New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) Claiming that the sole intention of some news channels is “not to reach any conclusion through a constructive discourse but to ridicule and defame Islam” and its followers, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has asked Islamic scholars and intellectuals not to participate in their debates.
In a joint statement, top office bearers of the Muslim body including its president Maulana Syed Mohammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi said such news channels need Muslim faces in their debates to give “some legitimacy” to what he called “their agenda of making a mockery and insult of Islam as well as that of the Muslims”.
If such TV channels and their programmes are boycotted, not only will it affect their television rating points (TRPs) “negatively”, but they will also fail in achieving their “desired outcome” through these debates, they claimed.
“President Maulana Syed Mohammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi and vice presidents–Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Maulana Kaka Sayeed Ahmed Oomeri, Maulana Syed Shah Fakhruddin Ashraf, Maulana Syed Arshad Madani and Syed Ali Mohammad Naqvi have issued a joint statement making an appeal to Islamic scholars (Ulema) and intellectuals to not participate in those television debates whose sole intention is to make a mockery and insult Islam and Muslims,” AIMPLP general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said.
In the statement, Rahmani said the AIMPLB top office bearers pointed out that by participating in such programmes on TV channels, the Islamic scholars and intellectuals become the reason for their own “direct insult” by involving Islam and Muslims, instead of being able to do any service to Islam and Muslims.
“The intention of these programs is not to reach any conclusion through constructive discourse but to ridicule and defame Islam and Muslims,” the statement said.
“To gather some legitimacy, these TV channels need Muslim faces in their debates. Due to their obliviousness, our Islamic scholars (Ulema) and intellectuals become victims of such agendas,” it said, adding, “If we boycott such programs and channels, not only it will affect their TRP negatively, but they will also fail in achieving their desired outcome through these debates.” AIMPLB’s request comes in the wake of suspension of two BJP functionaries over their inflammatory remarks on prophet Mohammad. BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma had made the derogatory comments about the Prophet while participating in a television debate on the Gyanvapi Mosque issue. PTI PK ZMN
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