Deoband calls on people to unite against ban

Darul Uloom, Deoband, a leading Islamic seminary, has called upon the people to raise their voice against the ban on the Bhagwad Gita in Russia.

Darul Uloom, Deoband, a leading Islamic seminary, has called upon the people to raise their voice against the ban on the Bhagwad Gita in Russia.

“People should come together, cutting across religion, caste and creed,” said Mufti Abul Qasim Banarsi, rector of the seminary.

“The attack on religious issues need to be crticised and condemned by all irrespective of religion.”

Banarsi also made references to past attempts by European countries to impose bans on the burqa as well the Quran.

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MP Christian body writes to Pope
The Christians of Madhya Pradesh took an united stand on Wednesday, condemning the ban on the Gita. They urged the government and Pope Benedict XVI to intervene and stop the ban on the holy book of the Hindus. They also met governor Ram Naresh Yadav and submitted a memorandum.

“It is clear that they (those demanding the ban in Russia ) lack knowledge about this scripture. It hurts not only the feelings of the Hindu community but [other] citizens of this country,” read the memorandum.

The Christian population in MP is less than 1%, and they are often the target of saffron outfits in the BJP-ruled state. A section of the RSS sees this as the community’s gesture to bridge differences.

An RSS functionary in Bhopal, said: “Congress has been aloof, lately, as far as Christian votes are concerned. Spurned... Christians are looking for an alternative...This exercise is a confidence building measure...”

(With inputs from Shahroz Afridi)