Part 1: My Response to Asjad Bukhari’s Blog on Hoodbhoy Issue

Asjad Bukhari: Obsession with Political Islam

Tazeen Hasan 

My Response to Asjad Bukhari’s Blog on my article published in Express Blogs Part 1

What is the difference between an educated enlightened person and a Maulvi or an extremist if former is also judging others based on his/her preconceived notions without fairly knowing other’s point of view.

This refers to the Asjad Bukhari’s blog written in response to my article published in the Express News Pakistan’s blog section on December 7, 2017, regarding HoodBhoy’s Calgary talk. 

I thank him for removing some crucial mistakes in the first version. However, I believe many of Mr. Bukhari’s statements are still confusing and are also misleading because they are based on his preconceived notions about me. We have met for a very short time only once during a lunch. But he has given very strong statements about me.  

I consider this stereotyping. Moreover, I had to write this blog because some of the terms he has used in his writings have very dangerous connotations in the west.

Political Islam

In the start of his blog he says: “I meet first time with the author of this blog Ms. Tazeen Hassan [sic] under question talk with Dr. Hoodbhoy … After the recording, I had conversation with her and comprehended same issue with her as most of the followers of Islamism (political Islam) are struggling — and that is lack of comparative study of political and legal system lay down by traditional and radical Islamic clergy/scholars/authors.”

He is admitting outrightly that without even talking to me, he assumed that I am a proponent of political Islam. Isn’t it stereotyping. In fact, I never used the phrase “political Islam” neither in my conversation nor in any of my writings. I am a prolific writer who writes on a wide range of issues ranging from social issues prevailing in Muslim communities to Bollywood films. I challenge anyone to point out my single writing where I used the phrase “political Islam” let alone a piece where I am advocating the ideology.

(To be Continued)