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| The 'Fatwa' that never was | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Oct 12
By honouring the invitation to attend the Iftaar party hosted by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in Srinagar on Thursday, the Mufti-e-Azam of Kashmir (Chief Islamic Cleric) Mufti Bashirudin has virtually nullified the Fatwa issued by him against Azad on October 8.
In the wake of celebrations of Gandhi Jayanti on a very large scale in Kashmir this year and in the concluding function of which Azad had asked the Kashmiri youth to follow the teaching of non violence, peace, truth and human love preached by Gandhi ji, to overcome the stress and ill effects of violent atmosphere prevailing in Kashmir, his comparing the teaching of Gandhi ji with those of Prophet Mohammad, both preaching same massage, was described first as anti Islamic and blasphemy by Islamic fundamentalist leader Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani, who demanded that the Chief Mufti of Kashmir should issue Fatwa against Azad, who should be virtually out caste from Islam. Succumbing to pressure from Geelani and some other fundamentalist in Kashmir, including Aasya Andrabi the Mufti had issued Fatwa against Azad.
Under Islam issuing of Fatwa against a Muslims means that he is ousted from Islam, until he apologies for his act of blasphemy and his apology is accepted by the Islamic clergy. But in the case of Azad he has neither apologized nor has the Islamic clergy withdrawn the Fatwa against him. But with the attending of Iftaar party hosted by Azad, which marks Muslim religious ceremony, by Mufti Azam of Kashmir who had himself issued the Fatwa against Azad, a piquant situation has arisen. Some hardcore fundamentalist and who wanted to derive political mileage out of the Fatwa find them robbed of the stick and some of them are critical of the religious cleric attending the iftaar party hosted by Azad. However some saner elements among Muslim clerics disapprove issuing of Fatwa over trifles and issues which are controversial. An Islamic religious leader, on condition of anonymity told this correspondent that Fatwa in Islam is issued in rarest of the rare cases, where the act of blasphemy committed by a Muslim is established beyond doubt. Frequent issuing of Fatwas over the matters woven under controversy only reduces the significance and impact of Fatwa. |
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