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 Indian
Muslims say Pakistani Talibans treatment of Sikhs is illegal
Joint Statement of Indian Muslim leaders
Pakistani Taliban’s treatment of Sikhs in
tribal areas is illegal and barbaric
We, religious, political and community leaders of the Indian Muslims, are
alarmed at the reports coming out of Pakistan’s tribal areas about the
Pakistani Taliban’s kidnapping, extortion of huge amounts of money from
their Sikh compatriots as “Jizya” and demolition of the houses and shops
of those who fail to pay the demanded sums.
We would like to say that Jizya is a tax paid in an Islamic state for
exemption from military service by healthy non-Muslim adults who are free
to follow their vocations without restriction or fear, and that there is
no other tax payable by them after paying this tax, unlike Muslims who
have to pay various taxes including Zakat and have to perform military
service as well.
Jizya was payable by non-Muslims only in lands conquered by Muslims like
Egypt, Syria and Iraq but not in unconquered areas like Madina where
during the time of the Holy Prophet no Jizya was ever imposed on
non-Muslim citizens who enjoyed equal rights and duties under the
Constitution of Madina. For many centuries Jizya has not been levied by
Muslim states and today even the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Islamic
Republic of Iran do not levy Jizya on non-Muslims for the simple reason
that non-Muslims in these states pay all taxes payable by others.
Prominent Islamic scholars of the modern times like Shaikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
are of the view that Jizya should not be imposed now as non-Muslims are
equal citizens of Muslim states and pay all taxes paid by other citizens
and shoulder all the duties.
We wish to make it clear that the imposition of the so-called Jizya is
nothing more than extortion by an armed and lawless gang which does not
constitute a sovereign government or state or even an organ thereof.
Moreover, Pakistan’s tribal areas are not “conquered lands” as their
non-Muslim population has been living there for centuries. These areas
were part of the British India and became part of the new State of
Pakistan as a result of peaceful transfer of power on Partition.
As regards the huge amounts in millions reported to be demanded, these are
arbitrary and exorbitant as the amount of annual Jizya paid by non-Muslims
in early Islam was merely one to one and a half dinar, which is 4.24 gram
to 6.36 grams of gold. Moreover, this tax was payable only at the end of
the year and not in advance.
We regard this as an act of injustice incompatible with the letter and
spirit of Islam and the international covenants accepted by all Muslim
states.
We demand that the Pakistani authorities must take earliest steps to
retrieve the extorted sums and pay them back to their affected non-Muslim
citizens and facilitate their peaceful return to their homes and
properties in their traditional homelands and give them all due
protection.
Maulana Mufti Mukarram Ahmad
Shahi Imam, Jama Masjid Fatehpuri, Delhi
Hafiz Muhammad Yahya
President, All India Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees
Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani
Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-e Hind
Syed Shahabuddin
Former MP & ex-President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat
Prof Tahir Mahmood
Member Law Commission of India
Mujtaba Farooq
Secretary, Jamaat-e Islami Hind
Maulana Ataur Rahman Qasmi
President, Shah Waliullah Institute, Delhi
Maulana Waris Mazhari
Editor, Monthly Tarjuman, Delhi
Dr Zafar Mahmood
President, Zakat Foundation of India
Dr SQR Ilyas
Member, Muslim Personal Law Board
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat
Mirza Yawar Baig
President of Yawar Baig & Associates
Shahnawaz Ali Raihan
Secretary, Students Islamic Organisation
Issued at New Delhi on 2 May 2009
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