By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: A two-day national seminar on Minority Rights and Islamophobia: Limits of Freedoms began today at Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi, with top Muslim religious leaders besides others attending the first session. The seminar is being organized by Islamic Fiqh Academy (India).
In his keynote address, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, General Secretary, Islamic Fiqh Academy, talked about the rights of minorities in an Islamic State. He also highlighted the importance of respect to the rights of minorities in a democracy where majority rules the roost.
“Today democracy and secularism are considered the best system of governance but it is a fact that as democracy runs on the opinion of the majority, the protection of rights of minorities in this system has gained great importance,” Maulana Rahmani said.
“Rights of minorities are the subject of discussions around the globe. UN also takes some decisions and seeks attention of member countries towards the rights of minorities. This because if majority does not do justice in a democratic system and use its number to suppress the minorities then democracy becomes dictatorship of majority. And then it is difficult for the minorities to protect its identity,” Maulana Rahmani said.
He hoped the seminar will help explain the rights of minorities, make the majority sincere towards minority rights and present Islamic viewpoint about minorities.
Addressing the gathering, Qari Usman Mansoorpuri, President, Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind, condemned the West for suppressing the rights of minorities even in democratic system.
“The West is working extra hour to establish “democracy” in the world. But no one is following the Charter of human rights of UN – the world’s highest representative democratic body. Rights of minorities and Muslims are being violated. Even though there was no WMD, Iraq was destroyed and lakhs of innocents were killed,” Maulana Mansoorpuri said.
In the context of India, he also made it clear that talk of rights of minority does not mean encroachment on the rights of majority.
“When we talk of rights of minorities, we do not want to snatch the rights of majority, we just want to make the majority aware of its responsibility towards minorities,” he said.
On Islamophobia, he said: “When Quran and Hadith are open to all then why there is campaign of Islamophobia. This only because, after 9/11 people are studying Quran and coming towards Islam. The campaign is meant to keep them away from Islam.”
Maulana Syed Nizamuddin, General Secretary, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, explained the rights of all sections of a society in Islam.
“Islam is the only religion which has so clearly defined the rights of all: rights of rulers and the ruled, rights of women, rights of parent towards children and vice versa, rights of husband towards wife and vice versa,” he said.
“Minority right is a political term created not to give rights of Muslims,” Maulana Nizamuddin said while demanding that Muslims should have every right like any other citizen.
Islamophobia is aimed at keeping people away from Islam, he said and urged the community to come up to clear misunderstandings about Islam and Muslims.
“Muslims should not be a protesting community. They should come out to establish good and remove evils. Muslims should come up and write in media — along with Urdu, in English and vernacular press also — to dispel misunderstandings about Islam and the community,” said the Maulana who is also Ameer Shariat, Imarat Sharia Bihar.
Ex-MP and diplomat Syed Shahabuddin also called upon the community to come out of its fold.
“Muslims should come out of their fold to serve and lead the country. They should come forward to remove misunderstandings about Islam and Muslims,” he said.