Mansoorudin Faridi
Eminent scholars and opinion-makers have asked the Muslim leaders to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprise him of the apprehensions and fears of the community in the wake of a growing environment of hatemongering in the country. They have also asked the Muslims not to resort to street protests and vitriolic and emotional outpourings in reaction to sporadic incidents.
The scholars were speaking to Awaz-the Voice in the wake of the latest instance in Karnataka where several temples have invoked a law to ban the Muslims from setting up their stalls in temple fairs in retaliation to the Muslims protesting against the Karnataka High Court order of continuation of the ban on Hijab in schools and colleges. Also, in coastal Karnataka, posters asking for a boycott of the Muslim shopkeepers have surfaced.
Scholar Prof. Akhtar Al-Wase says a small section of the Muslims is involved in protests while the silent majority is against them.
He says it’s time for the Muslim leaders to come together and have a common strategy.” They have to talk to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. Their political views may be different but they are important functionaries of the System,” he said.
He says Muslims have to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure that law and order prevails and no community’s religious sentiments are hurt.
Dr. Maulana Mufti Muhammad Mukarram Ahmed, Imam of Delhi's historic Fatehpuri Mosque and a scholar, said the problem being faced by the Muslims should also be seen as the national problem. “This hatred and prejudice are very dangerous. Its effect is being felt all over the country,” he said.
Mufti Mukarram said that communal harmony is India’s glory and the world looks at us with awe because of it.”Therefore, such incidents should not be ignored for petty political gains. Those indulging in these (spreading hate) are ignorant and therefore the top leaders of the country must step in.”
Maulana Mufti Mukarram said the Muslims should take the initiative of seeking a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the leader of 1.4 billion Indians.
Prominent scholar Dr. Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmed said that Muslims must avoid emotional and instinctive reactions to events. “If any group of individuals is facing harassment, then we must not confront them or hold a street protest but contact the right person to get justice. The efforts should be to find a solution to the problem through negotiations.”
Dr. Khawaja Iftikhar said that avoiding a confrontation is a better way.”We have to understand and also explain that we cannot live only by fighting; if one side is aggressive the other should have to be moderate.”
He supported the idea of Muslim leaders meeting Prime Minister Modi and said it will be the beginning of a dialogue.
Referring to the Hijab, he said: “We have to get over the fear that this is threatening our identity. It happens when we are weak. We are 250 million, yet, we fear our traditions and culture are under siege.” He says the sense of insecurity stems from inner weakness and lack of belief. Referring to the controversy over the Hijab, he said, it was at the level of the educational institutions and should have been resolved there and not allowed to talk a sectarian color. “I look at it from a social point of view. We must not prolong every issue. Therefore, it would be better to talk to the Prime Minister about these situations.”
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Secretary Department of Islamic Society of Jamaat-e-Islami India and eminent intellectual Dr. Muhammad Razi-ul-Islam Nadvi on the issue said that it is very important to build trust among Muslims at this time, we have to take these situations as a test. But immediate reaction must be avoided.
.webp "Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the President of Ramakrishna Mission Swami Gautamananda Maharaj")
.webp "Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal")
.webp "Prime Minister Narendra Modi")
