“Those living here are financially sound and better placed than their counterparts back home. I thank the Saudi leadership for hosting around 2.5 million Indians in the Kingdom with open arms,” said Abu Asim Azmi, a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and a former member of the Indian Parliament.
“This is a huge number. So whenever and wherever they get a chance they should try to raise Muslim issues. They should raise their concerns loud and clear as they remit billions of dollars in foreign exchange,” he said.
“I feel that for most Indians, the Kingdom has become their second home. In this regard, I must thank Saudi Arabia as well as its Consul General in Mumbai Abdullah Al-Essa, who is always available to assist hundreds of thousands of Indians who come here through Mumbai,” he said.
He pointed out that many Muslims are being arrested and harassed by police in India on fictitious charges and the government is keeping its eyes closed. He wondered why innocent Muslim youths falsely implicated in Malegaon, Samjhauta Express and Ajmer bombings were not released from jails even after Hindu radical Swami Aseemanand confessed that he and a few of his cohorts masterminded and orchestrated those attacks.
“From day one, police knew that these Muslim youths were innocent but due to its own bias against the community, dozens of educated youths were detained, tortured and their families humiliated. Even after Aseemanand's confession, they are not being freed. This is nothing but gross injustice and calls for the community's united efforts to fight back,” he said while speaking at a function organized by the Middle East NRI Association (MENA).
MENA President Akhtarul Islam delivered a speech highlighting the plight of the minority community. He praised the Maharashtra leader’s relentless efforts to raise Muslim issues.
Islam reminded the audience about the glorious past of Muslims in India and their contribution in making the country a prosperous and stable nation. “No one has the right to doubt Muslims’ love and dedication for their motherland,” Islam warned.
“If all of you could come together and press the Indian government in a democratic but forceful manner to look into the issue of Muslim victimization, the government can't afford to ignore you. This will make a difference,” Azmi said.
He claimed that the Muslim community’s victimization at the hands of the police is not confined to Maharashtra alone but is the norm all over the country. “See what happened at Batla House in Delhi. Police killed some young boys after branding them terrorists. And then their friends and relatives were picked and tortured during the investigation,” he said.
Azmi said he has no problem if a person is proven guilty and then punished. “Put all those who are confirmed terrorists on gallows at once. But for God’s sake don’t victimize those who are innocent,” Azmi said.
He said that the Congress-led government in Delhi is silent on the issue and unwilling to allow a thorough investigation in cases related to Muslims. “In 1992, after the Babri Masjid demolition, the Hindu chauvinist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was banned. They went to court which said the police failed to furnish enough evidence against the group and hence the ban should be lifted. The government kept quiet and did not appeal against the lower court’s judgment.
“But when the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was banned, it also went to court and Justice Geeta Mittal in her order said that there was no evidence to prove the charges against SIMI and hence the ban should be lifted. The government immediately appealed the ruling and got a stay from the Supreme Court,” he said.
Azmi said that due to a concerted media campaign to malign Muslims in India, the situation has come to such a stage that if you ask any child to draw a sketch of a terrorist, “he will draw a picture of a man with a cap and a beard.”
“We have to unitedly fight this onslaught,” he said.
