Why Shahi Imam's appeal in AAP's support is not a communal rant
A day ahead of crucial voting for Delhi Assembly elections, Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhar issued a statement appealing to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party saying Delhi needed a secular government and AAP is one. He further said as they are close to forming a government people must support them.
Minutes after the appeal, Union Finance Minister Arun Jailtely called a press conference saying those who are against this "fatwa' should vote in 100 per cent. The whole day BJP spokespersons kept on using the term fatwa a simpe statement. AAP was quick to reject the support of the Imam, issuing a statement that they not only reject the support but also condemn the kind of communal politics the Imam does.
Here are five reasons why the Shahi Imam's appeal to vote for AAP is not communal.
Firstly, it was not a fatwa or decree as the fatwa is a ruling governed by Sharia law and only a Mufti (jurist) is entitled to issue it. As the last ditch effort to bounce back in a almost lost battle, BJP chose to call it a fatwa to communalise and polarise the already charged political atmosphere of the national capital and reap the benefits of religious polarisation which it has been doing since its inception in 1980.
Secondly, the Shahi Imam is well within his right to appeal for vote to a certain party very much like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev and other sheers who often campaign for the saffron party. Moreover, this is not the first time the Imam did so. He is as bad as our politicians of the day are and like them has always been switching sides. Last time he did issue the statement to vote for Congress. Sometime back, he stood by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his archrival Mayawati too. His predecessors had also supported Janata Party of which BJP's precursor Jan Sangh was an important part in 1976 after the imposition of Emergency. More than an Imam, Bukharis are political figures and their statements are essentially a Chunavi Jumla.
Thirdly, why only Imam's call for vote to a certain party becomes a communal rant wherein our mainstream parties have been actively exploiting other religious figures for political gains. Senior BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Uma Bharti and others do attend meetings of Hindu sheers and ask them for the support. In the recent example, even Dera Sachha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim has extended support to the BJP.
Fourthly, RSS and its various affiliates are the backbone of its political outfit the BJP and its pracharaks go on the grounds asking votes in the name of Hindutava. So why all and sundry hound the Imam for issuing mere a statement.
Fifthly, the almost eight months of BJP's rule at the Centre has seen the unprecedented rise of right-wing fringe elements and incidence of communal violence which really make minorities feel insecure. AAP till now has refrained from sectarian or communal politics so it could be a natural choice for the minorities.
The Shahi Imam's plain political statement was blown out of proportion only because in popular perception a Muslim cleric is a communalising figure and his statement is anything but a communal rant.
A day ahead of crucial voting for Delhi Assembly elections, Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhar issued a statement appealing to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party saying Delhi needed a secular government and AAP is one. He further said as they are close to forming a government people must support them.
Minutes after the appeal, Union Finance Minister Arun Jailtely called a press conference saying those who are against this "fatwa' should vote in 100 per cent. The whole day BJP spokespersons kept on using the term fatwa a simpe statement. AAP was quick to reject the support of the Imam, issuing a statement that they not only reject the support but also condemn the kind of communal politics the Imam does.
Here are five reasons why the Shahi Imam's appeal to vote for AAP is not communal.
Firstly, it was not a fatwa or decree as the fatwa is a ruling governed by Sharia law and only a Mufti (jurist) is entitled to issue it. As the last ditch effort to bounce back in a almost lost battle, BJP chose to call it a fatwa to communalise and polarise the already charged political atmosphere of the national capital and reap the benefits of religious polarisation which it has been doing since its inception in 1980.
Secondly, the Shahi Imam is well within his right to appeal for vote to a certain party very much like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev and other sheers who often campaign for the saffron party. Moreover, this is not the first time the Imam did so. He is as bad as our politicians of the day are and like them has always been switching sides. Last time he did issue the statement to vote for Congress. Sometime back, he stood by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his archrival Mayawati too. His predecessors had also supported Janata Party of which BJP's precursor Jan Sangh was an important part in 1976 after the imposition of Emergency. More than an Imam, Bukharis are political figures and their statements are essentially a Chunavi Jumla.
Thirdly, why only Imam's call for vote to a certain party becomes a communal rant wherein our mainstream parties have been actively exploiting other religious figures for political gains. Senior BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Uma Bharti and others do attend meetings of Hindu sheers and ask them for the support. In the recent example, even Dera Sachha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim has extended support to the BJP.
Fourthly, RSS and its various affiliates are the backbone of its political outfit the BJP and its pracharaks go on the grounds asking votes in the name of Hindutava. So why all and sundry hound the Imam for issuing mere a statement.
Fifthly, the almost eight months of BJP's rule at the Centre has seen the unprecedented rise of right-wing fringe elements and incidence of communal violence which really make minorities feel insecure. AAP till now has refrained from sectarian or communal politics so it could be a natural choice for the minorities.
The Shahi Imam's plain political statement was blown out of proportion only because in popular perception a Muslim cleric is a communalising figure and his statement is anything but a communal rant.
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