Muslims have neither bowed down nor will they ever bow down
At that time, only Muslims were the target of communal forces; now Islam itself has also become a target. It is not only Muslims, but the Constitution of India and democracy that are in danger
Those rulers who have taken an oath on the Constitution and sit in positions of power are duty-bound to protect the constitutional rights of every citizen
Previous governments harmed Muslims, while the present government seeks to harm Islam
Islam is alive, and it is our belief that Islam will remain alive until the Day of Judgment: Maulana Arshad Madani
New Delhi: The politics of hatred has now been replaced by the politics of intimidation. Its sole objective is to frighten and threaten Muslims into believing that they must now live here under certain conditions, and whoever refuses to do so will find themselves in jail. Such a new style of politics is a serious question mark on the supremacy of law and the Constitution. Maulana Arshad Madani said this today in his presidential address at the conclusion of the two-day meeting of the Working Committee of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.
He further stated that, in the pursuit of power, some people are playing a dangerous game with peace and unity. This new political trend has triggered a fresh wave of hatred and religious extremism across the country. The situation has become so explosive that everywhere one looks, people are spewing venom, humiliating Muslims, while the custodians of law remain silent spectators.
Maulana Arshad Madani further said that assembly elections were recently held in five states, and particularly in West Bengal and Assam, provocative statements were made openly in violation of the election code of conduct, and Muslims were openly threatened as well. Even after winning the elections, this deplorable pattern of threats continues.
He added that a newly elected Chief Minister’s statement that “Muslims did not vote for us, therefore we will not work for them” is tantamount to mocking both the Constitution and democracy, because the Constitution grants equal rights to every citizen, and democracy gives every citizen the freedom to choose a leader of their choice. That is precisely why elections are held. Therefore, if a citizen does not vote for someone, it is not a crime. He said that the rulers have adopted politics based on fear and intimidation as their governing principle, but he wished to make it clear that governments cannot be run through fear and terror; rather, they function through justice and fairness alone.
Referring to the newly elected Chief Minister of West Bengal allegedly saying, “I will work only for Hindus,” he described such remarks as an expression of hatred and religious extremism. He further said that every Chief Minister takes an oath before God that he or she will act according to the Constitution and the law, and will deliver justice to “all manner of people” without fear, favor, affection, or ill will. Without this pledge, no person can become a Chief Minister, nor can they morally justify remaining in that office.
Maulana Arshad Madani said clearly that systematic efforts are being made to transform the country into an ideological state, and due to the indifference of constitutional institutions, these efforts are gradually succeeding. He said that a Uniform Civil Code has already been implemented in several states, and preparations are now underway to introduce a Uniform Civil Bill in Assam as well. Through a notification, the controversial song “Vande Mataram” has been declared a national song, and in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, it has even been made compulsory. On the other hand, mosques, shrines, and madrasas are being declared illegal and demolished. New directives regarding madrasas are being issued almost every day, as though these educational institutions were centres of unlawful activities rather than places of learning.
He said that Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind is fighting a legal battle against these actions, and in several cases, it has already received justice from the courts. On this occasion, Maulana Madani announced that Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind will soon establish a Madrasa Board at both the central and state levels, through which all madrasas will be connected and collective efforts will be made to address issues concerning them.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind rejects the decision of the Union Cabinet under which “Vande Mataram” has been granted a status equal to the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana,” all six of its stanzas have been made compulsory, and its recitation before “Jana Gana Mana” has been declared mandatory in all government and educational institution programs. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind considers this decision to be completely against the fundamental spirit of the Constitution of India, religious freedom, secular values, and the historic decisions of the Constituent Assembly, and demands that the government immediately withdraw it. If this decision is not revoked, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind will approach the court against it. He further stated that their legal struggle against the Uniform Civil Code is continuing, and that they are also preparing to challenge the compulsory imposition of “Vande Mataram” through legal means, because, according to him, the song is against their religious beliefs and making it mandatory is an attempt to deprive them of their religious freedom.
He expressed serious concern over what he described as a campaign to deprive genuine citizens of their voting rights under the guise of SIR, stating that “this is not SIR but NRC,” and that Muslims are being specifically targeted through it in several states. Referring to West Bengal in this context, Maulana Arshad Madani said that declaring 2.7 million voters as “doubtful” and depriving them of their right to vote is a black mark on democracy. According to reports, the majority of these 2.7 million people are Muslims.
He further said that the unfortunate aspect is that some self-serving Muslims are also working in line with the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He alleged that they deliberately make statements that create communal polarization, and that the damage caused by such statements during the recent assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam is now evident.
The third phase of the SIR has also been announced. Muslims need to remain highly alert and cautious, and all necessary documents should be prepared in advance. Volunteers of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind will, as usual, assist people in all these states. Maulana Arshad Madani said that the SIR forms should not be filled out hastily, but rather with great care and understanding, because even a minor mistake could be interpreted as a serious error and used to raise questions about the citizenship of Muslims.
He further stated that the real objective of this entire process is not the correction of voter lists, but rather the reduction of the Muslim vote. According to him, this is being carried out at multiple levels. In Assam, through the new delimitation of electoral constituencies, the Muslim vote has been rendered ineffective, and that under the pretext of fresh delimitation, the same exercise could begin in other states as well in order to benefit a particular political party.
It is not that those who were previously in power were not involved in this; they too consistently tried to weaken Muslims socially, educationally, politically, and economically, and anti-Muslim riots also continued to take place. However, he said that there is a major difference between then and now: at that time, Muslims were the target, whereas now Islam itself has become the target. The new laws that were introduced after 2014, and those that are still being introduced, are clear evidence that the present government seeks to harm not only Muslims but Islam as well. All of this is also taking place at the global level. He added that this trend is visible at the global level as well. Maulana Madani said that the rapid spread of Islam across the world has frightened those who harbour hostility and hatred toward Islam. As a result, propaganda against Islam is being carried out at every level in an attempt to tarnish its image. He further remarked that those engaged in such efforts forget that Islam is a universal religion. Those who tried to erase Islam have themselves vanished, while Islam has remained alive and, according to his belief, will remain alive until the Day of Judgment.
Maulana Arshad Madani referred to the former Soviet Union, where, he said, efforts were made for years to eliminate Islam by promoting communism. According to him, mosques and religious seminaries were banned to such an extent that for years even the call to prayer was not heard from mosques. Yet, the world later witnessed the disintegration of the Soviet Union into several parts, and from its ruins emerged a number of Muslim countries. Despite all oppression and brutality, Islam survived and Muslims endured.
He said that the Muslims of India are patriotic citizens and equal participants in the country’s progress. Their patriotism has repeatedly been questioned, yet at every critical moment they have proven through their conduct and actions that they are loyal citizens of the nation.
Maulana Madani further stated that if some misguided people believe they can succeed in intimidating Muslims through threats and the power of authority, and force them to live according to imposed conditions, then they should understand that Muslims have never bowed down and never will. He said that Muslims may bend in response to love and goodwill, but they can never be made to bow through force and coercion. He added that the rights Muslims possess have not been granted by any government, but by the Constitution of the country itself. As long as this Constitution exists, Muslims will continue to live in this country as patriotic citizens, and they can never accept becoming second-class citizens.
Maulana Arshad Madani concluded by saying that history bears witness that many powerful tyrants came and vanished; oppression does not last long. When injustice reaches its extreme, one should understand that a bright dawn is near. A day will surely come when the oppressor will be in chains, and this country will once again become a cradle of justice, love, and brotherhood.
