Maleeha Akhter / New Delhi
Amid growing fear of war between India and Pakistan, the President of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maulana Arshad Madani has cautioned that war is not a solution to any problem rather it will create more problems. “Even if we win a war there could be our loss too, our economy is growing rapidly, but war could hamper our economic growth”, said Maulana Madani while addressing a press conference here today.
Responding to questions about the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, he stated that the killing of any innocent person is a grave sin, and those who commit such acts cannot be considered human. He further added that we condemn all forms of oppression, no matter what shape it takes.
He further said that it is strange in itself that on a tourist spot where more than 3,000 visitors had gathered that day, there was no proper security arrangement in place. A major question also arises: how did terrorists manage to reach such a tourist destination so easily, when soldiers of the army and BSF are stationed at every step?
What’s even more regrettable is that even after the terrorist attack, it took an hour and a half for the police or army personnel to arrive. It was the local people who came to the aid of the victims — even risking their own lives to take the injured to the hospital. Is this not a clear failure of the security system?
Politics of hatred a serious threat to nation
He said without any hesitation that the edifice of the rulers rests on hatred. “Their only ideology and principle is to create hatred, divide the people on the basis of religion, and thereby easily form a government. The unfortunate truth is that the government has no intention of doing anything that would bring peace and stability to the people — such as providing jobs and employment, creating opportunities for business, or improving the standard of living of the citizens” he said.
Maulana Madani said that given the current situation in the country, not only we, but even our non-Muslim brothers feel bad. Linking every issue to religion and promoting hatred has become a norm in today’s politics.
In response to another question, he said, a nation progresses through unity, love, and harmony — therefore, what the country needs is a government of love, not of hatred. The politics of hate is a serious threat to the nation. Unfortunately, the path of hatred on which our country has been set — if not stopped — will make it difficult not just for Muslims, but for every citizen to even breathe freely in this land.
Protest against Waqf Act
In questions regarding the Waqf (amendments) Act, he said that we consider the amendments to the Waqf law as interference in religion. The changes that have been made, and the manner in which old provisions have been abolished, clearly indicate that the government intends to usurp our waqf properties.
He said that there should be peaceful protests regarding the new Waqf law, and such protests are indeed happening across the country. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has also organized three rallies against it, in which millions of people participated, but no unrest was caused. We must not take the law into our own hands. We are peace-loving people, and the rights given to us by the Constitution and laws of this country should guide our protests. We firmly believe in this approach. He clarified that this is not a fight between the people, but a fight against the government, which seeks to strip us of our constitutional rights.