The Importance of Zayn and #CurryScentedBitch
If you follow JusReign or your local Desi social justice activist on Twitter you are probably aware of the Zayn - Azeaila Banks - #CurryScentedBitch incident from this past week. The run down is that Banks initially felt like Zayn Malik copied her musical ideas, and went on a rant about Malik. This rant involved a lot of slurs, both racial and homophobic. With that, #CurryScentedBitch came about on Brown Twitter where South Asians posted selfies, family photos, and throwbacks with the hashtag “Curry Scented Bitch”. Many support the cause, but also many denounce the trend saying that people used it as an excuse to just post photos of themselves without really helping the cause.
Please enjoy the following train of bullet point thoughts in regards to this:
It would be a lie to say that it was not true.
Yes people do use social activism for their own personal gain.
Nonetheless, we need to remember that initially this hashtag had a purpose and a cause.
Although it got disenfranchised by pseudo social justice folks and people who were feeling themselves, rather than utilizing the hashtag as a reclamation of identity.
We need to remember that a lot of folks only have the internet to let their voices be heard, this is such a powerful and progressive form of media.
If one does see something so powerful being taken away from it’s message, then each individual has the power to organize and and take the action that they deem necessary to make a step to the change we all as a community wants to see.
Solidarity is a movement on its own, so it is extremely to important to look at the positive.
Although, #CurryScentedBitch became an excuse to post recent wedding pictures, it became a hashtag that was noticed; a viral trend that got the attention to so many people.
Many became educated on the situation at hand, which was bigotry, and they reported it to Twitter, and it got noticed
With that, Banks’ twitter was suspended for her comments immediately after and she issued an apology on her Instagram.
That is why social media is such a resourceful mechanism to take action and to let voices be heard.
#EndSocialJusticeOlympics2016
There is a reason as to why it is always emphasized that Zayn Malik is so important, as a famous figure and as a representative of being South Asian within Western media.This is concept that many stress over and over, while others look past. Because they do not realize the power Zayn Malik has as a Pakistani, and Muslim singer in a platform dominated and controlled by White people. This incident is an example as to what it’s like to be Pakistani and in the media. Banks called Malik:
A Punjabi Curry Scented Bitch
A son of a refugee who can never attain asylum
A token brown boy for a white boy band and that he’s’ nothing more than that
And other racial slurs, alongside homophobic slurs
These are phrases that South Asians grew up hearing variations of. These are hate comments and slurs that many grew up feeling fear for, because discrimination begins with hate speech and is followed by hate crimes. Hate crimes that get brushed over and normalized. Hate crimes that are growing to be more consistent, with little action being taken.
That is why this is such an important example to look at. When someone of influence and statue, such as Banks, promotes hate, then many will view these radical words and ideals as tolerable (For further reference: The rise of Donald Trump’s popularity and Islamaphobic hate crimes within the past year alone). South Asians are marginalized, and issues continuously go unnoticed. So this is why Zayn is so important. As such a marginalized group, having someone as famous and notable as Zayn Malik is important as a symbol and figure for the Brown struggle in a post 9/11 society. His “Eid Mubarak” and “Free Palestine” tweets are important because he has such a wide audience, so while people have the influence to promote hate, Zayn has the influence to educate and destigmatize being Brown in the West.
Having a name such as Zayn Malik, and being in an all White boyband should be seen as such strength, as he is someone who had the strength to be different. Someone who had the strength to publicly face Islamaphobia during One Direction and after. Someone who is able to stand alone without his White bandmates, and be so well-received for the art he produced. You never really see Brown representation in the Media, so Zayn being so famous and having an hyphenated identity is such a huge step. He was able to use his Brown identity in his song “Flower”, which is in Urdu, and have that track on an album that is heard by millions of people.
At the end of the day, Zayn Malik serves as a juxtaposition to Donald Trump. Zayn Malik Spills his Chai every day, through his name, his art, and most importantly through his hyphenate identity.
