#BookReview : But You Don't Look Like A Muslim by Rakhshanda Jalil

What does it mean to be Muslim in India? What does it mean to look like one's religion? Does one's faith determine how one is perceived? Is there a secular ideal one is supposed to live up to? Can people of different faiths have a shared culture, a shared identity? India has, since time immemorial, been plural, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual, where various streams have fed into and strengthened each other, and where dissimilarities have always been a cause for rejoicing rather than strife. These writings, on and about being Muslim in India, by Rakhshanda Jalil one of the country s foremost literary historians and cultural commentators excavate memories, interrogate dilemmas, and rediscover and celebrate a nation and its syncretic culture.

But You Don’t Look Like A Muslim is a non-fiction written by Rakhshanda Jalil & published by Harper Collins India. Apart from being a writer she is also a critic & a literary historian. She is also a well-known translator, with eight published translations of Premchand, Asghar Wajahat, Saadat Hasan Manto, Shahryar, Intezar Hussain and Phanishwarnath Renu.

The book is a collection of 40 essays divided into 4 groups of 10 essays each. Each group has been titled as per the four pillars which affect any community; politics, culture, literature & religion itself. The first essay’s title My Father Did Not Take the Train to Pakistan in itself is a punch to one’s throat, while one can interpret it in many ways but it was enough for me to make sure this book is going to be a hell of a emotional roller coaster. Each essay while includes personal stories of not just the author but of other people, it also contains some detailed historical facts which gives depth to the essays. Get this book here,

I would surely start from the title itself, something which we heard quite a lot more than the number of times we should come across it. How not being recognized as a Muslim from one’s appearance normalizes their existence in the society but definite question that arises is that what happens if one DOES look like a Muslim? The author tries to wrestle with several such topics regarding the identity of a Muslim and gives several relevant references to describe it. The chapters have been interwoven with beautiful poems to sum up the essays and each group gives you a wholesome idea about each of the subject matter. In the current scenario of our country, I believe books with such personal stories need to be told widely because these can prove to be a tool to break the divide between us vs them. A must read.