Mumbai: Shuaib Khatib, trustee of Jama Masjid—Mumbai's most important mosque—has appealed to leaders to desist from making provocative statements that incite youth to riot and face criminal charges.
Appeal to Leaders
In an appeal that has received thousands of views and likes on social media, Khatib noted that many leaders do not send their own children to the streets to protest, yet do not hesitate to provoke uneducated and unemployed youth to riot.
Khatib made these remarks in connection with a recent controversy involving a newly elected All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) corporator from Mumbra (part of the Thane Municipal Corporation), who vowed to "paint the area green"—her party's color. Though the jibe was directed at a local leader whose party the corporator's family had broken ties with after years of association, the perceived religious undertone forced the corporator to clarify that she had no intent to create a communal divide.
Past Example
Khatib questioned why the corporator chose to make a provocative statement instead of sharing her plans to improve the ward. "Stop this politics. This kind of politics is only harming the Muslim youth," said Khatib. He cited the "I love Muhammad" campaign as an example of how speeches by certain leaders led to rioting. "Many of them were arrested. In Mira Road, those arrested received bail only after six or seven months. Did the leaders who provoked them provide legal aid? They backed off after the speeches," said Khatib.
Khatib emphasised that poorly educated and unemployed youth are the most vulnerable to such rhetoric. "The community is very emotional, but the leaders keep their own children insulated from such protests. Their children become lawyers and other professionals. But imagine an 18-year-old who has a rioting charge registered against him. What is his future? Who will give him a job?" asked Khatib.
"Do not indulge in such politics. Let us work on our deeds. This politics is only harming the Muslim youth."
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