#TalkToAMuslim is Trending on Twitter: Actors Swara Bhaskar & Gauhar Khan Among Many Others are Spreading a Movement

Celebrities and commoners from across India have started a new social media movement with a hashtag #TalkToAMuslim that has been trending on Twitter since Tuesday evening, which is encouraging Indians to shun hatred and communicate with their Muslim friends. Actors like Swara Bhaskar and Gauhar Khan have extended support to the movement with placards and tweets and netizens from different communities have also joined the movement. The trend seems to have kicked off after writer Zainab Sikander tweeted using the trending hashtag to highlight the growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

BJP accused Congress of being a 'party of Muslims' In response to the allegations, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday responded to the allegation with a tweet giving clarifications. Gandhi is being targetted by BJP leaders after an Urdu newspaper quoted him saying 'Congress is a party of Muslims'.

Rahul Gandhi's Tweet in His Defense

I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me.

I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear.

I love all living beings.

I am the Congress.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 17, 2018

Zainab Sikander's Tweet Using the Hashtag

I'm An Indian Muslim.

I'm Human too.

You can talk to me.#TalkToAMuslim https://t.co/fvkYcWPday pic.twitter.com/lup88CjD2N

— Zainab Sikander (@zainabsikander) July 17, 2018

In just three hours, the hashtag #TalkToAMuslim had over 7,000 tweets. Sikander and other Muslims started posing their pictures with the hashtag, requesting people to look beyond communal hate politics and uphold secularism in India. It has become the top trend on Twitter in India.

Gauhar Khan's Tweet Using #TalkToAMuslim

#TalkToAMuslim seriously didn’t think a day would come where talking to a muslim leader or a commoner would question ur patriotism or ur belief in ur own faith!!by land I am a Hindu ,by faith I am a Muslim and by heart n soul INDIAN is my identity !!! #killThehate #spreadlove pic.twitter.com/kiXaHNmplA

— Gauahar Khan (@GAUAHAR_KHAN) July 17, 2018

She wrote: "Seriously didn't think a day would come where talking to a muslim leader or a commoner would question ur patriotism or ur belief in ur own faith! by land I am a Hindu, by faith I am a Muslim and by heart n soul INDIAN is my identity!!"

Swara Bhaskar Also Joined the Movement

YES. A hundred times yes. #India will not succumb to hate. #TalkToAMuslim RT Share and participate guys ! Let’s spread the message of love and peace https://t.co/1UTQ1WZYKA

— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 17, 2018

Others Included...

I'm an Indian Muslim

I have fun,

I enjoy life

I can talk to you on Shakespeare, Ghalib, Meerabai, the Mughals and the First war of Indian independence

Of Muslim contribution to freedom struggle

Come talk to me#TalkToAMuslim #TalktoaMuslim pic.twitter.com/4qE6gP7nAQ

— Rana Safvi رعنا राना (@iamrana) July 17, 2018

#TalkToAMuslim we are all humans first #StopDividing #StartUniting pic.twitter.com/uZqa6oKmNC

— Rani (@reliablerani) July 17, 2018

If you think that Muslims aren't feeling persecuted

If you think Muslims aren't fed up of being the national conversation every night at 9pm bulletins

If you think Muslims don't feel otherized, demonized & marginalized

Then you need to talk

I am an Indian Muslim#TalkToAMuslim

— Nazia Erum (@nazia_e) July 17, 2018

Gandhi's tweet came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a speech on Sunday quoted Gandhi as saying that he wanted practices like triple talaq to continue. The Congress president denied having made any such statement and the Congress party demanded an apology from Modi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2018 11:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).