By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: South India’s leading Muslim non-political organization Popular Front of India has strongly condemned the attempts of Sangh Parivar to create communal divide and to question the patriotism of Muslim community in the context of the Deoband resolution passed by Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind regarding singing of Vande Mataram song.
“The BJP which is in crisis due to internal feuds is just capitalizing the issue for political motives,” said K M Shareef, General Secretary, PFI.
“Any community has the right to uphold its belief system and to impose upon them any type of worship contrary to their beliefs is against freedom of faith and secularism. To question the loyalty of Indian Muslims on the ground that they reject the concept of worshiping motherland is nothing but a mockery of patriotism. It is ridiculous that an organization like RSS whose leaders and ideologues had stayed away from the struggle for the freedom of the motherland is now pointing fingers at Muslims,” Shareef said.
“The Indian Constitution has provided space for each and every community to adhere to its religious beliefs. Respecting the religious sentiments of each community is the binding force of a pluralistic society. The forces which tend to divide the nation by propagating hatred against the right of Muslims to practice monotheism and abstaining from worshiping another deity are posing a real threat to the integrity of the nation,” Shareef added.
PFI has also condemned the criticism of Home Minister P. Chidambaram for attending the Jamiat conference in Deoband earlier this week. The organization, however, maintained that the apologetic stand later taken by the Home Minister distancing himself from the issue has only emboldened the communal elements.
“Popular Front of India expects all secular sections of the society especially the political parties to support the fundamental right of Muslims to keep away from singing a song which is against their religious belief system,” Shareef said.
[Photo: www.ssfmalappuram.com]