After a dozen Muslim women in Varanasi, Darul Uloom Deoband has ‘ousted’ former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid from Islam for worshipping Lord Ram.
Action against Salman Khurshid, the former External Affairs and Law minister, was initiated after his photographs and video performing Aarti of Lord Ram during Kalki Festival in Sambhal got viral on the social media.
Taking suo motu notice of the video and photographs on social media, Darul Iftaa, debarred the senior Congress leader from Islam with immediate effect.
“His act is against the basic tenets of Islam which does not allow any devout Muslim to worship anyone other than Allah. Moreover, idol worship is strictly banned in Islam” said a statement in Urdu from Deoband’s Ulema Mufti Tariq Kashmi.
“His (Salman Khurship) act violates Islamic laws and, therefore, he is being ousted from the Islam with immediate effect. He is no longer a Muslim and should repent (Tauba) before Allah for his un-Islamic act and read Kalma only then he will be allowed to embrace Islam again as per Islamic laws,” said the Ulema.
The Deoband Mufti advised and warned Muslims in general to stay away from such ‘un-Islamic’ acts or be ready to face the consequences. “Any Muslim worshipping anyone other than Allah will have no place in Islam,” warned the Ulema.
Reacting to the 'ouster', Salman Khurshid tweeted that respect for a compatriot's religion wasn't denial of one's own.
Earlier, Darul Uloom deoband had ousted about a dozen Muslim women in Varanasi when they worshipped and performed Aarti on Lord Ram on Diwali. Following the ouster, the Chairperson of the Muslim Women Foundation, Varanasi Nazneen had demanded to ban Darul Uloom Deoband for spreading communal hatred in the society and issuing anti-Islamic fatwas.
