Writers, artists, scholars, activists and concerned citizens have strongly objected to, and raised their voices against a recent full page advertisement by the Peace Party where it proclaims that it is ready to “sacrifice everything to support the mission of establishing the dictate of God (Ahkaam-e-Ilahi) and administration of Mustafa (Nizam-e-Mustafa)”. The party, in this Urdu advertisement has stated that, ‘for the past 100 years, mission of Hegdewar, Savarkar, Nehru, Lohia and Ambedkar has been converted into a religion by the Sarkari Ulema” which it says is “opposed to ‘fundamental principles of Ahkam-e-Ilahi and Nizam-e-Mustafa’.”
The message in the advertisement translates as: “We the ulema from various (Islamic) sects hereby declare our resolve to fully support the Peace Party’s political mission to establish Ahkam-e-Ilahi (Allah’s Laws) and Nizam-e-Mustafa (Prophet Mohammed’s style of government) and are prepared to make every sacrifice needed for the success of this political mission. For the past 100 years the sarkari ulema have made it an article of their faith to support the political mission of Hedgewar (RSS), Savarkar (Hindu Mahasabha), Nehru, Lohia and Amdebkar and rallied the Muslim masses in their support. This stance of theirs is totally contrary to the principles of Ahkaam-e-Ilahi and Nizam-e-Mustafa. We members of the Shariat Council oppose such anti-Shariah practice and appeal to the Muslim masses to beware of the sarkari ulema who only act for their personal benefit.”
This radical and fundamental tone has evoked strong reactions from many eminent citizens, some of whom are Muslims, some are followers of different religions, and others are agnostic or atheist. The citizens have reminded readers that “‘Nizam-e-Mustafa’ is a phrase coined and popularized by the most fundamentalist and fascistic section under the most uncivilized regime of the most hated dictator of Pakistan, General Zia.”
They have called this advertisement, an “attack on the Constitution of the country.” The signatories to the statement that condemns the offensive advertisement, have siad that, “the Hindu and Muslim communal mindset was always at the forefront of saboteurs who finally succeeded in dividing the country on religious lines. However, it is a historical fact that overwhelming majority of Hindus and Muslim other citizens of the country rejected divisive, fundamentalist and reactionary ideologies. Majority of Muslims consciously decided not to migrate, refused Pakistani citizenship, and majority of Hindus rejected the idea of a Hindu Rashtra, instead opted for a secular, democratic and sovereign India.”
They reiterated that under “Gandhi, Nehru, Maulana Azad, Sardar Patel and Babasaheb Ambedkar, whose leadership was widely accepted by people of all religions, regions, castes and linguistic minorities, the idea of India as a secular nation won the battle.” But even decades later, the “divisive forces who would like to convert it into a chaotic, barbaric, violent fascistic nation have never given up their conspiratorial efforts.”
The Peace Party (PP) is a political party that is active mostly in Uttar Pradesh, it came into being in February 2008, and was founded by Dr Mohamed Ayub.
The recent full page advertisement published by the Peace Party, stated the secular citizens, was an attack “in a series of attacks on the idea of India.” They called it “derogatory and divisive in many ways”, adding that it deliberately and “conspiratorially puts the names of the most respected secular stalwarts of the freedom movement like Nehru, Lohia and Baba Sahib Ambedkar in the same category as those who propagated fascist ideology.”
The statement released by academics, activists and writers Javed Anand, Shabnam Hashmi, and Gauhar Raza, and has been signed by nearly 200 concerned citizens, added that the Peace Party’s advertisement has been issued “when communal forces in the country are trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the name of religion”. They state that this advertisement and its timing, “is part of the conspiracy to tear apart the social and cultural fabric of India by dividing peace loving, anti-violence, toiling masses of the country. The language and message of the advertisement amply shows that all fundamentalists, be it Peace Party or many frontal organizations of RSS, use religion to propagate their fascistic ideologies.” Other signatories include Juzar Bandukwala, Muniza Khan, Sukla Sen and Teesta Setalvad.
“Talking of Nizam-e-Mustafa in a secular India, which has thousands of communities – religious, ethnic, linguistic, is deliberately and maliciously adding fuel to the hate campaigns. Let us not forget that majority of the Muslims did not support Jinnah and his Muslim league. They couldn’t stop the partition but they never supported the two nation theory propounded by Muslim League and RSS.”
The signitories have appealed to the “Muslim community and all secular Indians irrespective of their religion to unequivocally condemn the statement of such Muslim leaders and their nefarious designs.”
Apart from all else, the fact that several ‘mainstream’ Urdu papers like Inquilab have given space to such a divisive advertisement is also an aspect that needs some analysis and assessment
The entire statement by citizens may be read here :
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