Muslims bow before motherland 96 times in a day: Farangimahli

“Muslims bow before their motherland 96 times while offering namaz five times in a day. But how many times people raising the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan bow before their motherland?”

Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangimahli, Imam-e-Eidgah and noted Islamic scholar posed this question for saffron outfits (without naming them) amid the raging Bharat Mata slogan controversy.

“Muslims bow before their motherland (India) 96 times in 24 hours while offering namaz five times a day. How many times these people (pressing Muslims to raise Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogan) bow before their motherland,” asked Khalid Rasheed, while talking to HT on Tuesday.

He said: “Muslims do not need to prove to anyone their love for the country. We have been raising the slogans ‘Hindustan Zindabad’, ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Madre Watan’. All have the same meaning as ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.”

“We will not say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ under anyone’s pressure,” he added.

Coming down heavily on the recent fatwa issued by Darul Uloom, directing Muslims not to raise ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan, Khalid Rasheed said: “Institutions of religious importance like Darul Uloom should not issue fatwa on sensitive issues like the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.”

“Fatwas issued by the Darul Uloom are taken seriously by the community (Muslims). So, the institution must not issue such fatwas,” he said.

Stressing on the negative impact of such fatwas, the Islamic scholar said: “Such fatwas further alienate the Muslim community from the mainstream of the society. Therefore, Darul Uloom should not have issued fatwa on this issue (Bharat Mata Ki Jai).”

Khalid Rasheed also asserted that there was no need for Darul Uloom to issue fatwa on each and every issue which comes before it.

“There is absolutely no need to issue fatwa on every issue. The Darul Uloom must ignore controversial issues,” he said.

The issue of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ made headlines after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi courted controversy at a public meeting at Udgir tehsil in Latur district (Maharashtra) on March 13.

He declared that he would not chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan even if a knife was put to his neck. Owaisi’s statement was a riposte to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement advocating that younger generation must be taught to chant slogans in favour of the country.

However, the RSS chief had recently stated that no one should be forced to chant the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan.