“Communal hatred, hate speeches, narrow political interests, and fake news are more giant viruses than Covid-19”: JIH president Syed Sadatullah Husaini.
Ishfaq-ul-Hassan
NEW DELHI—Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) president Syed Sadatullah Husaini has said communal hatred, hate speeches, and fake news are more giant viruses than COVID-19.
“Communalism, communal hatred, hate speeches, narrow political interests, fake news, and propaganda are a poison. It is greater than the Covid-19 virus. It is affecting every section of society. So, we have to work hard to stop this,” JIH chief said while addressing a webinar ‘Towards healthy mind, healthy body and healthy society.
He said injustice and inequalities are the biggest challenges in the country. “Covid made rich richer and poor poorer. Covid was used to create communal hatred. Medicines were sold on the black market. Lifesaving injections were stolen. Fake injections were administered to dying people. Crores of laborers were ignored as if they were not human beings. A moral crisis is the biggest poison. It will consume everyone,” he cautioned.
Mr. Husaini called upon intellectuals and other people to fight this virus unitedly. “We need to fight this (communal) virus unitedly. Politicians are spreading this virus for short-term benefits. Therefore, intellectuals and common people should wake up to curb this menace,” he said.
JIH president said justice could not be imagined in the absence of healthcare for all citizens of the country. “Everyone has right to good healthcare. Justice can’t be imagined without providing access to healthcare,” he said.
He said World Health Organization (WHO) had defined health as not merely the absence of disease. “Health is not merely the absence of disease. It is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. It is the ability to lead a good life,” he said.
JIH president regretted that there are villages that have no basic facilities. “Basic facilities are a luxury available to India’s rich. In the healthcare rankings, we are at 145 number in 195 countries. We lag behind many poor counties. We have failed to provide access to healthcare. Around 50 percent of our children are malnourished. We rank first in the mortality rate of children below five years. Statistics show that 70 percent of children die of malnutrition,” he said.
Husaini said there are five objectives in Islam, and three are related to health. “Protecting religion, protecting lives, protecting wealth, protecting offsprings, and protecting minds. Three are directly related to health. Right to food is a basic right. Islam says that if anyone goes hungry in a village, the entire hamlet is sinful,” he said.
Others who participated in the webinar included JIH national vice-president Mohammad Jafar, writer and columnist K C Raghu, Swaraj India member Prof Ajeet Jha, journalist and author Pankaj Chaturvedi, Sharafuddin BS, and Iqbal Mulla.
