Politicisation of Art: Indian Artists boycotting Israeli Art Show

Last updated on: August 3, 2011 at 7:40 pm by Desh Kapoor

Politicisation of Art: Indian Artists boycotting Israeli Art Show 2011-08-03T19:40:23-05:00 Desh Kapoor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

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.

Politics

Religion

Previous Post

August 3, 2011

U.S. Pharmaceutical Companies Testing Drugs on India’s Poor

Next Post

August 4, 2011 Government forcibly acquires village land to lease to Rajiv Gandhi Trust for peanuts

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Aarti Achievement and Leadership AfPak Africa Annual and Year-end Asia Audio Australia Behavioural Sciences Bhagwad Gita Bhagwad Gita Blogging Blogs Business Business Intelligence Business Strategy Cannes Careers Chanakya China Conservation Corruption Creative Daily Links Desh Poems Development & Welfare Devotional Audio Devotional Songs Drama Earth Economics Education Entertainment Environment Europe Everyday Quotes Featured Articles Featured Songs Finance Flickr Pictures Food Geo-Political Global Warming Globalization Health & Medicine Hinduism Historic History Humour India Indian Culture Indian music Indian Weddings Israel Issues Legal Link Love Minorities Misc Motivation and Personal Development Movie Lists Movie Reviews Movies Mumbai terror attacks Natural Disasters Nature News Outsourcing Pakistan Parenting Personal Philosophy Poetry Politics Poverty Quotes Recipe Regular Blog Post Relationships Religion Religious/Spiritual Audio Sciences Showcase Slideshow South Asia Special Stories Spiritual Quotes Spirituality Sports Stories Strategy Technology Technology Terrorism Travel Uncategorized US Video Women Women_s Rights Worship Yoga

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 June 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 September 2014 August 2014 January 2014 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jeremiah see in his first vision as a young prophet?

Select your answer to see how you score.

An almond branch A lion A burning coal A scroll