The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC -www.iamc.com ), an advocacy group dedicated to safeguarding
India's pluralist and tolerant ethos has expressed its unequivocal
condemnation of the inflammatory and provocative language used by Mr.
Akbaruddin Owaisi, a member of the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly, at a
public rally on December 24, 2012. IAMC has also called upon the state and
central governments to apply the law uniformly to all such cases of speech that
seeks to denigrate or ridicule any group of people, their religion or culture.
The right of free speech, guaranteed under article 19(1) of the Constitution of
India, is subject to "reasonable restriction" under article 19(2).
Such restrictions can be imposed in the interest of public order, decency or
morality. Mr. Owaisi's apparent ridiculing of Hindu deities not only threatens
public order and breeches the norms of civil behavior, it also represents a
violation of the Qur'anic injunction to desist from denigrating other
religions.
Unfortunately, a culture of hate speech has been perpetuated for many years,
due to the unwillingness of successive governments to confront this malaise in
our public discourse. Mr. Praveen Togadia (VHP), Sadhvi Rithambara (RSS, Durga
Vahini), Mr. L.K. Advani and Mr. Narendra Modi (BJP) and the late Mr. Bal
Thackeray (Shiv Sena) are only a few among many that have persistently engaged
in precisely the same kind of rabble-rousing rhetoric that Mr. Owaisi is being
rightly pulled up for. Their words and actions have resulted in sectarian riots
leading to the loss of thousands of lives, and the blighting of relations
between communities, with no consequences to them on account of their actions.
"If hate speech had been consistently punished according to law, Mr.
Owaisi would not have dared to engage in the kind of incendiary rhetoric that
pits one community against another," said Mr. Ahsan Khan, President of
IAMC. "Absence of any prosecution against other hate-mongers will only
reinforce the perception that the administration is active in invoking laws
selectively, based on sectarian and political considerations," added Mr.
Khan.
IAMC has also called upon liberal activists to introspect on the implications
of defending insults against religion heaped by individuals like Tasleema
Nasreen and Salman Rushdie under the guise of free speech, while condemning
sectarian zealots for similar provocations. Ridiculing that which is held
sacred by any group of people can only lead to alienation, acrimony and the
tearing apart of the nation's social fabric.
The sectarian hate espoused by Pravin Togadia, Narendra Modi, Varun Gandhi and
Akbaruddin is not representative of the majority of India's Hindus and Muslims, who
share a long and rich tradition of peaceful coexistence. IAMC appeals to the
public to reject the divisive agenda of hate-mongers, and to strengthen
grassroots efforts that promote communal amity.
Indian-American Muslim Council (formerly Indian Muslim Council-USA) is the
largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States
with 13 chapters across the nation.
For more information please visit our new website at: http://www.iamc.com
References:
1. Hate Speech: Akbaruddin Owaisi arrested, police begin
questioning
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-08/hyderabad/36215317_1_akbaruddin-owaisi-mim-akbar-owaisi
2. Boycott Muslims In India Says Indian Hindu Extremist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N55TTGLgS4k
3. Praveen Togadia's speech about Bhagyalakshmi Mandir at
Charminar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKM3jWPaMKk
4. Praveen Togadia's provocative speech against Muslims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bNFN5j0dAU
5. SP plans to drop cases against Varun, angers its own Muslim leaders
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/292506/sp-plans-drop-cases-against.html
6. Maharaja Dharmendra's hate speech in Hyderabad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fLiw3SBJjg