Few takers for ‘arabi rumaals’ after terror taint

Tag : scarves

New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) Din Mohammad, a shopkeeper at the BatlaHouse market in south Delhi, used to sell at least 60 ‘arabirumaals’ every month, but he has barely sold five in the last20 days. There are few takers for the innocuous chequered scarves,usually worn by Muslims to offer prayers, that have come to besuddenly associated with terror.
People have been shunning them after three youths suspected to bebehind the Sep 13 serials bombings in Delhi were shown ontelevision and in widely publicised photographs being produced incourt by police with their faces covered in the red and whitekerchiefs.
‘Earlier I used to sell at least 60-70 scarves in a month,but in the last 20 days I have sold only five. I am expecting thesale to rise when people go for Haj,’ said Din.
‘The sale of arabi rumaals has gone down after thecontroversial shootout,’ Din told IANS.
His shop is in an area close to the spot where two Muslim youthsalleged to be linked to the Delhi blasts were gunned down by policein what came to be known as the Batla House encounter.
Across the city near Jama Masjid in the walled city, Imran, whosells skull caps, scarves and rosaries, has a similar story:‘Earlier, I used to sell at least three to five scarves perday, but now it has been reduced to one and sometimes even aslittle as one or two in a week.’
Sadar Bazaar, Nizamuddin and Jama Masjid are the areas of Delhiwhere these scarves are sold wholesale.
Abdul Sattar, a wholesale dealer at Sadar Bazaar in central Delhi,said: ‘There is a slump in orders, whether it is because they(scarves) are being associated with terrorism or economic recessionis difficult to say, but we are hopeful that we will get moreorders in the coming months when people go for Haj.’
Although the scarves are available in plain white as well, peoplehave for long preferred the ones in black-and-white orred-and-white checks.
Middle aged and elderly people who pray regularly form the mainclientele and the sale of these scarves is high during the month ofRamadan and during Haj.
‘In fact the scarf is a replacement of imama (turban worn byreligious leaders). The imama is made of five yard cloth. Tying theimama is a time-consuming procedure. The scarf is easier touse,’ said Maulana Anzar of Saharanpur who had come to Delhito meet his niece studying in Jamia Millia Islamia.
‘These scarves can also be used as jaanamaz (mat) to offernamaz and to cover the head and face during summers and winters.Associating it with terrorism is insane,’ Anzar said.
The chequered scarves gained global fame and were also calledArafati because of its use as headgear by Yasser Arafat, latePalestinian leader.
As a mark of protest against the police act of producing suspectedterrorists in court with these scarves, Azamgarh MP Akbar Ahmadappeared in parliament with his face covered by a similar scarf.
Muslim clerics feel that visuals of terrorists with their headscovered with such scarves and that of police producing suspectedterrorists in the same manner have maligned the image of Ulema(religious leaders) and common Muslims who are law abiding and wantto lead a peaceful life.
‘For the stereotyping that a Muslim wearing a chequered scarfcan be a potential terrorist, terrorists, police and media areequally responsible. The media show mainly those images ofterrorists in which they cover their faces with such scarves.Police did the same thing when it produced three boys as suspectedterrorists with their faces covered with such scarves. This isoutrageous,’ Mufti Yasin of Deoband told IANS.
Bookmark with:

More from India