Angry Moulvis on Wednesday told the poor, garbage collecting paupers of an Agra slum of Ved Nagar Colony who had “returned to Hindu fold” that neither Bhagwan nor Allah will forgive them, and in order to re- enter Islam they may have to perform nikaah (marriage) again.
“You have committed a crime”, Moulvi told the frightened garbage collectors, hailing from West Bengal and Bangladesh.
These slum dwellers are right now in the crossfire of both Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists.
The 200 people from 57 poor Muslim families say, they were tricked to return to Hindu fold by Bajrang Dal activists.
The Moulvi Mudassir Khan, who claims to represent the Tehriq Tahaffuz Sunniat told them they were officially “neither Hindu nor Muslim” and neither “Bhagwan nor Allah” will forgive them.
“You may have to perform the nikaah (wedding) again, make your children go through the Holy Quran again and keep your women in purdah. Only then will be granted mercy and allowed to re-enter Islam, as you people have committed a crime”.
Muslim moulvis entered the slum dwelling of 76-year-old Sufia Begum, one of the senior and oldest members among the slumdwellers and told her she still had time to be apologetic.
The old woman winced, wept and said “I will not do this again. Please forgive me.”
Maulana Masroor Raza Qadri, told Ismail, the leader of the slumdwellers: “You made a mockery of Islam. Allah will never forgive you”.
The local Bajrang Dal leader, Avneendra Pratap Singh, alias Ajju Chauhan claimed that he had affidavits signed by the heads of the 200 members of 57 Muslim families, who re-joined the Hindu fold on Monday on their own accord.