“It’s a pity we have to prove ourselves as Indians,” said Mohammed Siddique, a young accountant who was marching in the protest here on Sunday afternoon with his wife and mother. “But the fact is, we need to speak louder than others, to make clear that those people do not speak for our religion — and that we are not Pakistanis.” Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala
I gave this story about Indian Muslims identifying as Indians first and protesting the recent violance a perfect score for sourcing. Typically these days in downsized journalism, news reports simply quote experts and pundits speaking after the fact. This report also is difficult to write. Most print journalists just let the photographer do that. Not in this case. The New York Times has a photographer and reporter on the ground in Mumbai so the story resounds with authenticity.
The cluster of banners all around him, held aloft by marchers, seemed to bear out his point. Some read “Our Country’s Enemies are Our Enemies,” others, “Killers of Innocents are Enemies of Islam.” A few declared, in uncertain grammar, “Pakistan Be Declared Terrorist State.”
Here is an example of descriptive journalism.
It is refreshing to read about Muslims depicted in non-stereotypical ways.