The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has appealed to the Islamic scholars and intellectuals not to participate in debates on the Indian TV channels as the sole intention of these channels is not to reach any conclusion through a constructive discourse but to ridicule and defame Islam and its followers.
For years, debates in majority of Indian TV channels have been flagged for islamophobia. Many Muslim activists have recently launched a social media campaign urging boycott of TV debates that fuel anti-Muslim sentiments.
#StopGoingToGodiMediaDebates was trending on Twitter last week. A joint statement of the President, Vice-Presidents & General Secretary of the Muslim body says that by participating in such programs they are not able to do any service to Islam and Muslims; instead, become reason for their own direct insult by involving Islam and Muslims.
President Maulana Syed Mohammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi and vice presidents Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Maulana Kaka Sayeed Ahmed Oomeri, Maulana Syed Shah Fakhruddin Ashraf, Maulana Syed Arshad Madani and Syed Ali Mohammad Naqvi have issued the joint statement, AIMPLP General Secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said.
“The intention of these programs is not to reach any conclusion through constructive discourse but to ridicule and defame Islam and Muslims. To gather some legitimacy, these TV Channels need Muslim faces in their debates. Due to their obliviousness, our Islamic scholars (Ulema) and intellectuals become victims of such agendas,” reads the statement.
AIMPLB’s request comes in the wake of inflammatory remarks of two BJP functionaries on Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). “If we boycott such programs and channels, not only it will affect their TRP negatively, but they will also fail in achieving their desired outcome through these debates,” it adds.—INP
