Muslims snub imam: 'Vote humara, aur fatwa unka?'

Faith buried religious beliefs on Tuesday, the eighth day of Anna Hazare’s fast. Faith in the veteran Gandhian and his fight for a strong Lokpal Bill saw Hindus and Muslims shouting slogans together — from Mumbai to Delhi.

Be it a 25-year-old Muslim woman giving an impassioned speech at Ramlila Maidan or the Mufti talking to campaigners at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, everyone voiced their support and said the protests showed the spirit of India.

The presence of Muslims at both venues also showed how much they cared for what Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the imam of Jama Masjid, says. The imam had asked Muslims to boycott Hazare’s campaign as protesters have been shouting “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.

People like Mumtaz, 25, had never seen a large crowd in her life, forget addressing one — that is till she took the stage at Ramlila Maidan. The woman from Mewat, Haryana, paused for a few seconds before she gave one of the most passionate speeches heard on this ground. “Some voices from my community say it is wrong to say Bharat Mata ki jai! Well, I do not agree,” she said to a thunderous applause.

“Why should we accept what some leaders with vested interests tell us is right or wrong? Will what we say or not say change our identity or our faith?” she asked after stepping down from the stage.

For Mumtaz, it was not an easy decision to join the protesters at Ramlila.

She thought over it; spoke to her brother and other elders before making the journey from her village to Delhi. “People are trying to make this into a sectarian issue,” she said. “They are saying Anna Hazare’s movement will not address our problems. But we disagree. His movement is our movement. It will make our lives much better.”

Mumtaz and her brother, Azad, reached Ramlila Maidan with a group from her village. Their grouse: the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government short-changed them while acquiring their lands.

“They offered us Rs16 lakh for the land. Within a few days they changed the law and offered others Rs55 lakh,” she said.

“Is this right? The Lokpal might have little to do with such things, but it is also a way for us to be counted and our basic rights restored,” Mumtaz said.

In Azad Maidan, Mumbai, Muslims have been fasting from August 16 as a mark of solidarity. A Mufti, who spoke to campaigners in Mumbai, said the protests showed the spirit of India. “People who depend on votes are spreading misinformation,” the Mufti said.
Ali Akbar Anwar Ansari, Rajya Sabha MP from the Janata Dal (United), rushed to hug Mumtaz as she stepped off the dais.

“Our community leaders keep saying we must follow their fatwa. But why should we listen to them when our vote belongs to us in a democracy.”

Ansari, who also heads the All India Pasmanda Muslim Samaj, said backward Muslims are the worst affected. “Pasmanda means backward,” he said. “But the word has disappeared from the lexicon of our so-called leaders. So, should we listen to political rhetoric or opt for a life free of corruption? Is it not what Anna Hazare is fighting for?”

Ansari, Mumtaz or Azad were not alone. There were many more Muslims in the crowd on Tuesday. Most of them rubbished allegations that Hazare’s movement had the backing of the RSS.

Mohammed Sadik who along with 24 other workers resigned from the Congress said he did not agree with people making such allegations. “We were part of the Minto Road block, but we quit in solidarity with the movement,” he said. “Look at the crowd here.

Does it look like it has the support of one community or an ideology? I am a Muslim and I fully support Annaji. At least 2,000 Muslim supporters have come from Mewat. The workers in this block have vowed to support Anna Hazare’s fight against corruption.”