New Delhi: Dr. Raziul Islam Nadwi, National Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, emphasized the need for national and international laws against blasphemy during a public gathering at the JIH Headquarters here Saturday.
Speaking at the event titled “Incidents of Blasphemy and Our Desired Response,” he stated that no individual, in any government or Islamic state, should be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
Dr. Nadwi highlighted the importance of understanding the motives behind offensive and blasphemous remarks, particularly those aimed at polarizing sentiments or provoking the Muslim community.
“When Muslims are provoked and react, it gives an opportunity to reinforce stereotypes about Muslims being violent. Islam forbids making offensive remarks against deities or religious figures of any faith, and Muslims strongly disapprove of any disrespect towards Prophet Muhammad,” he explained.
He added that blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are not a new phenomenon, with similar instances occurring even during the Prophet’s lifetime.
Dr. Nadwi pointed out that Orientalists have also attempted to defame the Prophet through literature and other means. He encouraged the Muslim community to counter hate speech by writing and speaking more about the life and message of the Prophet, whether in India or elsewhere. Sharing and discussing literature on the Prophet, even those authored by non-Muslims, should be a priority for Muslims globally, he said.
In his presidential address, Professor Salim Engineer, Vice President of JIH, urged the community to remain calm and patient after any act of blasphemy. However, he stressed that patience, or sabr, does not mean inaction. Instead, it means responding within the legal framework. Referring to the Yati Narsinghanand case, he commended the community for filing police complaints and FIRs in response to hate speech against Prophet Muhammad.
Engineer Salim also noted that such incidents offer an opportunity to promote the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and Islam. He encouraged the community to reach out to fellow citizens using literature, pamphlets, short videos, and social media.
“The more hate speech is directed against Prophet Muhammad, the more effort we must make to spread his message and the teachings of Islam,” he concluded.
