The Meeting between Mohan Bhagwat and Muslim Intellectuals Shows Mutual Concern and Understanding Over Sensitive Issues
Talks to
Find Out Solutions Should Go On
Main
Points:
1. Muslim
Intellectuals met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to discuss sensitive issues
2. Former Chief
Election Commissioner S. Y. Qureshi termed the talks very fruitful.
3. Cow
slaughter, hijab, communal tension was discussed in the meeting. Bhagwat said
that Hindus feel insulted when Muslims call them kafir. Kafir has become a term
of abuse.
4. More talks
with more members of both the communities should be held.
------
By
New Age Islam Staff Writer
22 September
2022
Mohan Bhagwat
----
According
to media reports, a group of Muslim Intellectuals had met RSS chief Mohan
Bhagwat on August 22, 2022, to discuss some sensitive issues concerning both
the Hindu and Muslim communities. The former Chief Election Commissioner S. Y.
Qureshi, former Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Zamiruddin Shah,
former LG of Delhi Najeeb Jung and the editor of Nai Duniya were among the
delegates. The meeting was an important event as it was held with a view to
find out a solution of the growing communal tensions between the two major
religious communities of the country. The issues that were discussed were
reportedly hijab, cow slaughter, the use of the term Kafir for general Hindus
and the term jihadi for general Muslims and other burning issues concerning the
country.
According
to Mr S.Y. Qureshi, the talks were held in a very cordial atmosphere and both
the sides expressed their views openly so that solutions could be found out and
misconceptions and misunderstanding could be removed.
Mr Qureshi
told a TV channel that he had sent the proposal to Mr Bhagwat on behalf of his
team for a meeting amid growing communal tensions and he had accepted the
proposal. Initially the meeting was scheduled for 30 minutes but it went on for
more than one hour.
Mr Qureshi
said that Mohan Bhagwat raised two issues on behalf of the Hindu community
which to him was the cause of concern for them. One was cow slaughter and the
other was the use of the term Kafir for general Hindus.
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Mr Qureshi
said that cow slaughter was already banned in the most part of the country and
Muslims respect the religious feelings of their Hindu brethren. He assured him
that if further steps are taken in this direction, they will abide by them. On
the issue of the use of the word Kafir for Indian Hindus, Mr Qureshi argued
that the word Kafir was not specific for Hindus. It was actually used by the
Quran for those who did not believe. Those who were believers were called Momin.
Therefore, it was not a derogatory term for Hindus.
In his turn
Mr Qureshi raised the issue of the term jihadi and Pakistani used for general
Muslims by extremist Hindus to stereotype Indian Muslims and Mr Bhagwat
reportedly disapproved of this mind-set and wanted an end to it for restoring
communal harmony and peace in the country.
There were
other issues as well that were discussed in a cordial atmosphere. Mr Bhagwat
listened to the Muslim delegates very patiently and appealed to all to work for
the common cause of bringing normalcy in the country.
It should
be recalled that Mohan Bhagwat had on June 3, 2022 said to the Hindus that they
should not look for a Shivling in every mosque in the country. It was a very
strong statement, according to Mr Qureshi. The statement had come at a time
when the claim of the presence of Shivling had been made by a group of Hindus
and the Muslims had formed the impression that the RSS was behind the move.
Therefore, the statement by Mr Bhagwat was surprising to the Muslims as well as
to the Hindutva brigade as they had expected him to defend their move. Mr
Bhagwat had reportedly said:
"Gyanvapi
matter is going on. We can't change history, neither today's Hindus, nor
today's Muslims created it. It happened at that time. Islam came from outside
via attackers...(After Ayodhya ) it was also made clear that the organisation
(RSS) would not be a part of any more new movements. There is no need to raise
fresh disputes every day --We should find out a path through mutual
agreement."
These
statements point to a positive step on the part of the RSS and so it can be
surmised that new movements surrounding temples do not have the backing of the
RSS as construed by the general Muslims but by 'fringe elements' which are out
to vitiate the atmosphere for limited political gains.
We should
also recall Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scathing attack on the so-called cow
vigilantes in July 2017. After a Muslim man was beaten to death in Jharkhand
for allegedly carrying beef in his vehicle, he had said that killing people in
the name of protecting cows was unacceptable. He had condemned a rise in deadly
attacks on cattle traders and farmers.
Therefore,
from the gesture shown by the responsible figures of the RSS and the BJP may be
interpreted as a disapproval of communal movements and programmes in the name
of promoting Hindutva. Mr Bhagwat's statements make it clear that not everything
done in the name of Hindutva has the sanction of the RSS. He has made it clear
that the organisation does not have the plan for any new movements based on
religious disputes. Therefore, statements of some Hindutva section on Qutub
Minar, Aligarh Muslim University, and Taj Mahal and even on Gyanvapi mosque are
the statements of 'fringe elements' not a part of the programme of the RSS.
It provides
the Muslims with an opportunity. The Muslims should stop attributing every
communal move against Muslims by Hindutva forces of the country to the RSS. The
organisation cannot control all the different ideologies and extremist groups
active against Muslims in the country and so instead of blaming the RSS for
every mischief against Muslims, they should establish communication with it and
take the dialogue forward and rope in more people from both the sides so that
the air of mistrust and mis conception can be cleared and both the communities
move ahead together for the welfare of the country.
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/bhagwat-muslim-intellectuals-sensitive-issues/d/128005
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