Author: Fayaz Bukhari
Publication: NDTV.com
Date: August 4, 2007
URL: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070021411
Quote
" There is unanimous opinion about Prophet Mohammad being a perfect human
being and there is no second opinion about it. Even if someone says that he
is not a perfect human being, it's not worth to be forgiven. "
- Mufti Bashir-ud-Din
" I have written nothing blasphemous. "
- Wahid-ud-Din Khan, Islamic Scholar
Bashir-ud-Din, the grand mufti of Kashmir, has issued a fatwa against well-known Islamic scholar Wahid-ud-Din Khan.
The Mufti, seen by many as a moderate, has said Khan's remarks on the Prophet not being a perfect human being amounts to blasphemy and cannot be forgiven.
This comes after Khan in the recent issue of his home publication Al-Risala wrote that role models are subject to change.
''There is unanimous opinion about Prophet Mohammad being a perfect human being and there is no second opinion about it. Even if someone says that he is not a perfect human being, it's not worth to be forgiven,'' says Mufti Bashir-ud-Din.
After the fatwa was issued on Thursday, the magazine was withdrawn from stalls in Srinagar.
But the author argues it's not a fatwa, but a strong statement. He says this could be a move to ban his publication, as his writings on jihad have always irked radical clerics.
Furthermore, Wahid-ud-Din Khan insists he wrote nothing anything against the prophet.
''I have written nothing blasphemous,'' he says.
Wahid-ud-Din Khan's writings against Jihad have always been criticised by radical Muslim clerks here.
But this is the first time that moderate Ulmas not only criticised his writing, but declared that he ceases to be a Muslim.