This article by BrumbyOz is a compilation of several tweets by him (@brumbyOz) on Twitter
Who is a Sarkari Muslim? You can’t randomly go about labeling people as Sarkari Muslims just because you don’t like them. A person has to show a very specific kind of behavior to qualify as a Sarkari Muslim. I will list those qualities in this thread.
#1 – A Sarkari Muslim is always a pro-establishment guy. Hence ‘Sarkari’. By establishment, I mean the Govt of the day, social elites & media. A Sarkari Muslim says what the establishment wants to hear about Muslims. By doing this he can get into the good books of the establishment.
#2 – A Sarkari Muslim hates being lumped together with the wider Muslim community. He has nothing but contempt for Muslims who are religious. He judges fellow Muslims for what they eat or for that they wear. He defines religion in a way that is acceptable to the establishment.
#3 – Despite his delusions of grandeur, a Sarkari Muslim has practically no direct influence over the wider community. But he has a symbiotic relationship with Islamophobic mass media. He uses the media for self-promotion & the media uses him to reinforce bigoted stereotypes about Muslims
#4 – A Sarkari Muslim thrives on bigoted stereotypes about Muslims. Instead of challenging these stereotypes a Sarkari Muslim meticulously exploits them to position himself as a voice of reason among the Hindu Elite.
#5 – A Sarkari Muslim is the King of false equivalence. Among his key performance indicators is his ability to smoothly equate the oppressors with the oppressed. The ‘both sides’ equally responsible argument shields Hindus from criticism & holds Muslims responsible for their plight.
#6 – A Sarkari Muslim would quickly bring up important but unrelated issues to shift the focus away from minority persecution at the hands of the majority. For instance, you talk about lynching they will talk about education or Triple Talaq or disunity among Muslims as if they are all related.
#7 – A Sarkari Muslim lacks compassion for fellow Muslims. He uses loaded terms like “Islamist”, “fanatic” or “Wahabi” or even a “terrorist” to describe his critics from Muslim community. Knowing well that these tags can ruin people’s lives. He is often a borderline sociopath.
#8 – A Sarkari Muslim value his unequal “friendship” with Hindus more than he values fairness and justice in society. A Sarkari Muslim will never challenge his Hindu “friends” no matter how bigoted their ideas are but will pounce on the first mistake made by a fellow Muslim.
#9 – One of the most insidious and destructive traits of a Sarkari Muslim is in his ability to establish himself as the “model Muslim citizen” either by being submissive or by actively pandering to majoritarian bigotry. A Sarkari Muslim is usually low on self-respect.
#10 – A Sarkari Muslim is often soft-spoken. He uses his suave language skills to say things that appear beautiful but means nothing. His mild manners mask his deep-seated sectarian hate. He will enthusiastically throw fellow Muslims under the bus at first opportunity.
