Prophet row: Clerics, Muslim leaders ask people to suspend plans for further protest

After bulldozers were used to demolish houses of the people who allegedly took part in protests held across Uttar Pradesh against derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed made by two BJP leaders, leaders of prominent Islamic groups and mosques have appealed to fellow Muslims to suspend plans for further protests.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Uttar Pradesh called upon its leaders, office bearers, and workers not to participate in any dharna or demonstration organised in any district. The party’s instructions come against the backdrop of the Uttar Pradesh Police stepping up the crackdown on those allegedly involved in violence and arson during protests in some districts of the state last Friday.

The AIMIM state unit president Shaukat Ali said that the party does not support any dharna or demonstration that are unconstitutional. Messages have been sent to all the state unit office bearers, district presidents, and workers to maintain a distance from them.

He said that the AIMIM demands an impartial inquiry into the Prayagraj incident by a committee constituted by the Allahabad high court and a special investigation team of the Uttar Pradesh government as the action of the police against members of a particular community is biased.

He claimed that Praygraj police has falsely lodged an FIR against the district president of the AIMIM. "We will oppose this partisan behaviour of the police in the court of the law," he said

Similarly, the office-bearer of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Malik Aslam said it is the duty of every Muslim to stand together when anyone belittles Islam but at the same time it is critical to maintaining peace. The police were working in a biased manner. This action has further vitiated the atmosphere, he added.

The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has issued an appeal to Islamic scholars and clerics to refrain from appearing in TV debates where issues related to Prophet Mohammad are discussed.

It further said that the Muslim clerics and Islamic scholars should not appear in arguments and debates on those TV channels whose only objective is to make fun of Islam and insult Muslims. AIMPLB said that by participating in the TV debates the Muslim leaders are not able to do any service to Muslims and Islam, instead, they indirectly insult and mock both the religion and the community.

The row over Nupur Sharma started over a debate on the discovery of Shivling at Gyanvapi mosque on a TV channel. Objecting to alleged insult to Shivling and Hinduism by Muslims on social media, Nupur Sharma had questioned what if Hindus also start quoting uncomfortable facts of Prophet Mohammed from Islam texts

“The episode has also raised concerns about the conduct of some TV news channels becoming instruments for spewing hatred towards a certain community and their beliefs, just to increase their TRPs and revenue without realizing the repercussion and embarrassment that such programmes could bring to the country,” Shakeel Ahmad, a political commentator said.

Taking note of the development, the Editors Guild of India has rightly said that the unnecessary embarrassment to the country could have been avoided if some of the TV outlets had been “mindful of the nation’s Constitutional commitment to secularism, as well as the journalistic ethics and guidelines that the Press Council of India has issued to handle a volatile communal situation.