2002: Indian Muslim Statements, The Milli Gazette

2002: Indian Muslim Statements
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MUSLIMS INTELLECTUAL GROUP OF INDIA

Masjid-Mandir Issue: The Supreme Court should arbitrate

Pune, March 11, 2002: The Muslims Intellectual Group of India (MIGI) welcomes the recent statement made by Union Minister for Sports Ms. Uma Bharti on the talk show "Big Fight" on Star News in which she clearly mentioned that those involved in the barbaric acts of killings and looting in the Gujarat riots deserved to be "publicly hanged". While we highly commend this bold statement of Ms. Uma Bharti, the people of India would like to know how she and her government is going to implement this action.

It is also regrettable that no agreement could be reached to find a solution to the Ayodhya issue. We now strongly feel that this issue would be better handled by the intellectuals of both the communities, rather than by the fundamentalists or politicians.

It is a truth and a fact that though the 150 million Muslims of India have not given mandate to any Muslim organizations to represent them and take a decision on their own, we fell that this issue should not become a stumbling block at a crucial time that is prevailing at present.

A time has now come, and it appears the only way out, that the Muslim organizations and politicians should pave way out for the Muslim Intellectuals to replace them for solving the Ayodhya issue. Enough opportunities had been given to these people. The majority community too should hand over this task to their intellectuals. No longer this sensitive issue should be left to be handled by religious fundamentalists or politicians.

Unfortunately the Muslim community is an leaderless community. As rightly described by the veteran intellectual Mr. Syed Shahabuddin, the problem with the community is similar to that of a flock of sheeps without a Shepherd.

Instead of trying to reach a solution on the Ayodhya issue, we are sad to hear of the so-called Muslim leaders and organizations attacking each other and washing their dirty linens in public. Let these people first set their own house in order.

The Muslims of India also demand an explanation from the 41 Muslim Members of Parliament belonging to all parties for remaining silent and not uttering a single word, when hundreds of their brethren were being killed and their properties being destroyed. Except for the concerned Mr. K.M. Khan, not a single other Muslim MP explained what they had done for the community in the riots.

We would request the Honorable Prime Minister of India to only invite intellectuals from both communities to find a way to the Ayodhya problem. Let the government keep the fundamentalists out of the picture and keep them in check. The government should also not hesitate to put any trouble makers behind bars, if they violate the rule of the land.

Let the country not be destroyed and hijacked by a few fundamentalists. Majority of the Hindus are peace loving. The situation in Ayodhya and in the country needs to be handled by an iron hand. The country is already facing and external threat, and the internal threat if not controlled, will generate more terrorists, divide and ruin the country.

We seek that the issue should be settle by the Supreme Court, and the decision should be binding on both the communities.

Sd/- Shahid Raza Burney
Coordinator,
Muslims Intellectual Group of India, Pune
Shahid Raza Burney
Coordinator, Muslims Intellectual Group of India
D/3, Amar Classic, Hadapsar, Pune - 411028 - Phone 020-6815678
email: editor303@hotmail.com q

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