Former Pakistani cricketer, Danish Kaneria, is now being vilified and abused on social media by Islamists residing in Pakistan and by the scores of radicals in India.
His only mistake was that he had asked the senior editor of The Wire, Arfa Khanum Sherwani, to not insult the Indian cricket fans. The ‘journalist announced that she was ashamed of her Indian identity on account of the ‘majoritarianism’ displayed by Indian fans during the 2023 World Cup.
Danish Kaneria, who happens to be the second Hindu to play for Pakistan, thus asked the ‘privileged’ Arfa Khanum Sherwani to migrate to Pakistan if she has issues with her Indian identity.
Come to my country Pakistan if you are feeling ashamed to be an Indian. India doesn’t need people like you.
— Danish Kaneria (@DanishKaneria61) October 22, 2023
I am sure many people in India will be happy to sponsor this trip. https://t.co/kYV91bDEiE
It was The Wire ‘journalist’ who made it about her Indian identity and how she was ashamed of it. When Danish Kaneria merely gave her a suggestion that would let her live her life without ‘shame’ by going to Pakistan, Arfa Khanum Sherwani resorted to playing the ‘Muslim victim card.’
She first accused him of unleashing an online ‘lynch mob’ against her and that claimed that Danish Kaneria’s comment was rooted in communalism. The propaganda artist alleged that asking an Indian Muslim to ‘go to Pakistan’ is a display of majoritarianism.
Interestingly, Kaneria is a Hindu minority living in Muslim-dominated Pakistan. As such, her suggestion that his tweet reeked of majoritarian in some way was bizarre and devoid of any rationale.
Yes,every word of your tweet was communal.
— Arfa Khanum Sherwani (@khanumarfa) October 22, 2023
Asking an Indian Muslim to ‘go to Pakistan’ is as communal& majoritarian as asking a Pakistani Hindu to convert to Islam.
It is telling the minority people that you don’t belong here or not until you convert to majority religion
Got it? https://t.co/n8J5u5OsxL
Arfa Khanum Sherwani, who has never talked about the deplorable plight of Hindus or other religious minorities in Pakistan, drew false equivalence by converting a mere slogan of ‘go to Pakistan’ to actual incidents of forced conversion in the Islamic country.
“Asking an Indian Muslim to ‘go to Pakistan’ is as communal& majoritarian as asking a Pakistani Hindu to convert to Islam. It is telling the minority people that you don’t belong here or not until you convert to majority religion. Got it?” she brazened out.
The Wire ‘journalist’ has conveniently ignored the menace of forced conversion of Hindus to Islam to not alienate her supporters from across the border. However, she was quick to rake up the issue only to perpetuate her false sense of victimhood.
In an EXPLOSIVE interview with Zee News, Ex-Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria claims Shahid Afridi forced him to convert to Islam, reveals which Indian batter was a nightmare for Pakistan team, & opens up about #ViratKohliVsBabarAzam debate@DanishKaneria61 @kanaujia_rachit pic.twitter.com/R0M02gTmWz
— Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) May 4, 2022
As a matter of fact, Danish Kaneria has been abused on social media for daring to speak up on forced conversion. When he was part of the Pakistan cricket dressing room, he was humiliated and subjected to discrimination for being a Hindu.
This was confirmed by former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar. Danish Kaneria has gone on record to highlight how Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi tried to convert him to Islam.
One could only imagine if a cricketer was subjected to such an ordeal, then, what would be the plight of common Hindus in Islamic Pakistan? Far from empathising with Danish Kaneria, Arfa Khanum Sherwani used the ex-cricketer’s disturbing experience to lecture him about forced conversion.
I am not taking about conversion, majoritarianism, Hindus, Indian Muslims or religion. I am simply talking about your ‘loyalty’. Got it?
— Danish Kaneria (@DanishKaneria61) October 23, 2023
Let’s end the debate with single answer — “Just show me a single tweet in which you praised Bharat and its culture.” https://t.co/xtuZ06RL0K
The former Pakistani cricketer did not stoop down to her level and instead challenged the propaganda artist to show a tweet where she displayed her pride for Bharat and its culture.
He emphasised, “I am simply talking about your ‘loyalty’. Got it? Let’s end the debate with single answer — “Just show me a single tweet in which you praised Bharat and its culture.” Arfa Khanum Sherwani has yet to respond to him. Interestingly, she had replied promptly when it came to her ‘religious victim card.’
Usual suspects defend The Wire ‘journalist’
Nonetheless, the leftist-Islamist nexus came to her rescue and character assassinated Danish Kaneria for taking Arfa Khanum Sherwani head-on.
Seema Chisti, an editor at The Wire, claimed, “Like all sensible Indians, Arfa is appalled, and rightly so, by the display of jingoism and petty-mindedness. She does not need to go anywhere else – far from it – many more people here and everywhere else need to call it out – each time when it is not cricket.””
Like all sensible Indians, @khanumarfa is appalled, and rightly so, by the display of jingoism and petty-mindedness.
— Seema Chishti (@seemay) October 22, 2023
She does not need to go anywhere else ☺️ – far from it – many more people here and everywhere else need to call it out – each time when it is not cricket. https://t.co/MgQDG4M7Dz
‘Journalist’ Mrinal Pande brazened out, “Arfa Khanum Sherwani is one of our best, winner of the prestigious Chameli Devi Jain award for excellence in reporting. She is rightly incensed by this xenophobic madness. We in the media firmly stand by her.”
@khanumarfa is one of our best, winner of the prestigious Chameli Devi Jain award for excellence in reporting. She is rightly incensed by this xenophobic madness. We in the media firmly stand by her. https://t.co/6I97OlSCz6
— Mrinal Pande (@MrinalPande1) October 22, 2023
Part-time ‘journalist’ claimed that Indians are supporting Danish Kaneria only because Arfa Khanum Sherwani happens to be a ‘Muslim.’ In that way, he lent credence to her perpetual state of victimhood.
Indian right wing in a nutshell:
— Parth MN (@parthpunter) October 22, 2023
Supporting an ex cricketer who's trolling a journalist only because she's a Muslim.
It doesn't matter that the ex-cricketer was banned for life for spot fixing.
One more member of the leftist-Islamist nexus alleged that the support for Kaneria from the Indians stemmed from his Hindu identity.
A Pakistani Match Fixer who was banned for life is trolling an Indian Journalist and Indian RW is supporting the Pakistani Spot-fixer. Because the Pakistani the Matchfixer is Hindu and the Indian Journalist is Muslim and for Indian RW, Religion comes before Nation
— Joy (@Joydas) October 22, 2023
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi also threw his weight behind The Wire ‘journalist’ and claimed that her tweets was a reflection of India’s unity in diversity.
“This debate for me highlights India’s greatest strength and strategic asset. Our ability to appreciate and defend our pluralism. This is why 1.2 billion people have remained proud and united. Indians will always rise to protect our DNA “unity in diversity’. #MohabbatKiDukan,” he said.
This debate for me highlights India’s greatest strength and strategic asset. Our ability to appreciate and defend our pluralism. This is why 1.2 billion people have remained proud and united. Indians will always rise to protect our DNA “unity in diversity’. #MohabbatKiDukan https://t.co/nqesa5h0dV
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) October 23, 2023
Mohammed Zubair comes to the rescue of Arfa Khanum Sherwani
Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, who has a history of peddling fake news, tried to guilt-trip Danish Kaneria for calling out Arfa Khanum Sherwani’s attempt to shame Indian cricket fans.
He shared a 5-year-old video of Kaneria confessing to the 2009 Essex spot-fixing scandal in the hopes of character-assassinating Kaneria. Zubair has been involved in viciously defending rabid Islamists and unleashing his online lynch mob against Hindus.
A classic case of his dog whistling and brazen propaganda was the Nupur Sharma controversy of May 2022. The ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma found herself at the centre of a raging storm after Islamists, egged on by the likes of AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair, issued multiple threats against her and her family for expressing her views on Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
Now that Danish Kaneria is trending. Here is his old (2018) confession video of his Match Fixing involvement in England. pic.twitter.com/ckbNDQIHI6
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) October 22, 2023
Sharma was part of a debate panel on Times Now, discussing the finding of Shivling in the Gyanvapi complex and the subsequent mockery of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses that followed in the wake of the discovery. Islamists had claimed that the Shivling discovered inside the wuzukhana of the Gyanvapi disputed structure was not a Shivling but a fountain.
Across social media platforms, detractors had repeated ad nauseam that the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi premises was a fountain and not an idol of a Hindu God. In response to the contempt and scorn poured over Hindu Gods and Goddesses, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma asked them to refrain from insulting Hindu Gods and cited Islamic scriptures and Holy Quran for substantiating her remarks on Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
Zubair shared an incomplete video of the debate, touching off Sar Tan Se Juda protests all over the country. While Islamists went on a rampage on the streets in many cities across the country, it was essentially Mohammed Zubair who was responsible for kindling a fire that had gone on to assume uncontrollable proportions.
It was Zubair’s dog-whistling that made a mountain out of a molehill and painted a target behind the back of Nupur Sharma and anyone and everyone who came out in her support. The ominous hounding of Nupur Sharma prompted many to extend their support to her.
Arfa Khanum Sherwani and her ‘loyalty’ to India
At the heart of this online spat between a former Pakistani cricketer and an Indian ‘journalist’ was the latter’s tirade against her Indian identity.
While she could have limited her rant to Indian cricket fans, she extended it to her identity as an Indian. “Deplorable behaviour of many cricket fans during World Cup matches, makes me feel embarrassed &ashamed as an Indian,” Arfa Khanum Sherwani tweeted on Sunday (22nd October).
Deplorable behaviour of many cricket fans during World Cup matches, makes me feel embarrassed &ashamed as an Indian.
— Arfa Khanum Sherwani (@khanumarfa) October 22, 2023
This petty, insecure & majoritarian approach towards sports which was meant to bring people together, is symbolic of India Modi-RSS have created in last one decade
And it wasn’t the first time when Arfa Khanum Sherwani expressed shame about being an Indian to further her political agenda.
In October 2021, she claimed, “Every time I think of Siddique Kappan, I feel ashamed as an Indian and as a journalist. Today marks one year since he has been incarcerated on charges of sedition. He was booked under UAPA – a terror law. He is paying the price of being honest, being a journalist and a Muslim.”
Every time I think of #SiddiqueKappan, I feel ashamed as an Indian and as a journalist.
— Arfa Khanum Sherwani (@khanumarfa) October 5, 2021
Today marks one year since he has been incarcerated on charges of sedition. He was booked under UAPA-a terror law.
He is paying the price of being honest, being a journalist and a Muslim.
In December 2018, the propaganda artist dubbed the patriotic slogan of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ as ‘communal’ and majoritarian slogan. This has prompted Danish Kaneria to question her loyalty to India and its culture.
Despite being discriminated against by his countrymen for the virtue of being a Hindu and pressured into converting to Islam, Danish Kaneria’s loyalty lies with Pakistan. Far from being ashamed of his national identity, he is rather proud of it.
“Valid point. I was born in Pakistan, played for Pakistan and proud to be a Pakistani. Some cheap people discriminated against me, but I can’t blame all for this. I can’t abuse my country. Yes, if anything goes wrong with my community I will keep raising voice for them,” he added.
Valid point.
— Danish Kaneria (@DanishKaneria61) October 23, 2023
I was born in Pakistan, played for Pakistan and proud to be a Pakistani. Some cheap people discriminated against me, but I can’t blame all for this. I can’t abuse my country.
Yes, If anything goes wrong with my community I will keep raising voice for them. https://t.co/HSMF5BjfrE
The same cannot be said about Arfa Khanum Sherwani. She is yet to respond to the challenge by Danish Kaneria. Instead, the tweets by Arfa Khnaum Sherwani, attacking her national identity and chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, are there for everyone to see.
As such, the suggestion by the former Pakistani cricketer to The Wire ‘journalist; to migrate to Pakistan is in fact a testament to her dwindling and questionable ‘loyalty’ to India.
Pakistani Hindu had to brave ‘majoritarian’ lesson from privileged Indian Muslim
As evident from the entire discourse on social media, a Hindu can never truly be a victim in the eyes of an Islamist.
A Hindu minority in Pakistan such as Danish Kaneria, who is subjected to discrimination on an everyday basis, is being given lessons in ‘majoritarianism’ and ‘communalism’ by a privileged, well-to-do Arfa Khanum Sherwani.
Her ridiculous defence on social media came at the expense of downplaying the real-life atrocities committed by the Hindus in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Despite this, the leftist-Islamist nexus did not waste any time and came to her rescue.
I am 200 percent sure, you won't leave India, where would an Ashraf Muslim woman would get such privilege to play victim while abusing the nation. https://t.co/aH0Y1wjUJH
— Amana Begam Ansari (@Amana_Ansari) October 22, 2023
Despite her privileged life in India, Arfa Khanum Sherwani’s social media identity is based on a false and inflated sense of victimhood. She has indeed been successful in using her Indian identity as bait for political posturing with little to no consequences.
