E-Paper
No to Vande Mataram
THE MADARSAS here have said a resounding ?No? to singing the Vande Mataram, but are all for Allama Iqbal?s ?Sare Jahan se Achcha, Hindustan Hamara?.
Madarsas ready to sing ‘Sare Jahan Se Achcha’
THE MADARSAS here have said a resounding ‘No’ to singing the Vande Mataram, but are all for Allama Iqbal’s ‘Sare Jahan se Achcha, Hindustan Hamara’.
Meanwhile, the opposition of the Muslim community to singing Vande Mataram is summed up succinctly by Jamiat-Ulema general secretary Matinul Haq Osama Qasimi. He says the entire debate is without substance and “everyone knows a Muslim cannot bow except before the Almighty. This song exhorts all to bend before something else other than Allah. Islam doesn’t allow such a gesture under any circumstances,” he says. And he feels such an issue is raised time and again only to test patriotism in Muslims, who love the country as others do.
Maulana Alam Raza, proctor of Madarasa Mehtabia and chairman of Aimma Masajid (an organisation of Imams), said, “Singing the Vande Mataram is just out of question not only in institutions but even in normal circumstances. This hardly means that Muslims do not love their country. There are certain other songs, which drill in the same feeling of patriotism and love for the nation,” he added.
Waving off the binding to sing the National Song, the Madarsas here are proposing to adopt the famous Qaumi Tarana of Sir Mohd Iqbal instead. Nayab Shaher Qazi Qamar Shahjahanpuri will lead a movement to get an official nod that ‘Sare Jahan Se Achcha’ resounds in seminaries. Also, a campaign will be carried out to make sure that students coming from the Muslim community aren’t forced to sing Vande Mataram.
From the point of view of Islam, singing Vande Mataram is deemed as ‘shirk’ (against religious norms) and the clergy here says, “It will do anything to protect boys and girls from doing anything which is anti-religion.
All the top clerics met at the Madarsa Irshadia on Monday night and strongly opposed the move and gave the nod for a sustained campaign. The Muslim League (city unit) has decided to send a letter to minister of state for foreign affairs E Ahmed. ML president Mohd Athar said the campaign would be launched in a day or two.
“All madarsdas here are unanimous for singing ‘Sare Jahan se Achcha’ by the students. ML will try to get an authorisation to bring an amicable end to this controversy,” he said.
Soon the ulema (theologists) will assemble to discuss the reason behind such a move and will demand a change. Hussaini Mission president Mohd Zafar Hussain has also demanded the government to reconsider its decision.
