What The Left Gets Wrong About Islamism
Devdutt Pattanaik
Jul 21, 2025, 21:39 IST IST
Activists who slam Islamophobia are silent on homophobia in some Islamic groups. But human rights are not a one-way street
So Türkiye, a Muslim-majority secular nation, has banned Pride Parade since 2015, on religious and moral grounds. Hungary, a Christian-majority secular nation, tried banning Pride Parade this year, but millions of citizens turned out in protest at the Budapest Pride. In India, many cities from Mumbai and Kolkata to Lucknow and Vadodara saw Pride Parades, but permission was withdrawn in Amritsar following opposition of a Nihang Sikh organisation. Meanwhile, something interesting happened in Hamtramck, a small enclave north of Detroit, US.
Once predominantly Polish, the Hamtramck council had worked hard to establish non-profits to feed, clothe and house Muslim immigrants from Yemen and Bangladesh, in the spirit of multiculturalism. In 2021, the city voted an all-Muslim council. In 2023, the council voted to ban the display of Pride Flag on city property. In 2025, the council refused to be part of the Pride marches. A lesbian, former councilwoman was shocked and outraged. She vented on X (formerly Twitter) about 'being stabbed in the back'. Her tweet went viral.
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