Okay, first things first. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadres need to understand what 'irony' means. Seriously. A group of them 'protested' (read: screamed, burnt tyres, brandished stuff) on 16 July outside the offices of a TV channel, making Chhetria Patrakar wonder what the channel in question had done to earn the RSS's ire. After digging past freeze-dried RSS slogans – a task that CP absolutely does not relish – it turned out that the channel had telecast a programme the previous day indicating that some RSS cadres might have played a role in 'acts of reprisal terrorism against Muslims and their places of worship'.
There might be truth to the story – or there might not – but CP would like to know which genius(es) in the RSS thought pressuring a media house would be a good way to prove their innocence. Basic lesson, boys (and Chhetria feminist Patrakar has not noticed any non-boy in there; not that this is necessarily a bad thing in this case): using violence to show that you're not violent does not work; there is no non-violent violence.
Speaking of organised religion, the Maldives seems to have regained its '100-percent Muslim' tag after its sole declared atheist (re)converted to Islam while in police custody. In May, 37-year-old Mohamed Nazim stood up during a Q&A session with maverick televangelist Zakir Naik and declared his non-adherence to any religion. The reaction of the audience was not pretty, with many (including Naik) calling for his death. Nazim was taken into 'protective custody' by the police, and while in the lock-up was reportedly given a crash course on Islam.
Later, during a press conference sponsored by none other than Nazim's official jailhouse tutors, the Ministry for Islamic Affairs, the man reconverted to Islam and apologised to the Maldivian people for his sinful, free-thinking ways. Another one bites the dust, CP says. But it looks as if Nazim was not alone. The atolls have apparently had another declared atheist, 25-year-old Ismail Mohamed Didi, who hanged himself to death in July because he felt he was victimised for his lack of faith, demonstrating just how … oh, well, enough said.