Indian Muslims Are Not Second-Class Citizens, Says Shahabuddin
Bareilly, October 31: Maulana Shahabuddin has reacted to comments made by Maulana Mahmood Madani, the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, on the situation of Muslims in India. Expressing disagreement with Madani's position, Shahabuddin said that Muslims in India are first-class citizens and not second-class citizens of the country.
He said Muslims in India have religious freedom and equal rights. They carry on their businesses without restriction, take part in religious activities and live according to their traditions. Shahabuddin requested people to understand the true condition of the country with a constructive mindset rather than a negative one.
Shahabuddin said that Madani should realise that Muslims in India enjoy freedom. They are living a normal and respectable life, just like other citizens. Muslims, he said, are free to practise their religious customs, pursue trade and conduct their everyday lives as per their choice.
He noted that Muslims in India offer namaz five times a day and celebrate Eid, Bakrid and Eid Milad-un-Nabi, along with Friday prayers. Muharram, Juloos-e-Gausia and other religious processions are carried out according to their traditions. He said Muslims are free to take part in these religious events and to follow Islamic customs.
He also said that Muslim educational institutions and other places of worship function freely across the country. According to him, these institutions are neither under government surveillance nor controlled by any non-Muslim. Describing Muslims in India as second-class citizens, he argued, is not appropriate. Such a view, he said, reflects a negative outlook and creates needless confusion in society.
Shahabuddin acknowledged that a few incidents of this nature have taken place in one or two places. However, he said such events can sometimes happen in a country with such a large population. Pointing out that India has around 145 crore people, he said no incident should be linked to the condition of the whole population or any single community.
He added that such incidents should not be seen through the lens of Hindu-Muslim or BJP-Congress politics. Recalling history, he said similar incidents occurred during Muslim rule and rulers of that period also found it difficult to control them. He said such incidents also took place during British rule. Therefore, he argued, building a negative perception about an entire nation or community on the basis of a single event is not fair.
Shahabuddin urged people to adopt a positive attitude and examine the situation of Muslims in India with an open heart. He said the beauty of the country lies in people of different religions and communities living together in freedom, with everyone free to live by their faith and traditions. Muslims, he said, do not need to live in an atmosphere of fear. He stated that this country is the land of their forefathers, who also contributed to India's freedom, so they have no reason to feel afraid about their citizenship and rights. He reiterated that calling Muslims in India second-class citizens is not correct.