New Delhi: Over 100 artistes and
academicians belonging to Muslim community today launched a
scathing attack on Jamiat-Ulema-e Hind resolution on 'Vande
Mataram' saying the move would only "unnecessarily provoke" a
controversy and strengthen Hindutva forces.
"We don't believe Vande Mataram is a test case of some
one's patriotism. We strongly condemn the Jamiat move to
unnecessarily provoke a controversy over it.
"This move has only strengthened the Hindutva forces,
which have been in disarray since the last Parliamentary
elections. We also condemn the Hindu right wing forces'
attempt to impose its recitation on citizens to prove one's
patriotism," they said in a statement.
The 115 signatories of the statement include historian
Irfan Habib, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi,
lyricist Javed Akhtar and filmmaker Sayed Mirza.
They also criticised the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind's move to
establish non-residential schools for girls with a "specially
carved out" syllabus, saying it was a "retrogressive move not
only isolate girls from the mainstream but also to keep them
confined to the secluded sectarian atmosphere."
Speaking at a press conference where the statement was
released, filmmaker Sohail Hashmi said "the voice of Mullahs
does not represent the voice of the entire Muslim community in
the country."
Hashmi said, "a clergy cannot solve the problems. We
need to look out for secular solutions. There is a voice among
Muslims which is left unheard. The voice of the particular
section or the clergy is not the voice of all the Muslims."
Speaking on the same lines senior journalist, Zafar
Agha said, "We need India to understand that the voice of
Mullahs isn't the voice of all of us. There is a large number
of liberal, educated Muslims who are totally against the
resolution and the fatwa."
Scientist and poet Gauhar Raza said, "Whatever they
are proposing is anti-scientific and anti-democratic. We,
Muslims have a voice, which just needs to be amplified."
Regarding the Jamiat's move in girl's education,
Hashmi said the rate of educated Muslims is already less and
this system would decline it further.
Supporting the Centre's move to standardise modern
education syllabus through establishing a madrasa board, the
group said, "This will open a window for madrasa students to
modern education and surveys show that an overwhelmingly large
number of Muslims are in favour of modern education."
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 19:00