Counter-Terrorism : ‘No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not love his country’

Against the backdrop of the seminar on ‘Terrorism – Aspects, Challenges and Responses’ conducted by Social Cause, the Chairman of the Maharastra State Minority Commission Mohammed Hussein Khan, also called Amir Saheb, spoke to our correspondent Shri N Nagaraja Rao in a candid interview during his Hyderabad visit. Excerpts:

• Apex court emphasised the primacy of the legislature and the political process in deciding on a Uniform Civil Code. What do you think?
  

Uniform civil code is a term which has originated from the concept of a civil law code. It envisages administering the same set of secular civil laws to govern different people belonging to different religions and regions. This supersedes the right of citizens to subject themselves to different personal laws based on their religion or ethnicity. The common areas covered by a civil code include personal status, rights related to acquisition and administration of property marriage, divorce and adoption. My response would be ‘why not?’. In a garden where so many different colours grow together and so many fragrances intermingle and fill the air. Isn’t it beautiful when they are mixed together? The democratic state has a right to reform personal laws. It has a right to align them with constitutional principles.

• Hyderabad parliamentarian Mr Owaisi’s recent statement on chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” turned controversial and invited ire of many. Does Islam forbid extolling Bharat Mata?

On the way to this venue from the airport in Hyderabad, I came across the office of Majlis-Ittehad-Mulsimeen which had a huge hoarding that stated, “Sare Jahan Se Accha Hindustan Hamara”, “Hindustan Zindabad” and “Jai Hind”. The context of the controversy is political, and for a vast majority among the minority community, this isn’t the most important material or emotive issue. Javed Akhtar has chanted “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” many a times, why was his speech ignored by media?

• In Bharat, Muslims are the second largest community after Hindus. Why should they be termed minority, unlike Parsis, Christians and Sikhs who constitute close to 2 per cent? Should not Minority commissions be converted to Human right commissions for better implementation of grievances, safeguarding the interests of the Minorities?

Good Question!  Then Grant equal rights and representation to all minority communities in Bharat in legislatures and services, civil and political life in proportion to population and merit. Muslims,   Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis)   have   been   notified   as   minority communities by the Union Government. The functions of these Commissions, inter-alia, are to safeguard and protect the interests of minorities provided in the Constitution and laws enacted by Parliament and the State Legislatures and its better implementation. If institutional arrangements are made for the enforcement and implementation of all the safeguards provided for the minorities in the Constitution in the Central and State laws and in Government policies and administrative schemes enunciated from time to time, one has no objections to converting Minority commissions into National Integration-cum-Human Rights Commission.
 

• In a hate speech, Akbaruddin Owaisi once said “the 25 crore Muslims in India can take care of the 100 crore Hindus if the police stayed away for fifteen minutes”. Should such statements be condoned?

Owaisi brothers brand of politics is plain populism and Political rhetoric aimed to remain relevant in Politics. I shall give him full day. Let them kill 1000 mosquitoes. They shout rant and threaten and the clout of the Owaisi brothers will hit rock bottom or reduce  to their imaginary fiefdom. No sensible Muslim shall endorse such derogatory statement, forget supporting them.

• Radical Islam has more or less created turbulence in the world , Religion is playing a major role. Your comment?

Man cannot acquire the beauty of God’s quality simply by going to the church, mosque, temple or synagogue. This beauty must grow within heart like the fragrance of a flower. Only when unity and harmony exist within the heart can beauty and fragrance be known on the outside. Humans with selfishness, anger, jealousy and envy have no peace in their lives. They are prejudiced against different religions races and colours and even against certain kinds of prayers, less said the better about spiritual differences and they are arrogant. They disturb the peace and oppose compassion at all times. This illness of arrogance and illusion has caught hold of the man. Thus, the religious wars and perceived hegemony of one religion are over other.

• Your Final comments on true Muslims!

No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not love his country! We all are  Bharatiyas and we love our motherland. Humanism is the greatest religion and those promoting brotherhood and communal harmony are most sought after than those who pit humanism against terrorism.            n