Muslim intelligentsia distances itself from fatwa

Agencies Posted online: Sunday , Nov 08, 2009 at 1135 hrs

Lucknow : Distancing itself from the 'fatwa' against Muslims singing 'Vande
Mataram', a section of the intelligentsia on Sunday said there was a need to
educate the community about the actual meaning of the lone "objectionable" word
'vande' in order to remove doubts over its rendition.
Last week, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind at its annual meet in Deoband opposed singing of
the national song by Muslims. Vice President of the All India Muslim Personal
Law Board and eminent scholar Maulana Kalbe Sadiq called for a debate among
Hindi litterateurs to define the word 'Vande' used in the song which forms the
basis on which it has been termed been as being against their religion.

Sadiq said that he was ready to accept the contention of Minority Affairs
Minister Salman Khursheed that the National Song had been approved by Maulana
Azad on whose suggestions some words were removed.

"If the word Vande stands for respect and showing reverence to the motherland,
then Muslims have no ground to object to it and it is for the litterateurs and
knowledge persons of Sanskrit, Urdu and Hindi to sit down and debate over it so
that the misconceptions about the same can be removed," Sadiq said.

He stressed that if the word stands for "worship" it is technically unacceptable
for Muslims who cannot worship anyone other than the almighty. Sadiq said there
were important issues like illiteracy, unemployment and poverty which need to be
taken up by everyone, including the ulemas.

Echoing similar views, president of the All India Shia Personal Law Board,
Maulana Mirza Mohammad Athar also questioned the timing of the fatwa which he
claimed could ignite communal passions.

"It is time that experts of Hindi and Sanskrit determine whether the word in
question is 'Vande' or 'Bande'," Maulana Athar said, adding that perhaps it is
the former which means showing respect and it is in keeping with the tenets of
Islam.

"It needs to be told to the Muslims that vande is other than worshipping the
motherland as they have been made to believe all these years," Maulana Athar
said.

Chairperson of All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board Shaista Amber alleged
the issue has provided fodder to communal and reactionary forces who are out to
use it0 to bash the community.

"The National Song is in the praise of the motherland and all muslims love their
country and those who are attaching its rendition to patriotism are on the wrong
path," she said questioning whether all those who sing it are patriots and had
never done anything wrong.

"Muslims should also not react to forces who aim at their loyalty to the country
as they do not require any certificate from anyone," Amber said recalling as to
how the same Deoband and Imarate Shariat in Bihar had issued a fatwa for
independence of the country. Maulana Abdul Kayoon, adviser to the Muslim Women
Law Board also called for not paying importance to issues which could create
chasm in society. Sadiq said the community should rather focus to redress the
problems faced by it.

"Reciting a word or not is not as important as these major issues which could
bring them in the mainstream of development," Sadiq said, adding on a personal
basis he was ready to recite or read any thing if the community's welfare can be
achieved.