This is not the only thing that Muslims are encouraged by myopic leaders to use as a point of difference between us and them. They are also encouraged these days to veil their women and send their children to madarsas whose mindset and curriculum has not changed in 1400 years. They are being encouraged to think of themselves as part of the larger brotherhood of Islam which, they are told, is in grave danger from ‘‘crusaders’’, Jews and us idol-worshippers. So from Kashmir to Kanyakumari these days you meet ordinary, ‘‘nek, namazi’’ Muslims who have started looking towards Arabia for their cultural roots. This is not just silly but sad because in doing this they are gradually forgetting the richness of our own culture and their immense contribution to it.

They forget that it was possible more than a hundred years ago for Ghalib to write, ‘‘Khuda key vaastey purdah na Kaabey sey utha, zahid, kaheen aisa na ho yaan (yahaan) bhi yahi kaafir sanam nikley’’. (For Khuda’s sake, priest, do not lift the veil that hides the Kaaba, be careful that you do not find there this same Heathen God). Would any Indian Muslim poet dare write this today?