Author:
Publication: The Organiser
Date: October 14, 2001
The intellectual section of the
Muslim community is fully in disagreement with the statements issued by
the Imam of Jama Masjid Sayed Ahmed Bukhari. They have demanded a legal
action against the Imam for attempting to disturb communal harmony in the
country. Organiser representative, Pramod Kumar spoke to several Muslim
intellectuals of Delhi regarding the imam Is statements and most of them
have candidly said that they do not consider the Imam the religious head
of the Muslim community. He hardly has any influence even among the people
of the Jama Masjid locality itself they said. They opined that by issuing
such provocative statements the Imam, instead of benefiting, is harming
the Muslim community and preventing it from joining the mainstream. Some
of them have suggested the Imam to utilise his powers, if any, in providing
education to the new generation of the community. Excerpts:
Dr. Shahina Tabassum, writer
The statements issued by the Imam
are very provocative and appear to have been given to create communal tension
in the country. Undoubtedly, the attack on US is an attack on humanity
that claimed the lives of thousands of innocents. The US faced terrorism
now but we have been facing it in Jammu and Kashmir for the last one decade
and it has so far claimed thousands of innocent lives. Killing innocents
cannot be humanity. It is purely barbarism. It is wrong to connect the
US move against terrorism with any particular religion.
What Osama bin Laden is doing today
is certainly not a jehad in any way. He is a terrorist who is killing innocents.
People in Afghanistan are starving today and what Laden did there is that,
instead of arranging food for them, he is distributing guns to them. If
Imam Saheb considers Laden's activities a jehad, he does not know the meaning
of jehad. Jehad does not mean killing innocents. By issuing such baseless
statements he is not benefiting the Muslim community but harming it. Indeed
he is creating problems for the common Muslims throughout the country.
And, I feel, this is the reason why the Imam is losing his respect among
the intellectuals. Why doesn't he utilise his powers in providing modem
education to the community that has the largest illiterates in India and
which has become a main cause of their backwardness.
Mrs Husana Subhani Malik President,
All India Muslim Women Association
The statements issued by the Imam
are extremist, misleading and far away from facts. I do not think the US
move is against Islam. It is a joint action against terrorism. The Imam
is also defining the jehad in wrong way. Supporting terrorism can never
be jehad. Undoubtedly, those who are responsible for killing innocent people
in US or any other part of the world must be punished.
Maulan Wahiddudin Khan Director,
Islamic Centre
I don't think the US move against
Osama bin Laden and Taliban is against Islam. What Laden is doing is not
jehad and it has nothing to do with Islam. It is his personal campaign.
I don't think there will be any backlash in India if India supports US
move against Laden or Taliban. Muslims of the country have full faith in
the Constitution of the country and they fully abide by the decisions taken
by the Union Government in this regard.
Firoz Bakht Ahmed, Columnist and
grandnephew of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
This type of irresponsible statements
instigate communal tension and pose a serious threat to communal harmony.
I feel imam Saved Ahmed Bukhari has no influence among Muslims and most
of the Muslims do not accept him as their leader. In fact he is an opportunist
who issues such irresponsible statements just to make his presence felt.
I am of the opinion that by issuing such statements and delivering the
provocative speeches he is harming the Muslim community. This only presents
a negative picture about the whole community. I would like to make it clear
that the overall Muslim community does not support Osama bin Laden neither
does it support the fundamentalist organisations like Students Islamic
Movement of India (SIMI). We want to live in peace and harmony and we fully
disown the people who are trying to disturb peace of the country. Action
should be taken against the people who try to disturb communal harmony
of the country.
Mohd. Mushir Khan
Assistant Registrar (Exams), Jamia
Millia Islamia University
Imam Sayed Ahmed Bukhari is neither
the religious head nor a political head of Muslim community. He is nothing
but an Imam of a mosque and that too, not an appointed imam by the Waqf
Board but an 'imposed' imam. He might have some influence in a small pocket
of Jama Masjid area and that too only among the illiterate and poor section.
But no Muslim of Delhi is going to join his call. In fact it is the political
leaders specially the Hindu leaders of different political parties who
have made him a leader and are still patronizing all his misdeeds for their
political gains. The overall Muslim community does not accept him as its
religious head. Why the Jama Masjid is not under the Waqf Board and why
the Imam alone is utilizing the whole income of the Jama Masjid is beyond
one's comprehension. It is all going on only because of the political patronization.
The government should take action against him for issuing such provocative
statements. If he is arrested, no Muslim would oppose it. When the SIMI
-was banned it was feared that there could be riots in the country. But
nothing happened. Similarly nothing will happen if action is taken against
the Imam. The US move against Laden or Taliban is certainly not a war against
Islam. Everybody knows it is a fight against terrorism and the common Muslim
does not support terrorism or the terrorist activities.
Dr. Rais-ur-Rahaman Reader, Ayurvedic
and Unani Tibia College
The Imam's statements appear to
instigate religious sentiments of the Muslim community. I cannot support
such statements. Islam means peace. No activity that instigate bloodbath
in the name of religion can be described as jehad. I fully condemn such
activities of Osama Bin Laden as well as Taliban. In fact America is reaping
what it sowed so far by encouraging and supporting Laden.
