Proving Allegiance
I'm fortunate in never feeling the need to prove myself an American. A U.S. birth certificate, privileged education, and freedom to live in the cosmopolitan city of my choice render national allegiance an afterthought, if at all. This isn't the case for many Americans, and certainly isn't the nature of citizenship around the world. As illustrated below, in India even the most privileged Muslims aren't immune from suspicion of disloyalty to country of birth, simply because of their religious identity.
Abdullah Khan reports on his identity in the Indian hinterland:
My friend’s elder brother, whom I fondly call Bishambhar Bhaiya, is a Kankubja Brahmin Hindu, pure vegetarian, a fan of the right-wing nationalist leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee and a great believer in the secular structure of India. He is also a great fan of Pakistani cricketers. As a team he supports India, but he appreciates the individual brilliance of many Pakistani players, especially Imran Khan. His room is adorned by a man-size poster of Imran Khan. I couldn’t afford to hang the same poster. Being a Hindu and a high caste Hindu, Bishambhar Bhaiya’s loyalty towards India was taken for granted. If I had shown any enthusiasm for the dapper Pakistani cricketer, I would be declared a traitor.
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