“India and not Arabia is the birth place of Islam,” stated Maulana Mahmood Madani, stirring a fresh debate at the 34th general session of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in New Delhi on Saturday. “India is the birthplace of Islam. The first prophet descended here. It is the homeland of Muslims. To consider Islam as a foreign religion is historically incorrect and completely baseless,” the Jamiat president asserted, adding, “India is the best country for Muslims. It is like one’s house is the best place, no matter however dilapidated it might be.”
Making a fervent pitch for equal treatment of all citizens, Mr. Madani said, “India belongs to all of us equally. India is our country. It belongs as much to [PM] Narendra Modi and [RSS chief] Mohan Bhagwat as Mahmood [Madani]. Neither is Mahmood an inch ahead of them, nor are they an inch ahead of Mahmood.”
He stressed that neither he nor the Jamiat believe in nursing any grudges or hatred towards any community. “It is important to put an end to hate speech and live like two brothers. I warmly invite Mohan Bhagwat ji and his followers to eschew mutual hatred and embrace each other to make our dear motherland the most developed country in the world,” he said.
The Jamiat also reiterated its support for continued dialogue between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Muslim bodies, stating, “In the current atmosphere of hatred, we welcome and support all those who are trying to initiate a dialogue and understand each other’s ideas in order to foster stronger mutual relations. Mutual negotiation is the solution to all problems. We have no grudge against the promotion of Santan Dharma, nor should you have any grudge against the promotion of Islam.”
The session staunchly opposed attempts to bring in a Uniform Civil Code. While a member wondered, if it was another name for the Hindu Code, the Jamiat’s Secretary Niaz Faruqi, in an official statement said, “The Jamiat stands opposed to the government’s proposal to implement a Uniform Civil Code in India. It will have a direct impact on the country’s unity and diversity, and is contrary to the spirit of democracy and the constitutional guarantees given under Articles 25 to 29 of the Constitution of India. The Jamiat believes that the government’s efforts are motivated by vote-bank politics rather than the protection of fundamental rights. The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code will result in instability and mutual distrust.”
The general session also took the opportunity to remind the country of Jamiat’s important role in the freedom struggle, right from the time of Non-Cooperation Movement to Quit India Revolution. “The Jamiat has always stood for the idea of India, for composite nationalism, for Hindu-Muslim unity. Before Independence, the Jamiat stood opposed to the idea of a separate homeland for Muslims in the form of Pakistan. Today, we oppose the aggressive sectarianism being perpetuated in the name of Hindutva. We have no religious or ethnic enmity with the RSS or the BJP, but our differences are based on our ideology.”
The three-day national meeting of Jamiat delegates concludes with a plenary session this Sunday.
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