Stay calm, avoid protests': Maulana Sajid Rashidi to Muslims on Waqf Act

Maulana Sajid Rashidi, President of the All India Imam Association (AIIA), on Saturday appealed to Muslims across the country not to protest against the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, emphasising the importance of peace and education over unrest.  Talking to IANS, Maulana Sajid Rashidi said that the Waqf Bill has now become law. “I don’t find anything in it that warrants taking to the streets. Yes, there are individuals who seem to want riots in the country, like Asaduddin Owaisi. His statements suggest that Muslims should rise and protest, warning of conspiracies to take away mosques. This kind of rhetoric, in my opinion, is aimed at inciting communal unrest,” he said. He alleged that Owaisi’s thinking is that there should be unrest in the country so that he can emerge as ‘Jinnah’ and form another country. He further criticised leaders and organisations he believes are provoking unrest for personal or political gain. “Some of these people who are protesting have vast properties. Be it Owaisi in Hyderabad or members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board with land holdings in Rajasthan and Delhi – they are not representing the common Muslim. They are exploiting the situation for their benefit,” he said. Maulana Rashidi expressed concern over the recent violence in Murshidabad, West Bengal, where protests turned violent, leading to arson and destruction of public property. “Crowds are difficult to control once they are on the streets. We’ve seen what can happen - vehicles are burned, people get hurt, and chaos ensues. Protesting is a constitutional right, but it must be done peacefully. Taking to the streets only risks painting Muslims as troublemakers once again,” he added.  (IANS)

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