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Cancel Salman Rushdie's visa: Deoband
LUCKNOW: Although Salman Rushdie has visited India dozens of time since the row over 'The Satanic Verses' erupted and subsided almost two decades ago, the country's top Islamic seminary, Darul Uloom, Deoband, has chosen the eve of UP elections to demand that the author not be allowed to enter India. Rushdie is expected for the Jaipur literary festival later this month.
This puts the Congress, which is wooing UP's Muslims, in a serious bind.
Darul-Uloom's rector, Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani, has appealed to the Centre and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to deny author Salam Rushdie a visa, saying that "the man whose blasphemous writings have hurt the sentiments of Muslims all over the world must not be allowed to set foot on Indian soil".
Trashing the Maulana's appeal may only derail efforts of the Congress to win over Muslims. Moreover, the 135-year-old seminary's clout extends beyond UP to across India.With its rector pressing for Sonia's intervention, the demand would be hard to ignore."We expect the government to be prompt and tough, the way it was over the Russian court's ban on Gita for allegedly promoting terror activities," Nomani said. "Rushdie's visit is bound to affect the sentiments of the minority community and it must therefore evoke a sharp response as well. We hope that the government would not pursue a dual policy," Nomani added.
"The Gita ban had led to much heat in Parliament and the message from India was loud and clear. The 'hukoomat' must, therefore, send out an equally strong message by forcing a ban on the man known for mocking Islam and stands "kharit"(rejected) by Islam," the rector's appeal says.
Chief spokesman of the seminary, Maulana Ashraf Usmani, said, "We expect Hindus to support us. Last month, when Gita controversy was at its peak, Deoband was first to publicly condemn the proposed ban".
Meanwhile, Rushdie tweeted, "my Indian visit, for the record, I don't need a visa."
Times View
The Darul Uloom's demand that Salman Rushdie be denied a visa to attend a literary festival in India could be dismissed as absurd were it not for its timing. Surely those who run the seminary in Deoband are well aware that Rushdie has been to India several times since the 1988 release and subsequent ban of his controversial book Satanic Verses. That's what makes one suspect that the current demand is somehow linked to the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh. The government, however, shouldn't be pressured into denying him a visa. As always, the Indian-born British author should be allowed to come to India.
This puts the Congress, which is wooing UP's Muslims, in a serious bind.
Darul-Uloom's rector, Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani, has appealed to the Centre and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to deny author Salam Rushdie a visa, saying that "the man whose blasphemous writings have hurt the sentiments of Muslims all over the world must not be allowed to set foot on Indian soil".
Trashing the Maulana's appeal may only derail efforts of the Congress to win over Muslims. Moreover, the 135-year-old seminary's clout extends beyond UP to across India.With its rector pressing for Sonia's intervention, the demand would be hard to ignore."We expect the government to be prompt and tough, the way it was over the Russian court's ban on Gita for allegedly promoting terror activities," Nomani said. "Rushdie's visit is bound to affect the sentiments of the minority community and it must therefore evoke a sharp response as well. We hope that the government would not pursue a dual policy," Nomani added.
"The Gita ban had led to much heat in Parliament and the message from India was loud and clear. The 'hukoomat' must, therefore, send out an equally strong message by forcing a ban on the man known for mocking Islam and stands "kharit"(rejected) by Islam," the rector's appeal says.
Chief spokesman of the seminary, Maulana Ashraf Usmani, said, "We expect Hindus to support us. Last month, when Gita controversy was at its peak, Deoband was first to publicly condemn the proposed ban".
Meanwhile, Rushdie tweeted, "my Indian visit, for the record, I don't need a visa."
Times View
The Darul Uloom's demand that Salman Rushdie be denied a visa to attend a literary festival in India could be dismissed as absurd were it not for its timing. Surely those who run the seminary in Deoband are well aware that Rushdie has been to India several times since the 1988 release and subsequent ban of his controversial book Satanic Verses. That's what makes one suspect that the current demand is somehow linked to the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh. The government, however, shouldn't be pressured into denying him a visa. As always, the Indian-born British author should be allowed to come to India.
2 comments:
பேயரசு செய்தால் பிணம் தின்னும் சாத்திரங்கள்....இத்தாலிக்கார சோனியாவும்,முதுகெலும்பில்லாத பிரதமர் மன்மோஹன் சிங்கும் மத்தியில் ஆட்சி செய்யும்வரை..இவனுங்களுக்கு ஏறிகிட்டுத்தான் இருக்கும்
பேயரசு செய்தால் பிணம் தின்னும் சாத்திரங்கள்....இத்தாலிக்கார சோனியாவும்,முதுகெலும்பில்லாத பிரதமர் மன்மோஹன் சிங்கும் மத்தியில் ஆட்சி செய்யும்வரை..இவனுங்களுக்கு ஏறிகிட்டுத்தான் இருக்கும்
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