New Delhi

Maulana Mahmood Madni, President of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, has asked Indian Muslims to invest in education and not in grandiose weddings, at least for the next 20 years. He reiterated his earlier remark that Muslims must focus singularly on education for the community's growth.

In an exclusive interview with Atir Khan, Editor-in-Chief of Awaz-the Voice, Madni said that Indian Muslims have achieved a lot, yet they have miles to go before every child goes to school and the community starts valuing the education of children.

It may be mentioned that JUH had opposed the partition of India based on religion. Being the biggest organisation of religious scholars, its lack of support for the idea of Pakistan was a setback for the two-nation theory.

Mahmood Madni had also confronted Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf during his visit to India. He asked him why Pakistan always raised the issue of Indian Muslims. He spoke at a gathering where guests asked the Pakistani President questions and told him that Indian Muslims were capable of handling their problems under the Indian Constitution, which gives them equal rights.    

He told Atir Khan about Indian Muslims, "If we have progressed, our country has a big role in it. It would not have been possible without their help. The position we are in today would not have been possible without the support of our brothers. But we need more support now because we have not yet reached where we should have been."

Speaking about the condition of Indian Muslims, Madni said that Muslims also have a share in the making of India, and so does India have in their progress. “If Muslims have achieved something for themselves, they have also served the country. After independence, when the nation wanted sacrifice, Muslims did not lag; they set an example.”

He also praised Indians in general and the Hindus in particular for upholding unity in the face of the recent challenge thrown by the incident of Pahalgam terrorist killings. People could see through the terrorists’ ploy to kill people for religion.”

Madani reminded that after independence, 99 per cent of India's educated and successful Muslims had migrated to Pakistan, while relatively fewer educated Muslims remained in India. "The number of educated Muslims in Pakistan increased manifold, but where are they today, and where are the Muslims of India?" However, he also admitted that Muslims are facing problems in the country.

Madani clarified that “Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind” is not just for Muslims but for the whole of India. He said, “If you make a list of the ten most influential organizations for the country, then the group of Indian Ulama will also be in it. This is because of Muslim organizations. Their responsibility is to speak for Muslims and also to take care of them.”

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Madni said he is upset with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s attitude towards Muslims, and particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims. He alleged it was discriminatory and humiliating.

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