Boycott Chinese products, says prominent cleric in Eid sermon

Lucknow: People in India should boycott Chinese products to protest the border intrusion incidents and save the domestic cottage industries, prominent Muslim cleric Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali on Monday said.

In his address before Eid-ul-Azha prayers, Mahali, who is the 'Shahr Qazi' and head cleric of Aishbagh Eidgah, said Muslims should work to remove misconceptions about Islam through social media.

He said that the manner in which China was "attacking" Indian borders, through intrusion, it was posing a serious threat to the national security.

He appealed to all the Indians, especially Muslims, to shun Chinese products. The Mulana said that Chinese products like toys were also posing a threat to small and cottage industries in the country, many of which had already closed.

"It is posing a threat to livelihood of many Indians engaged in small and cottage industries," he said.

"In such a situation to teach China a lesson it is necessary to give it an economic blow as India is one of the biggest markets in the world," he added.

Mahali said that Chinese products have penetrated deeply the Indian market.

"In such a situation, all Indians specially Muslims should boycott Chinese products. It will have two advantages. First it will hit the morale of China which is infiltrating Indian borders. Secondly, cottage industries of the country could be saved," he said.

The cleric said that Muslims spend a considerable amount of time on social media. Therefore it would be better if they use the platform to remove misconceptions about Islam among other communities through it.

"Muslims should remove misconceptions about Islam, which gives a strong message of brotherhood, through social media. Islam has always patronised humanity," he said.