‘Wherever there is oppression, there will be jihad’: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Mahmood Madani

The BJP has criticised Madani’s comments, with party leader and former Cabinet minister Narottam Mishra saying “India will no longer tolerate such a mindset”.

Madani said, “By using phrases like ‘love jihad’, ‘land jihad’, ‘education jihad’, ‘spit jihad’, etc…, the freedom of Muslims and their religion is being insulted… This is an old pattern: whenever any terrorist act occurs anywhere, it is labelled jihad, and Islam and Muslims are subjected to taunts, accusations and baseless allegations. It must be clarified that in Islam, jihad is a sacred religious obligation.”

He said that the “word jihad is used in the Quran in many meanings, but in whichever meaning it is used, it is for the welfare of the individual, society and humanity, for their elevation and for upholding their honour and dignity”.

“Wherever it is used in the sense of war and fighting, that too is for ending oppression and corruption and for the survival of humanity. Therefore, wherever there is oppression, there will be jihad. I repeat: wherever there is oppression, there will be jihad,” Madani said.

He further said, “In a democratic and secular country like India, where the concept of an Islamic state does not exist, any talk in the name of jihad is not even a subject of discussion.”

“Muslims are bound by constitutional loyalty, and the government is also responsible for protecting the rights of citizens. If the government fails in this, it will be the government’s responsibility, not ours,” he said.

On the judiciary, Madani claimed that “decisions in cases like Babri Masjid and Triple Talaq, a widespread impression has arisen that the courts are working under government pressure”.

“Such examples have come to light of the violation of the constitutional rights of minorities and some fundamental principles of the Constitution, that question marks have been placed on the role of the courts. At the present time, declaring the Gyanvapi and Mathura cases admissible while ignoring the Places of Worship Act is a clear example of this. Remember, the Supreme Court deserves to be called Supreme only as long as it remains bound to the Constitution and respects the rule of law. If it does not do so, it has no moral right to be called Supreme,” Madani claimed.

Arguing that difficulties are a “sign of life”, he claimed, “Dead nations are not afflicted with difficulties; they simply surrender. They will be told to recite Vande Mataram, and they will start reciting. That will be the sign of a dead nation.”

He described the current situation of the country as “extremely sensitive and worrisome”.

“Systematic and organised efforts are being made by a particular section to dominate, and to render other sections legally helpless, socially isolated, economically disgraced, humiliated and deprived through economic boycott, bulldozer actions, mob lynching, sabotage of Muslim waqf properties, and negative campaigns against religious madrasas and Islamic terminology. Their religion, identity and very existence have been made not just unnecessary but intolerable,” Madani alleged.

He further alleged that the “act of religious propagation itself becomes deserving of fear and punishment. On the other hand, those who bring people into a particular religion under the name of ‘ghar wapsi’ are given complete freedom; no questions are raised against them, no legal action is taken.”

He also spoke about halal, alleging that “the purely religious concept of halal is being systematically defamed”.

“Halal does not mean only ritual slaughter; it is the pure way of life of an entire Muslim life. Halal includes the basic principles of lawful earnings, honesty in employment and trade, and the correct use of wealth,” he said.

Responding to Madani’s comments, BJP leader Narottam Mishra said, “…India will no longer tolerate such a mindset. They are questioning the courts; they are questioning Vande Mataram. What kind of mindset is this?”