Syed Khalique Ahmed
NEW DELHI—Muslim social and political leaders have appealed to the community members to ensure peaceful and disciplined protests to express their anger against the blasphemous remarks of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled leader Navin Kumar Jindal.
The appeal came following spontaneous nationwide protests after Friday prayers on June 10. The protests at some of the places like Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) in UP and Ranchi in Jharkhand turned violent.
Two persons were killed in police action taken to disperse the protesters in Ranchi, besides pellet injuries sustained by several others. Stone-pelting was reported from Prayagraj also.
Over 100 persons are reported to have been arrested by UP police from Kanpur and Prayagraj in connection with protests against Nupur Sharma’s remarks, and severe charges have been levelled against them. More than 60 persons are so far reported to have been arrested with regard to Ranchi incident. A few multi-storey buildings, that belonged to some of those arrested in connection with June 3 (Friday) protests in Kanpur, were bulldozed today.
Stating that Friday’s protest in several cities across the country was a “natural and spontaneous reaction to the blasphemous remarks of the two BJP leaders,” Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) secretary for Community affairs Mohammad Ahmed, however, said that demonstrations and protests should be “peaceful and disciplined” and “no violence could be allowed.”
He advised Muslims to avoid confrontation with the police and law enforcement agencies.
However, he criticized excessive action of the government against those participating in democratic protests like arrest of a large number of people and bulldozing the houses of some people simply because they had taken part in the protests. “Bulldozer culture cannot be justified under any circumstances,” he said.
Mr. Ahmed said that the protests, in a democracy, were a means to vent out the anger of the people against the policies of the government. “But taking stern action against protesters to create fear among people amounts to snatching away their democratic rights,” the JIH leader said.
He said that raising emotional issues were a plot to divert attention from real issues like unemployment and inflation and polarize the society on religious lines for electoral benefits of some political parties in the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Probe fake call for Fiday protests: AIMMM
All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) president Navaid Hamid said that one aspect that needed to be investigated for June 10 protest and violence was the fake poster on social media in the name of Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind (JUH) president Maulana Syed Arshad Madni. The poster had given the call for protests after Friday prayers in mosques across the country on June 10. However, Maulana Madni, a day before the protests, had categorically denied that he had issued such an appeal.
“It is shocking that even after denial by Maulana Madni, the central investigative agencies and home department failed to track the group behind the fake call for the Friday protests,” Mr Hamid told this news portal from his hospital bed in GB Pant Hospital where he is admitted for treatment of his cardiac ailment.
“This fake poster shaped the all-India character of the protest. There was, no doubt, a simmering discontent among people over the blasphemy remarks and the government’s refusal to initiate action. Hence, this fake poster triggered the protest after Friday prayers on June 10,” AIMMM chief alleged.
“Why have the investigative agencies not probed to find out the truth behind the group that circulated a fake poster giving a call for a nationwide protest. An investigation is important because the fake poster could have been responsible for the spontaneous protest all over the country,” Mr Hamid said.
He said that “there is a possibility that the call for protest through the fake poster might have been given by some vested interest groups or agencies having secret agenda to defame the image of India and its Muslim population by creating an atmosphere of animosity between different communities.”
Purpose of the protest call was to identify Muslim activists, placate Hindu right-wingers
Hamid alleged that “the purpose behind the call for protest seems to identify Muslim activists and take strong action against them to placate the Hindu right-wingers who are feeling agitated over sacking of Navin Kumar Jindal and suspension of Nupur Sharma.”
Asserting that organizing protests was the right of every Indian citizen to express his dissent, and the June 10 protest was a genuine demonstration of Muslims love for the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), AIMMM president conceded that “violent protest in any form is contrary to the spirit of message and teachings of the Prophet.” He said that such events gave undue advantage to the adversaries to malign the Muslim community and strengthen the hands of anti-Muslim personnel in law enforcement agencies to use brutal force against even non-violent protests.”
Avoid street protests, give intellectual response: IMPAR
MJ Khan heading Indian Muslims for Progress and Reforms (IMPAR), an NGO, advised Muslims to avoid street protests under the present circumstances and, instead, give an “intellectual response”. Indisciplined protests, he said, resulted in arrest and incarceration of hundreds of youths without achieving any objective.
He appealed to the Muslims to keep patience and cooperate with the police for peace and normalcy.
“ The prevailing turmoil does not augur well for either the community or the country. What started with the absurd comment by BJP spokesperson on the TV debate has turned into widespread violence, which must not spread further,” he said.
He that the violence in the name of religion or the ‘hurt feelings’ could not be justified.
Khan also urged the police and enforcement authorities to show patience and better understanding, and not use excessive force in cases of simple protests or stone pelting.
“The common Muslim is hurt and his feelings are being exploited by religious bigots or vested interests. The police will do better job in punishing the instigators and provocateurs than the misguided protesters,” IMPAR president said.
He called upon the community organisations, clergy and the scholars to spread true message of Islam. He said that the life of the Prophet is full of instances where he responded violence by gesture of peace and goodwill.
Protest is a democratic method to express grievances: Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan
Former chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, while stressing that holding protests was a constitutional and democratic right, said that the organizers should give no chance to anti-social elements to creep in among the protesters and trigger violence. “Taking out protests is one of the ways of expressing one’s grievances in a democratic society. But the organizers of the protests must accompany the protesters to prevent any kind of untoward incident,” Dr. Khan suggested.
Do not allow anti-socials to infiltrate the protesting crowd: Sareshwala
Businessman Zafar Sareshwala said it was very difficult to control if anti-social element infiltrated into the protest demonstrations and created the mischief. The best course, he said, was to avoid street demonstrations as far as possible.
