The chairman of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has condemned the BJP-led Centre’s approach ahead of the January 22 inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. He called the religious event as one that solely concerns “Hindu brothers” and said members of the Islamic community “should not participate in this process”.
In a press note, Hazrat Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani questioned whether, on January 22, “lamps should be lit, and the slogan of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ should be raised” across the country.
“The special interest of the government and ministers in it, and the inauguration of it (Ram Mandir) by the Prime Minister, is an assassination of justice and secularism,” Rahmani stated.
“Muslims should understand that this is a polytheistic act and a polytheistic slogan. If Hindu brothers light lamps in joy for the construction of the temple, we have no objection to it. However, Muslims should not participate in this process,” the panel’s head added.
“Islam instructs us to respect all religious figures, and we respect the holy figures of Hindus, including Lord Rama. However, we do not consider them gods,” Hazrat Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani further stated.
The statement also underlined that “even though Muslims respect the Supreme Court’s decision, it has hurt their hearts”.
“Although the Supreme Court has acknowledged that there was no temple beneath it, which was demolished to build a mosque, and there is no evidence that Lord Rama’s birth occurred at that specific location…,” Rahmani wrote.
With limited invitees, Ram Mandir will be inaugurated on January 22, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi among other leaders and eminent personalities. Thousands of seers from across the country have been invited for the ceremony and invitees also include families of labourers, who are helping in the consecration and inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.