By Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 09 Jan 2015: Leading Indian Muslim organizations have strongly condemned the bloody killings at Paris office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo carried out by two masked men purportedly as revenge for caricature of Prophet Muhammad in the French weekly. Indian Muslims said no individual has right to kill anyone for insulting the Prophet.
“We unreservedly condemn the coward terrorist attack on a Paris magazine Charlie Hebdo’s office in which a dozen innocent people lost their precious lives,” said Dr Zafaru-Islam Khan, national president of the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, apex body of Indian Muslim organisations. Dr. Khan said that Islam and Muslims reject murder of innocents of any faith or nationality.
“Only courts of law are authorised to sentence people and only a properly constituted Muslim state can declare Jihad…faceless individuals and clandestine organisations do not have power to dispense justice and take lives. This is the neo-Kharijite ideology which is rejected by an overwhelming majority of Muslims all over the world,” said Dr. Khan.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a leading Muslim body in the country, also condemned the Paris attack and termed it as “violation of popular human values and rule of law”.
Nusrat Ali, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said that though the attitude of the French magazine “has been hurting and insulting the people belonging to not just Islam but also other religions the world over,” the Wednesday killings cannot be justified.
“…the truth and real motive can be known only through a responsible probe of the bloody attack. Whatever be the reasons, giving up of the peaceful means of legal fight and resorting to killing to address the grievances can neither be praised nor encouraged,” said Ali and demanded prosecution of the culprits. He also said that the Paris attack could be part of a conspiracy against Islam.
“A campaign is being run against Islam and the Islamic world and French magazine Charlie Hebdo has been part of this negative campaign, but one cannot reject the possibility that the bloody attack on its office could be part of the organized conspiracy to malign Islam and target Muslims. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the French government to bring fore the truth about the incident through a neutral and just probe to end speculations and prosecute the real culprits,” demanded the Jamaat leader.
Mushawarat leader Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan while supporting freedom of expression said this right should not be used to abuse religious icons and scriptures.
“Freedom of expression must be respected in all civilised societies but it should be limited to constructive criticism and should not abuse icons and scriptures held sacred by believers of different faiths,” said Dr. Khan who is also Editor of English fortnightly The Milli Gazette that is published from New Delhi.
