Politicisation of Art: Indian Artists boycotting Israeli Art Show

Targeting the Jews and Israel, internationally (and Hindus within India) is a favorite pass time of most “intellectuals” and “liberals”.  Now, a group of Indian artists, who were invited to an art show in Israel have declined to go there.

“By declining to participate in this show, we refuse to legitimise the illegal and apartheid policies of the Israeli government against the people of Palestine and to become a part of ”Brand Israel”.

The show called “Deconstructing India” was to include Nalini Malini, Anita Dube, Amar Kanwar, Sakshi Gupta and Pushpamala N.

Their beef with Israel is how they treat the Palestinians.  Well, the picture is incomplete unless you take both sides of the coin in to account.  It is a fact that Israelis and Jews are the target of hate campaign from most Muslims across the world.  It is not unusual to tune into any radio program from Pakistan or those of ethnic Pakistanis abroad and not hear Anti-Zionist statements several times.  I have found very few Pakistanis in my circle who do not charge off into a tirade against the Jews in general.  This would be despite the fact that they have never even encountered a Jew and / or a Jew ever having hurt them.  Such is the impact of hatred against the Jews perpetuated in Quran and other Islamic texts that Anti-Zionism comes “standard” in Islamic theology and growing up.

Another issue that needs to be clearly understood – Annexing of land is a “legitimate sport” in the world.  Whether you like it or you don’t, there is no crying around about that.  Israel fought a war and in that war through force – in defence and in offense – annexed the land that they have.  Now, it is thoroughly incorrect of the Palestinians – who are just Arabs under a new name to create a “localized” Muslim representation to get it back – to say that the booty from the war was illegitimate!  If the Arabs had won the war with Israel, would they have even entertained such a suggestion?

Pakistan took part of Kashmir – by hook or crook – from India and has perpetuated violence and terrorism since then.  How many liberal hearts boycott Pakistan for having done to Kashmiri Pandits what they did??

Strangely in the lexicon of “Liberals” the world over, only the pain of Islamic world is worth crying for.

Israel is important.  And India is important.  For two reasons.  The Jews of Israel and Hindus of India have effectively fought the brutal and damning invasion – military and cultural – by the Islamic forces and society to either finish them or convert them.  It speaks to the resilience of these two groups that even after over a 1000 years of such brutal tactics they haven’t been able to annihilate them.

The world is beautiful with all its hues.  And as one who wants to celebrates the entire diversity of the world, I find Islamic ideology and mindset of institututionalized hatred jarring and repugnant.  These societies will finish themselves off in the fight where hatred is a standard currency.  But before that my fear is that they would have finished off the diversity of the world which made this planet richer.

Whether it were the Pagans of Arabia, the Zoroastrians of Persia or the Hindus of Indonesia, the Islamic force has systematically worked against diversity and cultures that sustained on love of nature and reverence completely.  Now, Indonesia – as gentle as those people are – have found amongst their humble hearts the hatred to bomb and terrorize others.  Even if 5% of the population is in that realm of mindset, one should see that as an invasion of hatred in the ocean of humble love that the Island people were drenched in for so many centuries.

From a thriving society of a Civilization to Civilizational desertification – that is occuring in Indonesia – and that HAS already occured in Persia and Arabia and in the Jerusalem area, hasn’t been such a long journey but indeed very profound in its magnitude for the consciousness of this planet.

If an artist were true, one would have tuned into the civilizational character of love and beauty that existed in Pre-Islamic societies of Pagans of Arabs, the Zoroastrians of Persia and HIndus of Indonesia to find the cancer that Islamic mindset has perpetuated.

That such artists have sided with those who have subsisted on hatred of Jews is a testimony to their own lack of profundity and loss of touch with the consciousness that goes beyond politics.