West Bengal Transport Minister Firhad Hakim Apologises For His ‘Blasphemous’ Remarks against Islam and Hinduism
Firhad
Hakim Had Said That Hindutvavad and Islamvad Were the Cause of Bloodshed in the
World
Main
Points:
1. Later he said that his
statement was misrepresented.
2. He said only the path of
Buddhism could lead to world peace.
3. Firhad Hakim confused
Hinduism and Islam with Islamism and Hindutva.
-----
By New Age Islam Staff Writer
16 November 2021
Firhad Hakim/ File picture
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West Bengal Transport Minister had to
apologise on twitter for his reported statements linking both Islam and
Hinduism with terrorism. In a programme organized by Buddhist organization in
Kolkata last week, he had reportedly said that both Hinduism and Islam promoted
terrorism while Buddhism preached peace.
This had sparked a row of protests from Muslims of the state.
Importantly, no prominent cleric of the state has commented on or criticized Mr
Firhad Hakim’s ‘blasphemous’ remarks apparently because he is a powerful
politician of the state and is very close to the CM Mamata Banerjee. The same
section created a storm when the French Prime Minister had said that Islam was
in a crisis. Violent protests had been staged in Bangladesh and Pakistan and
the clerics of India had also expressed their deep resentment as they had
condemned his remark. Jamat Islami
criticized his remark and demanded that he withdraw his statement. They said
that Mr Firhad Hakim’s statement betrays his ignorance of the teachings of
Islam. However, common Muslims of the state criticized Mr Hakim’s statement
linking terrorism to Islam.
Finally, Mr Hakim posted an apology on
twitter saying his statement was misinterpreted and that he respected all
religions including Islam. He wrote:
“I respect all
religions, and if my words have hurt anyone’s sentiments, my apologies. I
didn’t mean that, my statement was misinterpreted. My religion Islam is a
religion of peace & teaches me to respect humanity & every other
religion.”
Earlier he had reportedly said, “In today’s
world, people are perpetrating violence. On the one side, violence is being
perpetrated by Hindutva and on the other, Islamist violence is also raging.
Buddhism is the only path through which peace will prevail in the world.
Therefore, we should also follow the path of non-violence.”
It appears that Mr Firhad Hakim had been
pressurized by the party high command to apologise as it had created a bad
image for him not among the Muslims but also among the Hindus.
It should be noted that he used the terms
“Hindutvavad” and “Islamvad” and not “Hindu Dharma” and Islam dharma.
Hindutvavad and Islamvad are different from Hinduism and Islam. Hindutvavad and
Islamvad or Islamism are political terms and denote the political agenda
followed for the establishment of a Hindu or an Islamic state respectively
where the followers of other religions will be treated like second class
citizens. This doctrine also justifies the use of violence and force for
subjugating the minority community.
Perhaps Mr Firhad Hakim wanted to say that the political ideology of
Hindutvavad and Islamism or Islamvad was the cause of violence in India and in
the world and so we Indians should abandon the path of violence and follow the
teachings of Gautam Buddha who taught Karuna and Metta (Sympathy and loving
kindness for all). While criticising both Islamism and Hindutvavad for violence
in the world, Mr Hakim forgot the fact that political Buddhism was also the
cause of violence against minorities in Sri Lanka and Myanmar where Buddhism is
the major religion. Like Islam and Hinduism, Buddhism also preaches peace and
brotherhood but a section of Buddhists also follow the doctrine of political
Buddhism that denies religious and social rights to the minorities. Due to the
lack of knowledge of the difference between Hindutva and Hinduism and Islam and
Islamism, Mr Hakim could not make his points clear and created a controversy
finally leading to his apology. However, with his apology, the controversy may
come to an end.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/blasphemous-hinduism-firhad-hakim-bengal/d/125783
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