Principal Shafi Mohammad Ansari: What Was His Fault?
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
11 September 2024
A Muslim principal, Shafi Mohammad Ansari, of a government school in Rajasthan's Kota district was arrested for deleting several posts on Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on WhatsApp. According to the police, the committee of the Government Higher Secondary School at Latoori has a WhatsApp group which also includes the residents of the village.
The principal of a government school in Rajasthan's Kota, Shafi Mohammad Ansari, was arrested by the police. (Photo: India Today)
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What's wrong if he deleted the pics of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations? It's his mobile. Don't we all delete messages at regular intervals? Just because he happens to be a Muslim and the pics he deleted were of a Hindu deity and festival, this innocuous issue is being blown out of proportion.
In today's polarised India, even the fundamental rights of an individual ( read Muslim) are being questioned and infringed upon. What to retain, save or delete on a mobile phone is at an individual's discretion. Why should one be harassed for that?
Those who're harassing the Muslim principal should understand that it could be a veritable nuisance to any person when he or she is inundated with religious pics, messages and all that religious crap on a mobile.
Religion is a private and personal issue. No one likes a tsunami of religious materials on WhatsApp and other social platforms. I immediately delete anything related to any religion not because I've no truck with all man-made spurious faiths and their bucketful of gods and goddesses. I press the delete button because these religious pics and messages are absolute irritants to me. It's my choice; my life. Why shouldn't I exercise my basic right?
It was principal Shafi's right to delete a spate of pics which he didn't like. Yet, he's being condemned by fanatic Hindus. We're living in harrowing times with horribly 'holy' humans.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/principal-shafi-ansari-fault/d/133172
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