Making of a Demon!

A play on the life of a man and how his life was interlinked to his identity as a Muslim, got me thinking. How does it feel to be bullied for being a religious/ ethnic or racial minority, well I might never know. But I definitely know how it is to be a part of the majority, all those instances when I have been a witness to demonizing the minority come back to me.
 1.
"Mummy, are Muslims dirty? Akhila was saying"
"Actually they bathe only on Friday. So people call them dirty"
"But why?"
"The place where Islam originated, there is not enough water. So they follow that practice here also"
A seed of hatred sown into the young mind
2.
"You know my friend Azmal, he is a Muslim and he doesn't speak Urdu"
How you see a language is linked to a religion.
3.
"There were riots and we sold our house because it was difficult to live there anymore"
"Who all sold the houses?"
"All of us"
"Only Hindus?"
"No Hindus as well as good Muslims"
(While there are Hindus, Muslims are classified as good and bad)
"Were people killed?"
"Yes a lot of people were killed. The vegetable vendors, hawkers a lot of them"
"Who killed them?"
" Muslims"
"Didn't Hindus kill?"
"They also killed but it was the Muslims who started"
It is the "other" who is the enemy. Always.
4.
"What is wrong with your photograph. You look like a Muslim butcher"
Who decided the two words have to go together
5.
"Her father did so much for her and she married a Muslim"
So??
6.
"People are so prejudiced against each other. I just can't understand why they have this thing against other religions"
"But it is true, Muslims are dirty I can say it from my personal experience"
Here you see the seed turned into a tree with deep roots.
7.
"Why is there no holiday for Ramzan. When we can have holiday's for things like Durga Puja. Ganesh Puja etc"
"It is an optional holiday, they can take if they want"
Was the one who made the holiday calendar a Hindu?
8.
"There are so many animals killed in Haj. It is so inhuman"
"What is cooked for dinner?"
"Mutton"
Ofcourse your killing is a better killing I am sure the goat doesn't die when you eat it.
9.
"Ban Beef"
Did the cow bribe you?  or it's life is more valuable than others?
10.
"I am a Muslim and I apologize for what Akbaruddin Owaisi said"
"He is a foolish opportunist and a communal politician but wasn't he true with the stats, the pogrom has happened?"
One has to prove one is a good Muslim.
11.
"Godse was a nationalist. He couldn't tolerate the injustice Gandhi was doing to the Hindus. He even touched his feet in reverence before killing him"
There is no end. Just look back into the past we have all been either a part of the perpetrators or the victims.
All I can do is wish for:
A day when the humanity wins and there will be no religion.
It is high time we throw it out.