Statement by Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD)

August 23, 2021

Press release

Indian Muslims must reject the ‘Islamic Emirate’ in Afghanistan: IMSD

Around 150 Indian Muslims, supported by others committed to secular-democratic politics, have today called upon the Indian Muslim community to reject the idea of the ‘Islamic Emirate’ the Taliban seek to impose on the war-weary people of Afghanistan who are yearning for peace.

The signatories include two retired High Court judges, legal luminaries, lawyers practising in the Supreme Court and High Courts, ex-MPs and ex-MLA, businesspersons, celebrities from the film industry, well-known writers in different languages, poets, playwrights, social and political activists, academics, farmers and home makers from all over India.

The statement issued by the forum ‘Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD)’ and supported by others deplores the euphoria evident in the statements of some top officials of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), such as Maulana Umrain Mahfuz Rahmani and Maulana Sajjad Nomani, and the Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, over the Taliban’s capture of power.

“It is one thing to welcome the ouster of the occupiers and the overthrow of their puppets, quite another to celebrate the return to power of those who with their barbaric version of Islam have contributed in no small measure to the demonization of Muslims and their faith across the globe”, the statement noted.

Attached is the text of the full statement in English, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu.

For further details please contact:

Javed Anand

(Convener, IMSD)

Press statement

August 23, 2021

Indian Muslims must reject the ‘Islamic Emirate’ in Afghanistan: IMSD

Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) rejects the very idea of a theocratic state anywhere in the world. It therefore questions the legitimacy of the “Islamic Emirate” the Taliban seek to impose on the war-torn, war-weary people of Afghanistan who are yearning for peace.

We are deeply disturbed by the euphoria evident among a section of Indian Muslims, including religious leaders such as the office bearers of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Umrain Mahfuz Rahmani and Maulana Sajjad Nomani, and the Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, over the Taliban’s capture of power.

It is nothing but sheer opportunism and hypocrisy to stand in support of a secular state in a country like India where Muslims are in a minority and applaud the imposition of Shariah rule wherever they are in a majority. Such rank double-standard gives legitimacy to the sangh parivar’s agenda for a Hindu Rashtra.

IMSD respects the views of the growing tribe of Islamic scholars, religious leaders and Muslim intellectuals across the globe who argue that the very notion of an “Islamic state” is antithetical to the core teachings of Islam. According to them, the core values of Islam are not in conflict with the basic principles of a secular-democratic state and religious pluralism.

IMSD stands in solidarity with the beleaguered millions of Afghan women and men who for too long have been trapped between the corrupt-to-the-core puppet governments propped up by the occupying American and Nato forces and the regressive Taliban who during their earlier rule had trampled over the most basic rights and freedoms of the people of Afghanistan.

It is one thing to welcome the ouster of the occupiers and the overthrow of their puppets, quite another to celebrate the return to power of those who with their barbaric version of Islam have contributed in no small measure to the demonization of Muslims and their faith across the globe.

Some leaders of the Taliban have been making appropriate noises about general amnesty, press freedom and women’s rights even as other leaders are asserting that it will be “Shariah law and not democracy” in Afghanistan. However, heart-wrenching images of panic-stricken women, men and children being broadcast across the world, and news reports of house-to-house hunt for journalists and dissenters tell their own story.

We call on the global community to launch a ‘24/7 Afghanistan Watch’ to mount decisive pressure on the Taliban to ensure and show to the world that, unlike their earlier brutal rule which had turned Afghanistan into a veritable hell on earth especially for the women, this time they will respect the liberties and rights of all its women, men and children.

Meanwhile, IMSD calls upon the democratic world in general and the US in particular to open its borders to Afghans who are forced to flee from their country. It calls upon the BJP-led Indian government to immediately sign the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol and act in consonance to that convention. India must open its doors to all Afghan refugees, irrespective of religion.

Signatories to the statement
(Includes IMSD members and others who support this statement)

1. Aarefa Johari, Journalist, Social Activist, Mumbai
2. Abdul Samad Shaikh, Editor, MVP News, Latur
3. Abdul Warshi, Businessperson, Nadiad
4. (Dr) Aditya Mukherjee, Academic, Delhi
5. Afaque Azad, Musician, Mumbai
6. (Prof) Ali Ahmad Fatimi, President Josh and Firaq Literary Society, Allahabad
7. Ajit Kumar Jha, Journalist, Delhi
8. Akbar Shaikh, Farmer, Social Activist, Solapur
9. (Justice) Amar Saran (ret.), Allahabad High Court
10. Anand Patwardhan, Documentary Film Maker, Mumbai
11. Anil Singh, Social activist, Delhi
12. Anjal Lele, Travel consultant, Delhi
13. Anurag Chaturvedi, Journalist, Mumbai
14. Amir Rizvi, Designer, Mumbai
15. Amjad Shaikh, Social Activist, Pune
16. Amjad Shaikh, Social Activist, Solapur
17. Anjum Mulani, Farmer, Indapur
18. Anjum Rajabali, Film writer, Mumbai
19. Anshu Malviya, Poet, Social activist, Allahabad
20. Anvar Rajan, Social Activist, Pune
21. Anwar Khan, Social activist, Vasai
22. Arif Kapadia, Business, Social activist, Mumbra
23. Arshad Alam, Academic, Commentator, Delhi
24. Ashley NP, Asst Professor, Delhi
25. Asif Shaikh, Business, Solapur
26. Askari Zaidi, Communications, Delhi
27. Dr Azeez Pasha, Academic, Delhi
28. Baaran Ijlal, Artist
29. Baba Azmi, Films, Mumbai
30. Babasaheb Pathan, Sangli
31. Bader Saeed, Lawyer, Political activist, Chennai
32. Bilal Khan, Social Activist, Mumbai
33. Bobby Naqvi, Senior Journalist
34. Chandrashekhar Tibriwal, USA
35. Danish Javed, Writer-Producer, Mumbai
36. (Prof) Dipak Malik, Varanasi
37. Faiyaz Inamdar, Social activist, Pune
38. Faraz Ansari, Film Maker
39. Farhana Parvin, Bhopal
40. Farhat Salim
41. Farman Naqvi, Senior Lawyer, Allahabad High Court
42. Fatima Ansari, Teacher, Gorakhpur
43. Fatima Shaikh, Aurangabad
44. Feroz Abbas Khan, Director, Playwright, Mumbai
45. Firoz Khan Pathan, Advocate, Latur
46. Ghulam Mohiyuddin
47. Hafiz Ali, Social Activist, Jalgaon
48. Hasan Pasha, Writer, Allahabad
49. Imran Punekar, Business, Sangli
50. Imteyaz Husein, Writer-Actor, Mumbai
51. Iqbal Painter, Social Activist, Beed
52. (Justice) Irshad Hussain (Ret.), Uttrakhand High Court
53. Ismayil Shaikh, Business, Kolhapur
54. Jami Rizwani, Academic, France
55. Javed Akhtar, Writer, Poet, Lyricist, ex-MP, Mumbai
56. Javed Anand, Convener, IMSD
57. Javed Ansari, Journalist, Delhi
58. Javed Jaffry, Actor
59. Javed Siddiqi, Writer, Mumbai
60. (Capt) Juned Ahmad, Marine Consultant
61. Dr Kanhaiya Lal Sharma, University of Rajasthan
62. Kasim Sait, Business, Philanthropist, Chennai
63. Khadija Faruqui, Social Activist, Delhi
64. Khalil Deshmukh, Political activist, Jalgaon
65. (Dr) Laiq Ahmed (ret HOD, History), Eving Christian college Allahabad
66. Lara Jasani, Advocate, Bombay High Court
67. (Dr) Madhu Rao, Academic, USA
68. Mansoor Sardar, Social activist, Bhiwandi
69. Masooma Ranalvi, Social activist, Delhi
70. (Prof) Mohd Aslam, Allahabad University (retd), Allahabad
71. Mehdi Bakht, Principal, Bal Bharti School, Varanasi
72. Mohammed Ali Muntazer, Purnea, Bihar
73. Mohammad Imran, Delhi/New York
74. Mohsin Khan, Social activist, Latur
75. (Dr) Mridula Mukherjee, Academic, Delhi
76. Munir Bagwan, Social activist, Sangola
77. Munir Mulla, Social activist, Sangli
78. Muniza Khan, Social activist, Varanasi
79. Nahida Asiya, Student, Satara
80. Najid Hussain, Scientist, USA.
81. Najma Jamadar, Teacher, Solapur
82. Najma Mulani, Solapur
83. Nandita Sehgal, IAS (resigned)
84. Naseeruddin Shah, Actor, Mumbai
85. Nasreen Contractor, Social Activist, Mumbai
86. Navaz Haider
87. Osama Manzar, Digital Empowerment Foundation, Delhi
88. Poonam Muttreja, Delhi
89. (Prof) Purushottam Agrawal, Author, Delhi
90. (Prof) Qamar Jahan, Lucknow
91. Qaisar Sultana, Home Maker, Allahabad
92. Qutb Jahan, Social activist, Mumbai
93. Rahman Abbas, Writer, Mira Road, Thane
94. Rajathi Salma (Rokkiah), Tamil Writer, Tamil Nadu
95. (Dr) Ram Puniyani, Author, Social activist, Mumbai
96. (Dr) Ramesh Dixit, Academic, Lucknow
97. Ranjit, Journalist, Delhi
98. Rashid Khan, Advocate, Supreme Court
99. Ratna Pathak Shah, Actor, Mumbai
100. Razia Patel, Academic, Social activist, Pune
101. Ravi Kiran Jain , President, PUCL, Senior Lawyer, Allahabad High Court
102. Ritambhara Shastri, Journalist, Delhi
103. Riyaz Choudhary, Business, Solapur
104. Rizwan Malik, Social Activist, Moradabad
105. Rochita Talukdar, Social sector, Kolkata
106. Sabah Khan, Social Activist, Mumbai
107. Sadik Shaikh, Solapur
108. Sadique Basha, Political activist, Mira Road, Thane
109. Sahir Khan, Student, Ichalkaranji
110. (Dr) Saif Mahmood, Advocate, Supreme Court, Delhi
111. Sajid Shaikh, Farmer, Solapur
112. Salim Mujawar, Solapur
113. Samina Naqvi , Academician, Social activist, Allahabad.
114. Samir Mulani, Farmer, Pandharpur
115. Samir Patel, Political activist, Latur
116. Sanjay Lodha, Jaipur
117. Satish Mishra, Journalist, Delhi
118. Satyajit Chavan, Social Activist, Nashik
119. Sayyed Bhai, Social activist, Pune
120. Selvyn Jussy, University of Calcutta, Kolkota
121. Shabana Azmi, Actor, ex-MP, Mumbai
122. Shabana Mashraki, Chartered Accountant, Mumbai
123. Shadab Rashid, Publisher, Naya Waraq
124. Shahajan Shaikh, Worker, Solapur
125. Shahnawaz Alam, Asst. Professor, Sultanpur
126. Shikha Sen, Editor
127. Sikandar Pathan, Baramati
128. Siraj Ayesha Sayani, Producer-Director, Mumbai
129. SMM Ausaja, Film Historian
130. S R Malik, retired IRS
131. Suhail Akbar, Associate Professor , Jamia Millia University, Delhi
132. Sultan Shahin, Editor-publisher, New Age Islam, Delhi
133. (Prof) Tahir Mahmood, Legal luminary, Delhi
134. Taizoon Khorakiwala, Business, Philathropist, Mumbai
135. Tanvir Akhtar, IPTA, Bihar
136. Teesta Setalvad, Social activist-journalist, Mumbai
137. Tofiq Ikbar, Student, Hapur
138. Utpala Shukla, Social activist, Allahabad
139. (Prof) Vasanthi Raman, Delhi
140. VVP Sharma, Journalist, Delhi
141. Yousuf Saeed, Documentary Film Maker, Delhi
142. Zafar Bakht, Educationist, Social activist, Allahabad
143. Zahir Maneri, Social Activist, Solapur
144. Zaman Habib, Writer-Producer, Mumbai
145. Zoya Akhtar, Film Director, Writer, Mumbai