On Sunday (September 18), far-left ‘activist’ Kavita Krishnan drew false equivalence between Sanghis (members/supporters of RSS) and Islamists who tortured Iranian woman Mahsa Amini to death for not wearing a hijab.
In a tweet, the far-left activist wrote, “Salaams to the amazing Iranian women throwing off their hijabs in solidarity with #MahsaAmini – the young woman who died of a heart attack induced by custodial torture by Iran’s “morality police force”, which had detained her for not wearing a hijab.”
Her social media post was in reference to the protests in western Iran where women publicly took off their hijabs over the murder of a 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini for not wearing a hijab.
Soon after, Islamists began slamming the former Communist leader for questioning the authority of Sharia (Islamic law). Chief spokesperson of the Peace Party, Shadab Chauhan, accused Kavita Krishnan of being more dangerous than the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).
“…So you support morality police gangs that terrorise women for not wearing hijab? Then kindly don’t pretend to care about Muslim women fighting for the right to wear hijab. You don’t own women. Stop telling women what to do,” Kavita Krishnan responded.
The left-wing activist, who had been championing women’s rights with Islamists, got a reality check when Shadab told her that all Muslim women are bound by Sharia law and how Hijab is more important than gold and diamond.
A rattled Kavita Krishnan then invoked ‘Hindu supremacy’ to reinstate her secular credentials after having run the risk of being viewed as anti-Islam.
“You have no business binding women to any law in the name of religion. Just as Hindu supremacists have no business telling Muslims they can’t pray in public spaces etc. You and they are the same ilk,” she said falling back on false equivalence.
Shadab then warned her against interfering in the religious affairs of Islam. “Yes it’s my business and Constitutional right to preach and propagate my religion. Muslim women never leave Hijab and I challenge you Kavita Krishnan that u can’t interfere in our shariya,” he taught her a lesson in Islam and feminism.
After co-opting Islamists for years in her ‘activism’. Kavita Krishnan was slammed by one of her own. Having drawn their ire, the left-wing activist quickly tried to undo the damage.
She proceeded to compare the brutal torture of Mahsa Amini, caused due to her choice of not wearing a hijab, to the opposition by Hindu groups to selectively entertain Muslim religious attire in government schools.
“Outraged at Iran’s morality police imposing hijab? Are you also outraged at Sanghi thugs that terrorise hijab-wearing women? Outraged at Sanghi thugs that terrorise hijab-wearing women? Are you also outraged at Iran’s morality police that terrorise women who don’t wear hijab?”
Although Mahsa Amini lost her life in exercising her choice in Iran, no female Muslim student was hurt for exercising her choice of wearing burqa to school (despite a clear violation of school rules).
The Karnataka High Court had held that Hijab is not an essential practice in Islam and that uniform (in schools/ colleges) is a reasonable restriction on the Right to Religion. This does not bar Muslim women from exercising their choice on the streets or in public places.
No State government stopped Muslim women from wearing or removing their hijab in public, unlike the case in Iran. Given that left-wing activists rely on Islamists to amplify their messages, they need to use the ‘Hindu supremacy troupe’ from time to time to keep the extremists on their side.
False equivalence and bizarre comparisons between apples and oranges are the only way out when they run the risk of upsetting their core followers while championing women’s rights.