All India Muslim Jamaat Maulana national president Shahabuddin Razvi has issued a fatwa for Muslims in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, ordering them to stay away from New Year celebrations, reported news agency PTI.
The cleric stated that greeting each other on the New Year and having parties was un-Islamic since starting the year from January and having New Year celebrations are a Christian practice.
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The fatwa states that such practices and programmes are strictly prohibited under Islam.
A fatwa is a document issued by a mufti (one who interprets Islamic law) in response to questions of religious importance. It is considered an extra-legal stricture issued to members of the Muslim community.
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"During New Year celebrations, dances, obscenity, hooliganism, alcoholism, betting-like activities are organised in hotels. All these activities are banned in the Islamic Shariat. Any boy or girl found involved in these activities will be a culprit as per Sharia," said Razvi, who belongs to the Barelvi sect of the religion.
{{/usCountry}}"During New Year celebrations, dances, obscenity, hooliganism, alcoholism, betting-like activities are organised in hotels. All these activities are banned in the Islamic Shariat. Any boy or girl found involved in these activities will be a culprit as per Sharia," said Razvi, who belongs to the Barelvi sect of the religion.
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The cleric also told ANI, “The young men and women who celebrate New Year have been instructed in this fatwa that celebrating New Year is not a matter of pride and neither should this celebration be celebrated nor should it be congratulated.”
Congress' response
According to the cleric, celebrating any non-religious practices is forbidden for Muslims.
Congress leader Surendra Rajput told PTI that the fatwa was against the concept of ‘unity in diversity’ in India.
He said, “People from different religions make such rubbish talks. These people defame their religions. India is a country of unity in diversity. Every religion is respected here, festivals are celebrated together. There is no need to react much to such matters. They just want to benefit the ruling party through communal ways.”