Muslim scholars criticised political parties which had recently advocated disenfranchisement of their community saying its “honesty” and “loyalty” cannot be questioned.
Without naming the Shiv Sena, which had recently advocated taking away the rights of Muslims to vote, well known Islamic scholar Maulana Sharafat Ali Nadvi yesterday said not to “test” Muslim community’s “honesty” and “loyalty”.
Speaking at a conference organised here by the Muslim Youth Forum of India (MYFI) which was recently formed by a local journalist, Nadvi, who is also a senior faculty member of the renowned seminary Darul-Uloom Taj-ul-Masjid seminary said, “Hamaari imaandari aur wafaadaari ka imtehan na len (Do not test our honesty and loyalty)”.
Bhopal Shahar Qazi (Bhopal city head pontiff) Mushtaque Ali Nadvi said in his presidential address that Muslims are Indian citizens who are willing to make sacrifices for the nation, according to the tenets of Islam.
Deputy Chief Electoral Officer of the Madhya Pradesh Election Commission Ruhi Majid Khan and Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board Chairman Shaukat Mohammad Khan advocated promoting expressed concern over the economic and social condition of their community members.
Renowned poet Manzar Bhopali and professors Gyanendra Gautam and professor Hamidullah Nadvi of the Bhopal based Barkatullah University, also spoke at the conference.