Scholar allays fears over Gujarat happenings

JEDDAH, 7 February 2003 — A visiting Muslim religious leader from the western Indian state of Gujarat yesterday allayed fears in the expatriate community in the Kingdom over recent events in the country.

“What is done cannot be undone,” said Maulana Ghulam Ahmad Vastanvi, referring to anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat this time last year. “These are the wages of competitive politics,” he said. “India is a melting pot of various cultures. Occasional friction between majority and minority communities is a natural corollary.”

Making it clear that he held no brief for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party widely blamed for the violence in Gujarat, Maulana Vastanvi said communal riots were nothing new to India. “We have had communal riots since 1947,” he said. “It would be wrong to single out one political party for the communalization of politics in India.”

According to the maulana, who commands a considerable following in Gujarat and Maharashtra, recent events in the country are not the end of the road for Indian Muslims.

“A large body of secular Hindus in the English media, the judiciary and the government have taken up the case of Indian Muslims,” he said. “It is now the duty of Muslims to strengthen the hand of these peace-loving Hindus.”

Maulana Vastanvi, who is here to perform Haj, admitted that there was an atmosphere of fear among Muslims in India. “We need to improve our ties with the average Hindu,” he said, adding that there were black sheep in all communities. “We have our own versions of fanatic leaders. Let us put our house in order first.”