Mushawarat, 1 Nov 2001, Press Statement, The Milli Gazette

2001: Indian Muslim Statements
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MUSHAWARAT Calls Upon Govt. to Prosecute Sudarshan for offending Religious Feelings

RSS Chief’s Advice to Muslims and Christians Constitutes Impertinent and Unacceptable Interference in the Religious Affairs
Sudarshan has no knowledge of World History and does not Understand Ethos of World Religions

New Delhi, 1 November, 2001: Mr Syed Shahabuddin, President of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), has issued the following Statement:

"The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) considers that the RSS Sarsanghchalak K.S. Sudarshan’s unsolicited advice to the Muslims and the Christians to ‘reinterpret their scriptures and change their leadership’ constitutes an impertinent, offensive and unacceptable interference in their religious affairs.

The AIMMM is not surprised by Shri Sudarshan’s reading of world history. While vilifying the two world religions, he forgets that violence played a role in human affairs before Christianity or Islam acquired a foothold. His academically false interpretation of history is motivated by nothing more than a desire to vilify these religions and polarize Hindu public opinion on communal lines.

The AIMMM would also like Shri Sudarshan to explain the terrorism and violence in which the people of other religions are involved in various parts of the world, including many regions of India. The fact is that social conflict which culminates in violence and even terrorism is related to social injustice and cannot be eradicated even in our country, even if India becomes a 100% Hindu country because of endemic class differences, caste discrimination and regional disparities.

The AIMMM would like to inform Shri Sudarshan that politically Muslims and Christians consider BJP – the political arm of the RSS – to be essentially a Hindu chauvinist party, ideologically anti-Muslim and anti-Christian, and, therefore, they support a secular party of their choice, nearly all of whom have a vast preponderance of Hindus in their membership. This alone refutes the claim of the RSS to be the sole guide of the Hindu Indians or its charge of communalism against religious minorities. Leadership in a democratic society is not hereditary; it goes on changing. But neither community shall change its religious leadership or its political line for the sake of obtaining a certificate of patriotism from the RSS.

The AIMMM would also like to point out to Shri Sudarshan that Christians and Muslims belong to a world fraternity and their scriptures cannot be ‘reinterpreted’ or ‘edited’ by any national authority to oblige him.

The AIMMM calls upon the Government to prosecute Shri Sudarshan under the Law of the land for offending the religious sentiments of Christians and Muslims." q

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