Mumbai: The Federation of Maharashtra Muslims, an umbrella body of Muslim organisations in Maharashtra, has strongly condemned the brutal lynching of meat traders by Hindu terrorists in Aligarh and has warned the government that such incidents are increasing the sense of insecurity among Muslims across the country. The Federation officials expressed concern that the continuous occurrence of such terrorist incidents is causing growing unease within the Muslim community.
The Federation stated that there is a limit to how much patience one can show, especially when the government’s stance appears to be tacit support for such barbaric acts by remaining silent. If the government is serious about maintaining peace and order in the country, it must address this issue immediately.
Incidents like these against Muslims have now become a routine matter, and the government’s and administration’s attitude toward them is condemnable. The Federation feels that even when action is taken in cases of mob lynching, which mostly target Muslims, it is usually superficial and just a formality. There is a pressing need for strict legal action and appropriate punishment for the perpetrators so that fear of the law is instilled in criminals, and the increasing state of lawlessness, jungle raj (law of the jungle), or anarchy in the country can be curbed.
While commenting on the situation in Maharashtra, the Federation pointed out that the state government needs to take the issue seriously. For several years, there have been ongoing attempts to create communal tensions and incite violence against Muslims. The consequences of this were seen when violence erupted in Mira Road, Mumbai at the beginning of last year, in Nagpur in March this year, and in Akola in 2023. Apart from these, countless communal clashes have occurred, with the trend only intensifying.
The Federation said that Muslims are increasingly distressed by the government’s lenient attitude toward those inciting violence, while there is excessive use of force against Muslim youth. They demanded that the Maharashtra government take its responsibilities seriously and take control of those who are trying to foster hatred between communities and push the state into the fire of violence. The Federation officials said, “We hope that the Government of India will work towards creating a harmonious domestic atmosphere.”
This statement was issued through a joint press release of the Federation of Maharashtra Muslims. The signatories of the press release included Maulana Omrain Mahfooz Rahmani (Secretary, All India Muslim Personal Law Board), Mahmood Ahmed Daryabadi (General Secretary, Ulama Council), Maulana Hafiz Ilyas Khan Falahi (Ameer-e-Halqa, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maharashtra), Maulana Hafiz Syed Athar (Religious Scholar of Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat, President, Ulama Association Mumbai, Maharashtra), Maulana Haleemullah Qasmi (President, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maharashtra), Fareed Shaikh (President, Aman Committee Mumbai), Abdul Hafeez Patarkar (Jalna), Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi (Vice President, Shia Personal Law Board), Dr. Saeed Ahmad Faizi (General Secretary, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadees Maharashtra), Maulana Mufti Huzaifa Qasmi (Convenor, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maharashtra), Maulana Agha Rooh-e-Zafar (Imam, Khoja Jamaat, Mumbai), Maulana Anees Ashrafi (Raza Foundation, Mumbai), Maulana Nizamuddin Fakhruddin (Member, Muslim Personal Law Board, Pune), Humayun Shaikh (Organiser, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Mumbai) and Sheikh Abdul Mujeeb (Coordinator, Federation of Maharashtra Muslims).
