Days after the ‘Jimikki Kammal’ flash mob in Malappuram kicked up a storm in Kerala, another Muslim woman from the district is facing a wave of online abuse for performing a flash mob on Sunday.
Jazla Madasseri, district Vice President of the Kerala Students’ Union, took part in a flashmob on Sunday at the Tagore Theatre along with other Muslim women. The flash mob at the main venue of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) was reportedly organised by the Free Thinkers Forum, an online community.
However, 22-year-old Jazla has refused to take the abuse lying down. On Tuesday, she filed a complaint with the Women’s Commission. She also took to Facebook to slam the trolls who claimed that a Muslim woman dancing in public was nothing less than a sin.
While she said that her flash mob was not directly related to what happened in Malappuram, Jazla argued that it was important for women to reclaim public spaces.
“We are here to fight for the rights of women, and we will continue as long as it takes for us to be heard. Our voices will be heard whenever a woman is suppressed. We want people to realise that our society belongs to women as much as it does to men,” she wrote on Facebook.
She added that art becomes offensive only when people focus on other things besides the art. “Every aspect of life, be it reaching professional heights, or performing arts, music or dance is a woman's right. Problems arise when you 'enjoy' a woman's body and not the art she performs. It’s not us, but you who should think of a change," she wrote.
Speaking later about the online abuse she was subjected to, Jazla said that she had even received death threats.
"They have asked us not to come back home. They have threatened to put up flex boards with our images for speaking up while being a woman. We have death threats against us, and have been told that we will be set on fire with kerosene. If such outrage is shown by the public because women speak for themselves, this has to be discussed," Jazla said.
Jazla also found support from Thrithala Congress MLA VT Balram, who put up a Facebook post backing her against the trolls.
"As expected, the self-declared moral police brigade and religious fanatics among us have spewed threats against Jazla. We will stand with her for all the legal actions she will take against them," Balaram wrote.