Maulana Arshad Madani recalls role of Muslim clerics in the Freedom Movement

Deoband: Taking a dig at the BJP led government at the centre which launched the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan to commemorate 75 years of Indian independence, Maulana Arshad Madani, head of the Jamiat Ulema e Hind said,.one cannot become a mujahid-e-azaadi (freedom fighter) by distributing a few thousand flags.

He told this while addressing students of the Darul Uloom, the Islamic seminary in Deoband, after the flag hoisting ceremony on Independence Day on Monday. Claiming that the clerics of Deoband fought for freedom from the British rule for 200 years, Mr. Madani rued that those who sacrificed their lives for the country are being described as anti-nationals. “The real anti-nationals are those who are trying to divide hearts by creating an atmosphere of hate in the country” he said.

Recalling that it was Shah Abdul Aziz Dehalvi, the first Islamic scholar and cleric who issued a fatwa against the British, Mr. Madani said the former appealed to Muslims and Hindus to come together to wage a war against the foreign rule. Jamiat Ulema e Hind head lauded the contribution of Sheikh Ul Hind Mahmud Hasan Deobandi, saying that he launched the Silk Letter Movement against the British, supported the Non-Cooperation Movement, co-founded the Jamia Millia Islamia and spent several years in prison in Malta.

The Hindu quoted Mr Madani as saying, “At least 33,000 clerics were executed after 1857 in Delhi and surrounding areas. Villages were burnt around Deoband because common people supported the ulemas. Unfortunately, the role of Muslim clerics in the Freedom Movement is not being taught even in madrasas. If nobody remembers the contribution of our forefathers in nation building, we should at least tell our children of their sacrifices. It will help in shaping their future.”