A group of 150 academics, activists and intellectuals under the banner of Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) has said they are deeply disturbed by the “euphoria” evident among a section of Indian Muslims over the Taliban’s capture of power in Afghanistan. It referred to office bearers of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Umrain Mahfuz Rahmani and Maulana Sajjad Nomani, and the Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind and called those supporting the Taliban takeover while advocating secularism in India as hypocrites. “Such rank double-standard gives legitimacy to the Sangh Parivar’s agenda for a Hindu Rashtra,” they said in a statement.
The AIMPLB last week clarified it has neither expressed any view nor given any statement on Taliban and the recent political situation of Afghanistan. “Opinion of some Board members has been portrayed as Board’s stand by few media channels and wrong things are being attributed to the Board,” tweeted AIMPLB.
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The IMSD acknowledged the views of various Islamic scholars, religious leaders and Muslim intellectuals who argue that the very notion of an “Islamic state” is antithetical to the core teachings of Islam.
The signatories to the statement include journalist Aarefa Johari, filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, designer Amir Rizwi, actor Javed Jaffrey, lyricist Javed Akhtar and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar.
They expressed solidarity with the beleaguered Afghan women and men “who for too long have been trapped between the corrupt-to-the-core puppet governments propped up by the occupying American and NATO forces and the regressive Taliban who during their earlier rule had trampled over the most basic rights and freedoms”.
{{/usCountry}}They expressed solidarity with the beleaguered Afghan women and men “who for too long have been trapped between the corrupt-to-the-core puppet governments propped up by the occupying American and NATO forces and the regressive Taliban who during their earlier rule had trampled over the most basic rights and freedoms”.
{{/usCountry}}The signatories called upon the global community to launch a “24/7 Afghanistan Watch” to pressure the Taliban to ensure that unlike in the 1990s this time, they will respect the liberties and rights of all citizens. They asked the democratic world, the US in particular, to accept refugees from Afghanistan. “India must open its doors to all Afghan refugees, irrespective of religion.”
A Faizur Rahman, the secretary-general of the Islamic Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought, agreed with the IMSD's condemnation of the Taliban but criticised the Mumbai-based outfit for claiming without evidence that "a section of Indian Muslims" were euphoric over the Taliban’s recent capture of power in Afghanistan. The vagueness of the term "a section", he said, could lead readers to imagine a number anywhere between a few hundred to several million Indian Muslims in an estimated population of 200 million thereby holding them guilty of something for which there is no evidence.
“The IMSD's insinuation against "a section" of the peace-loving Indian Muslims is unjustified and must be withdrawn forthwith,” Rahman said.