PUNE: Moved emotionally by the atrocities on the Muslims and the indifferent attitude of the Congress-led Democratic Front government in Maharashtra, Malegaon town’s prominent Imam Mufti Mohammed Ismail wept uncontrollably while delivering the Eid Al-Fitr sermon on Thursday at the Eidgah ground, where more than 2 lakh Muslims had gathered to offer Eid prayers.
In a choked voice and tears flowing down his face, criticizing the state government in his sermon, Ismail said “First you pointed fingers at us, accusing us of splitting the country, then you accused and classified us as communal and now you dare to go further and label us as terrorists,” he said. These emotional words stuck a chord with many in the crowd and brought tears in their eyes too.
In an indirect attack on the Congress and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ismail said “Open your ears and listen. A community which can place you on a pedestal can also take out your funeral procession.” Hundreds of policemen heard and watched in silence the outbursts of Ismail, who has never before used the religious platform for political purposes.
He referred to the “callous investigations and innocent Muslims being identified as terrorists,” and said that there was lack of justice in the 2006 serial blasts which killed 37 people.
“The Sachar Committee in its report has stated that the Muslim community was more backward than the Dalits (untouchable low-caste Hindus), Ismail said and added that the Deshmukh government was against the progress of the Muslim community and had opposed its development in the social, cultural, political and education field. To expect anything positive from the state government was useless, he said.
“The Muslim community is criticized for lagging behind in social development. Eighty percent of the prisoners in various state prisons are Muslims. We are accused of everything be it the division of the country, communal riots or terrorism,” Ismail lamented and warned that these allegations will not be tolerated henceforth. To give a befitting reply to these allegations, identify your responsibility and do introspection, he advised the Muslims.
