An interesting little encounter.
This is about a short, interesting and humorous encounter that my sister told me she had with a lady in a bus.
My sister Sadia is a first year architecture student; she mostly travels by bus to college, and mostly is sketching some of her project related sketches even when sitting in the bus (unlike me she is totally dedicated to her course).
She had got a project to make some sort of a tribute for the people who lost their lives in the recent Mumbai terror attacks, for which she had to sketch some scary faces representing different forms of terror. So there she was she was sitting on her usual ‘streeeyann saathi’ (Ladies only) seat doing her scary little sketches when this random lady, lets call her Mrs. X sits, next to her, and starts a little conversation.
Here is how her conversation went.
Mrs. X : Hi! what is this you are doing, is this part of your work?
Sadia: No actually I am an architecture student and this is a part of a project I have to do.
Mrs. X: Wow that is nice, I am a physics teacher at National college, Bandra.
Sadia: Ahuh….(she tried to end it there)
Mrs X: So what is this project all about.
Sadia : ( Explains to her the whole tribute for the victims of the terrorist attacks and stuff)
Mrs X: Oh! That is great.
Sadia: Yaaa….. (trying to concentrate on her sketches).
Mrs X: Wait let me help out here….
Sadia: (does a little “oh no!” to herself)
Mrs X: You should make faces of Muslim people they are really scary.
Sadia: ( Looks at her with a blank face)
Mrs X: Yeah these muslim men, they look so scary with their long beards and weird clothes, they are tall huge and very scary people.
Even Muslim women have got that peculiar look in their scarves they all look so scary to me I tell you…
Sadia: (Immediately after Mrs. X ended) Aunty, I am a Muslim.
Mrs.X: (Looks embarrassed at first then after about 15 seconds of silence bursts out in an insane loud laughter, the laughter which people usually give to cover up a screw up 
)
Ohhhhhh…… Haha! So you are a Muslim Hahaha( taps on Saida’s shoulder) ohh hahaa no you don’t look like one….see I didn’t mean all muslims are like that u know….haha… Don’t mind okay..
Sadia: (Looks at her in amusement)
Then she kept quite for the rest of the journey and quietly got down at her stop without even looking at the budding architect.
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How these people stereotype others. I hope she learnt her lesson.
that’s a really nice account. it’s true that people have many stereotypes and judge everyone according to them. its sad that well-educated people like this one also get into such stereotypes. it must have been quite amusing for your sister to converse with that lady
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i think others who have similar stereotypes should also read this post. it will be an eye opener for them.
I wish your sis told Mrs.X, “Thanks aunt, you just helped me sketch a perfect scary face. And guess what, that person has a filthy mind too. That’s you !”
Mrs.X’s behavior was really despicable.
Actually, I can’t entirely blame our Mrs. X.
:P
Some Muslims do look ugly if not scary. Take Shah Rukh Khan for an example.
yea.. n da author of this article is another xample!!
he looks nuffin like his sista.. rite tariq?
:-X
Throughout this whole article I’ve been desperately trying to hide my ugliness.
Thanks to you that fact is out in the open.
oopsss.. but u aint muslim… r u? hehe