Abdul is a derogatory, stereotypical term used to refer to Muslims as a group on social media. The slur, while not unique to the Indian context, is widely employed across online spaces to caricature and dehumanize Muslims as a group.
Background and Context
Abdul is a common Arabic Muslim name, where “Abd” means “servant” and “ul” is a linking preposition meaning “the” that is often used in names involving other attributions to Allah. However, the name has been appropriated in online hate speech and sectarian rhetoric as a derogatory slur. It is frequently used to stereotype and demean Muslim men, framing them as backward, violent, or anti-national, and thereby dehumanizing Muslims as a group.
Impact and Harm
The term represents an offensive essentialization about all Muslim men. It treats millions of people with varied backgrounds and characteristics as an undifferentiated, monolithic group; it serves as a form of dehumanization that precedes and enables other forms of discrimination. It has, in effect, become a term of abuse and is often used in conjunction with other insulting and dehumanizing characterizations of Muslims.
Variants and Alternative Forms
अब्दुल
Online Usage
