Way to set yourself apart from the pack, Uncle-ji.
Just in case it wasn’t clear from the billboard, Vijay Kumar may be brown, but he’s not one of those other kinds of brown people. Don’t get confused, Tennesseans. He’s just like you. But not me.
Vijay Kumar is one of eleven Republican Congressional candidates running for office in Nashville, TN (5th District). The primary elections are coming up soon, August 5th. From his site:
Vijay was born in 1954 in Hyderabad, India, to a conservative middle class family…. In 1979, Vijay emigrated to the United States because he felt uplifted by the values and possibilities inherent in the American way of life. In 1983, Vijay married Robin Minix, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky. In keeping with his conservative family values, Vijay and Robin have been married for twenty-seven years. The Kumar family attends Bellevue Community Church in Nashville, Tennessee.[kumarforcongress]
So he’s an immigrant, he married a local, and he converted. Ok, fine, just like almost every other candidate we’ve blogged about here. But the kicker is just how much the “Islamization of America” is a part of his campaign. He talks about “Universal Jihad” “The Islamist Challenge” and “Sharia Law” on his site. He states he doesn’t believe there is an “Indian-Pakistani problem… just a universal jihadist problem.” He further expounds by basically saying that being Muslim and being American are inherently antithetical and for the sake of the American Constitution we need to get rid of people that follow the Quran. You can’t make this kind of political messaging narrative up. He says some other hateful anti-Muslim rhetoric on his site, but I don’t want to give him more blog space here on Sepia Mutiny than I have to. But you get my point. Here’s the kicker (like that wasn’t enough). Also running for Congress a neighboring district over for the Republican party is a Desi Muslim candidate: Mahmood Sabri is running for Congress in the 1st District in Tennessee. How’s that for some party solidarity and united messaging?
Tennessee still has yet to experience their primary elections. VIjay Kumar will be competing against ten other congressional candidates to capture the Republican seat for this race. I highly doubt Mr. Kumar will get very far with his current messaging, especially considering his competition and that his race is in a somewhat urban area. All the same, I find it surprising he was able to get away with getting as far as he has with the campaign message he has. I also find it surprising that he’s almost using anti-Islamic sentiment not only as a crutch for his campaign, but also in a way to remind the voters how not “one of those kinds of brown” he is.
As for some of the commenters on Sepia Mutiny who advocate supporting South Asian candidates just for being South Asian, this is a case book example of why NOT to do that. We need to hold South Asian candidates accountable to OUR community on real ISSUES, inclusive of all Desis and Muslims (and Hindus and Christians), alike. Being tokenized and pandering for votes is just not going to cut it. If we can’t do that, then what is the point to having political power as a South Asian American community, really?
Nothing.
Oy gevalt!
gah, what is it with these desi republican candidates from the south?
Sounds like a nobody trying to get some attention by appealing to the anti-Islam sentiment growing throughout the US. It will likely fail, however,it will likely work for some others in the upcoming election.
P.S.
I don’t think Mohammed Sabri has a chance in hell (He ran as an independent in 08 and recieved less than one percent of the votes). Especially with a name like Mohammed.
“gah, what is it with these desi republican candidates from the south? “
When in Rome….
Wait–why should “brown-solidarity” take precedence over religious or national identity? On the two latter ones, we can see why Kumar would take the positions he does.
I don’t believe there is an India-Pakistan problem too. Pakistan has been the breeding ground for terrorism, first in Punjab and then in Kashmir. Now the new label being used is ‘Jihad’
Well How come nobody speaks about Taqqya……Well I am all for Poltical Correctness…I would just love to see through my lifetime the same thing that happened in Hindu Afghanistan, Hindu/Buddhist SE Asia, Buddhist Central Asia and Zorastrain Iran..It would be quite a show
I don’t see any arguments against Vijay’s position. I take it you disagree. Care to share why? Do you support Jihad?
His irrational hatred of Muslims makes more sense because he is an American Christian?
I don’t know raj, why is it irrational to resist the jihad? Should the Greeks have not had such talk when under attack by the Turks? Why is today different, if you are an Indian or an American?
Taz – you can do better. A weak response to fundamentalism of any genre only serves to strengthen the movement. So let us hear your thoughts on why Vijay does not deserve the support of Desis and how he is not from OUR Community. He is anti-jihad. Are you saying that you are pro-jihad ?
@Raj
“His irrational hatred of Muslims makes more sense because he is an American Christian? “
In a word yes…Evangelicals and American Conservatives are increasingly becoming very anti-muslim. Even another Repub. congressional candidate in Tennessee, Lou Ann Zelenik, is saying the same thing.
@ Abe and @ Melbourne Desi
Either you’re being dense or needlessly combative.
Blanket hate for all people of a faith – any faith – is called prejudice. Prejudice is an attribute that Taz and most rational human beings would rather avoid in candidates for public office. Nothing about this point is difficult to understand.
@ NSK, humor me. Vijay is “prejudiced” because he opposes Jihad ? — an ideology that calls for killing non Muslims– . And I am being dense?
I bet mods here will support him if he was anti-sematic. Nice pandering to your target audience SM.
Feature request: bat sign button but we could use to holler for the SM intern.
This framing rings hollow. A half truth at best. There’s nothing un-indian about islamophobia (Modi anyone?) so postioning his behavour as cowtowing to the romans is strained. He’s likely being himself, only his quintessially indian prejudice happens to overlap with a new american one.
i knowlife would be so much easier if you could just uncle-tom the guy, but there’s noting token about him…as every other uncle-ji in town speaks the same way. live by authenticity die by it, brown people.
You forgot to remove the expletive by fob hater.
This blog is for self-hating brown people, by self-hating brown people.
This comment will self-destruct in 3 mins.
I always think it’s problematic to describe us as one monolithic community, because I know many, many Desis who are not progressive, who are pro-life, pro-gun rights and anti-Gay marriage, who are anti-Jihad, etc. Whether you agree with someone or not, that doesn’t negate who they are, where their genes come from or what life experiences they’ve had because of the color of their skin or whom they worship. You can lob the ugly, unnecessary “Uncle Tom”-pipe bomb as many times as you want at someone whose politics don’t converge with yours; that doesn’t deracinate them or trade them to a more convenient ethnicity in the racial draft, it just explodes, in all of our faces. If we are a strong community (and I believe that we are), then we can agree to disagree. Do we contradict ourselves? Very well, then we contradict ourselves, we are large, we contain multitudes.
Having said that, I don’t think it’s fair, kind or right to use Taz as a punching bag, or as a stand-in for terrorists or as someone to vomit your anti-Muslim biases on or anything else remotely similar. Taz is Taz. She is not the spokesperson for all Muslims, everywhere, since the dawn of Muslim time. She is not evil or pro-jihad in the way that some of you are desperately hoping for her to be. She is just a woman who worships a certain way, who probably is appalled by the same things which appall you. And she doesn’t have to spell that out in 72 pt. font, at the beginning of every post she writes in order to merit the courtesy that she (and every blogger here) deserves.
He poses absolutely no threat to Jim Cooper’s seat. Also, the 5th district is democrat-heavy.
How come changing faith is considered genuine, but anti-jihad is pandering. Call a spade a spade, this is America, truth is important.
Either you’re being dense or needlessly combative.
my complaint about Taz is the weak nature of the post not that I support Vijay. I dont even live in the country. As for combative a statement like this is opening the floodgates “We need to hold South Asian candidates accountable to OUR community on real ISSUES” – clearly jihad is not an issue for Taz. Unlike most desis on this forum every single DBD muslim I know (even in windy Melbourne) complains about the jihadists who are screwing things up. Lets hate the jihadists before we start blaming prejudice. Prejudice is way better than blowing up innocent people – including fellow muslims.
I like his tie.
So my dad (who happens to share his name with this candidate- and countless Amitabh Bachchan characters) was born in 1957 in India, to a lower class Hindu family and his rhetoric and stance on anything that has to do with Muslims is pretty much the same as this candidate’s. I don’t think Mr. Kumar is being disingenuous. He has chosen to exaggerate one aspect of his political platform to (I imagine) appeal to a certain demographic of voters, but Taz you’re implying that doing so makes him DIFFERENT from most Desis. I would say that it might make him different from second-generation Desis, but it makes him a LOT like many middle class Indian immigrants and even more like many mainstream Indian politicians, no?
@contradict much “How come changing faith is considered genuine, but anti-jihad is pandering. Call a spade a spade, this is America, truth is important.”
Because being brown casts an entire narrative on you. You are expected to act a certain way and feel a certain way. And even if it is not true, other desis tend to cast suspicion on your motivations. Frankly I am glad that not all desis are pseudo-progressive democrat-loving stooges like we used to be. I guess it shows that the community is maturing into becoming integrated Americans.
@Manju
“There’s nothing un-indian about islamophobia (Modi anyone?) so postioning his behavour as cowtowing to the romans is strained. He’s likely being himself, only his quintessially indian prejudice happens to overlap with a new american one.”
It is a bit presumptuous to make such a statement. The guy left India in 1979, converted to Christianity, married a white chick, and somehow he is influenced by Indian antagonism to Islam? If he was should not such hate be restricted to South Asian muslims? Even the most hardcore Hindu nationalist does not really have a problem with Arabs Muslims, Iranian Muslims, etc.
Frankly I am glad that not all desis are pseudo-progressive democrat-loving stooges like we used to be.
OK, but remember plenty of first-gen’s from India are conservative, and fund accordingly!
somehow he is influenced by Indian antagonism to Islam? If he was should not such hate be restricted to South Asian muslims? Even the most hardcore Hindu nationalist does not really have a problem with Arabs Muslims, Iranian Muslims, etc.
Not true–many Muslim invaders were Persian-speaking–thus “Taj,” etc. Also, don’t a lot of desi Muslims claim to be “really” Arab or Persian or Turk? Also, modern-day Arabs continue to mistreat desis in the Gulf.
@Vi:
What your father (and others) might not understand is that in the American context anti-Muslim sentiment is xenophobia broadly. This is why a Greek Orthodox cleric was beaten badly by a white man who claimed he had attacked a terrorist. This is why Egyptian Christians protesting the “Ground Zero Mosque” were almost lynched by the white protesters, even though they were on the same side and kept saying so. We’ve posted many stories like this, including ones of brown non-Muslim military officers who have been treated poorly.
Another reason for other brownz to object to Kumar is that he’s unamerican, he’s willing to throw out the constitution, the first amendment, just to pander to voters. And that’s bad for all of us, no matter what our race or creed.
That is some bad advertising.
I saw that sign and thought it was from some white dude trying to say “Voting for Vijay is a vote for Jihad”
Could his tie have any more flags on it? Glenn Beck wouldnt wear something that outwardly patriotic.
Manju at 15
That’s it, Manju. You are being demoted to JW Red from now on.
But seriously, folks, the guy is just being a politician, a unique breed of people blessed with an uncanny grasp of Marketing that would do Steve Jobs proud. If you are a brown in Nashville, TN, it wouldn’t be such a bad marketing strategy to quickly and permanently differentiate yourself from what many uninformed Americans consider the brown menace. Yes, I am referring to jihadists and terrorists.
What I found particularly offensive about his position as stated on his web site was his wholesale condemnation of the Quran and Islam, as if the latter were terms interchangeable with jihad, and if jihad was interchangeable with terrorism. Read the Quran, Vijay-bhai, to truly understand what the Prophet actually meant by jihad instead of just regurgitating all that Muslim bashing that you might have picked up on from your Saturday night socials.
On the subject of immigrants of my generation being by and large anti-Islamic, I will have to admit it is true. Interestingly enough, the enlightened Hindus in India – at least the ones I know – have a more complex attitude towards Islam and Muslims than similarly enlightened immigrants in the US. I don’t know if it is the Time Warp Syndrome that usually affects immigrants on other fronts as well.
If anybody is interested in reading my dad’s highly researched book on Islam, send me an e-mail at toobizzy4@yahoo.com and I will e-mail you a pdf file. It is being sold on various web sites but for my SM friends it’s free.
Another reason for other brownz to object to Kumar is that he’s unamerican, he’s willing to throw out the constitution, the first amendment, just to pander to voters. And that’s bad for all of us, no matter what our race or creed.
What Ennis said!!
Well, I actually don’t think he’s necessarily trying to pander to voters. I can totally believe that he’s been ranting along these lines at his dinner table for years—if I wouldn’t have believed it before, I’d believe it after reading all the terrible commenters that show up here.
But yeah, basically, if you display such a minimal understanding of what Congress is allowed and not allowed to do, you have no business running for Congress and I will laugh when you are soundly defeated. Ugly flag ties and extreme rhetoric are no substitute for actually understanding the constitution.
@Query
“OK, but remember plenty of first-gen’s from India are conservative, and fund accordingly!”
Maybe today, 20 years ago I recall it was democrat all the way (must have something to do with being the new kid on the block). South Asian American development parallels the Irish in my view. Initially discriminated and ignored, now we are increasingly accepted, so we now are dumping our former progressive friends down the well to explore our individual politics.
“Not true–many Muslim invaders were Persian-speaking–thus “Taj,” etc. Also, don’t a lot of desi Muslims claim to be “really” Arab or Persian or Turk? Also, modern-day Arabs continue to mistreat desis in the Gulf.”
That is a bit overdoing it. Regardless of what origin desi Muslims purport to be the are still desis. I have never heard a Hindu/Sikh scream death to Persia/Iran or death to Arabs. Simply non-muslims South Asians really don’t care, there antagonisms are local and restricted to the subcontinent. As for desi mistreatment in the Gulf, it happens regardless of whether you are Muslim or not.
BTW, ANNA & Ennis, I appreciate your response to the bat sign.
Well, yeah. He left India as an adult and most socially coservative indians, which means most indians at least in comparison to americans, retain their social conservatism–ie views of women, muslims, the gay, and sometimes caste–even after being in the usa for a gazillion years. in fact the running joke in the indian community is that they are even more conservative than their peeps who stayed in the desh.
well, the focus is pakistan and s.asian muslims but its not restricted to them. I can’t think of anyone who hates s.asian muslms while simulltaneously having no prob with arab ones. in fact i recall pankaj mistra complaining about indians admiring israel, presumably b/c they see a connection:
Shashi Tharoor weighed in here:
India’s Israel Envy
Oh, yay. A Desi version of Hersi. As if things aren’t bad enough already coming from the nutjob American religious right, now there’s this. And what about what seems to be a universal American Protestant “jihad” (used quite incorrectly), I might ask? Aren’t they wreaking havoc anywhere they go and messing up just about everything they touch?
There is an excellent book which covers the Christian roots of American liberty. it is Faith and Freedom by Benjamin Hart. People need to read the book ot understand Vijay Kumar’s argumenst.
Manju,
he says he was in Iran in 1979 before the Shah was toppled. If VJ has an excuse for making conspicuous what is, for most uncles a quiet prejudice, it may be that but it’s still weak sauce.
anna,
much of the license and tendency to uncle-tomize any analysis of VJ is that there is an assumption that politicians should act as public servants and that elected office is sacred–not the cynical view of democracy and elected office-holders. The politics, conversion and cultural quirks of VJ then become morally unacceptable palavers to what the analyst thinks is irretrievably racist southern society. I can’t speak for everyone but most of my best friends are Christian, pro-life, property-rightsy folks (not that all those things go together) and they have no problem in seeing VJ as he is–a joke of a candidate.
“is that” should be “comes from”
etc. etc.
Well, i added the qualifier “other” with you in mind Floridian-Uncle. The other others who otherize are probably the same ones pouring red into the black bottle while playing host…and as guests use black to make a scotch & coke.
scoundrels
I have seen conservative Indians from desh in US. For the most part they don’t drink/smoke, vegetarians, most importantly get (arranged) married to a desi chick from India & when they have kids they try to move back to India so that the kids won’t be americanized. This guy no way fits that bill. Hence the above argument does not hold
well, if there is a point to ‘holding power as a community,’ it would only be realized if the office-holders were not subject to capture by special interest, whether through lobbyists brought to them by aides or the overwhelming incentive to be re-elected. I don’t think brown people have the magic altruism gene which would forestall what is inevitable for every other politician alive. “Nothing” is not an answer to run away from if you’re looking for a meaningful choice.
Vijay Kumar isn’t much of a small-government conservative–he’s openly welcoming the opportunity to steer rents and be a typical elected official. He’s also not, as someone pointed out above, a stereotypical “uncle-ji” cultural conservative. He does appear to be a Palin-special bitter gourd of paranoia and boiler-plate Fox News political positions. If you believe there are benefits simply to having brown faces in elected office, i.e. the familiarity to the general public engendered by appearing to be part of the political/ruling class, he is as good as any other.
I would feel worse about this guy showing up at a food not bombs event. That’s sacred.
So then, Ann Coulter spent some time in Gujarat, I guess, as did Franklin Graham! That explains their Islamophobia!
Hold up. What exactly is “not progressive” about being anti-Jihad? Conflating Muslims with Jihadis sure, but I would sincerely hope that most Muslims in this country are themselves anti-Jihad. Adopting a “pro-Jihad” stance would be. . . well dumb.
(Yes yes I know about the various “corrections” about what Jihad means. But in this context it’s pretty obvious that we’re discussing those who make common cause with Islamist terrorists.)
Another self-loathing, inauthentic Desi. Yawn.
God Bless Taz for her courage.
Well, its not that his sentiment couldn’t be shared by a Vijay Kumar in India, so I wouldn’t call him uncle.
I don’t think most sane people would be FOR universal Jihad. So that position being against universal jihad itself is not a problem. There are terrorist groups who do believe in such a transnational jihad. As long as he is talking about those groups and those who share their view of universal jihad that should not be much of a big deal. The issue is if he thinks just by being a Muslim that he or she supports universal jihad.
True that second gen indian-americans don’t harbor the same anti-islamic sentiments that the first generation did, but I would argue that the divide is deeper between the religious communities today than it was when they first arrived to the US. We are more hindus or muslims today, while our parents identified them selves as desis.
@32. Oh, Roy. Sigh.
There is no evidence to indicate that the majority of the founding fathers were ardently christian, but there is plenty of evidence that suggests that they were agnostic or even atheist. You forget, of course, that they sought freedom from religious tyranny, which the religious right is now trying to instill in the US.
Take James Madison for instance: “”Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise.” During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.”
Ben Franklin: “As to Jesus of Nazareth, my Opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the System of Morals and his Religion…has received various corrupting Changes, and I have, with most of the present dissenters in England, some doubts as to his Divinity; tho’ it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the Truth with less trouble.”
Thomas Paine: “I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of…Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all.” (I heart you, Thomas Paine)
I do not deny that religiosity may have it’s own benefits for its ardent followers, but to claim that this country was founded on Christianity is so patently false, and dangerous.
@ San, as Anna’s pointed out previously, many of those of us who were born in the US (before the early 1980s, say) as part of the post-1965 generation don’t necessarily identify as more Hindu or Muslim. As I was growing up, my family counted Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs and their children as our close friends and never thought twice about it– except for the fact that my mother would cook multiple fish dishes and desserts for the Bengali crowd, from West and East Bengal. Those pan-regional dinner parties/potlucks had the best food…
Nilanjana
Sort of my point. I come from a bengali Hindu family, and when I grew up lots of my parents friends where from the bangladeshis side. Bot these days I don’t see that very often.