla Rashid rose to the occasion. She presided the body till the office bearers were in judicial custody. But Shehla is no placeholder office-bearer. She has been an activist all her life.
Shehla Rashid, a Kashmiri Muslim herself has been very vocal about the human rights situation in Kashmir. She has been a champion of ensuring justice to the minor undertrials. She is also one of the most vocal critics of the Narendra Modi government and the intolerant nation that India has become under the fascist regime of Narendra Modi.
Like most AISA members, Shehla Rashid is a strong proponent of rights and freedoms of all kinds, freedom of speech in particular. And she does exercise freedom of speech in its most leftist form, that is selective digs on important issues and complete silence over others. Her hyperactive social media profiles bear testimony to the fact. Like most AISA students Shehla Rashid tries acting as non-partisan as possible in matters of religion, but the bias for one religion, her own that is, floats like a meniscus of oil in the waters of her pretence.
She did a similar act on February 9th where she tried explaining to the student fraternity about the difference between hate speech and hate. She begins her sermon by expressing solidarity with the anon lady columnist who called Bhagwan Ram <An Asshole>. The lady columnist was vilified by, and I quote “Right Wing Trolls”. Shehla explains that the trolls were engaging in actual hate speech against a living woman (not against a dead religious figure).
All well till now, because Hindu Gods can be insulted inadvertently. Shehla then goes on to explain the technicalities of a hate speech, she says and I quote:
Hateful speech is not necessarily hate speech. There’s a distinction. Example:
“I hate Modi.” — it can be termed as hateful, but it does not technically qualify as hate speech, because there is no imminent threat of violence.
“I hate Modi; therefore, Modi should be beheaded/killed for a reward.” — in front of an audience of 10,000 who are holding swords outside Modi’s house — qualifies as hate speech.
In case you are wondering, this is the classic JNU convoluted speech and such speeches when made in public invite loud cheers and thunderous claps as well by a crowd of mostly zombies and humanoids.
Anyway, like I mentioned earlier, Shehla Rashid tries acting as non-partisan as possible in matters of religion so she tries her little trick here as well. She says and I quote again:
Hatred for a certain religious figure is not necessarily hate speech. It
can be blasphemy, but not necessarily hate speech, unless said in a context where imminent violence based on the statement is a real possibility. Example:“Ram was an asshole.” ≠ hate speech.
“Mohammed was a paedophile.” ≠ hate speech.“Mohammed was a rapist, so all Muslims are rapist.” = hate speech. [incitement to discrimination]
Here is the full outburst:
And that’s where it turned ugly for Shehla Rashid. She was attacked by a horde of (not right wing trolls) but progressives, and liberals of all sizes and shapes. The citadel of liberal dissent Aligarh Muslim University got so irked that its Students’ Union – AMUSU has filed an FIR against Shehla Rashid.
“JNU student Shehla Rashid Shora made objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammad in a Facebook post on January 9. She wrote insulting things about other religions as well,” AMUSU member Ghazal Ahmed said in the complaint filed at the Civil Lines police station in Aligarh.
“Her post has disturbed students and could spoil the atmosphere of AMU campus,” the complaint further said.
Shehla Rashid who was trying to teach a lesson to right wing Hindu trolls got attacked and was served a FIR notice by Muslim (trolls?). Every pathetic leftist in this country must understand Hindus are the most tolerant, progressive and liberal species on this planet. Their religious tolerance is a model for other religions to follow. Hindus are the only people who actively correct anomalies in their practices. But sadly, the same cannot be said about other religions. Kamlesh Tiwari became an example of what religious intolerance can lead to and Shehla Rashid just got the taste of her own medicine.