Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy raises question over Muslim outfits' silence on Rushdie attack, asks to rethink their position on blasphemy

New Delhi, August 22: Pointing out that the barbarous attack on writer Salman Rushdie, was designed to create a regime of fear, Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) raised a question on the silence of Muslim organisations over the barbarous attack.

 

 

In the statement, the IMSD said it is this silence that emboldens the 'Islamophobes to paint the religion as a creed of violence and terror." Condemning the barbarous attack on Rushdie, IMSD further urged Muslim organisations to rethink their position on blasphemy which is a "form of politics which is doing Muslims more harm than good".

 

The statement was endorsed by 60 eminent citizens, including social activist Medha Patkar, activist, psephologist, and politician Yogendra Yadav and Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey, among others.

 

 

 

According to the IMSD website, it is a forum of Indian Muslims committed to the values of democracy, secularism, equality, and justice as enshrined in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of India.

 

"It is rather rich on the part of Muslim organizations that they only remember human rights when they are being attacked but do not extend the same rights and dignity to others, Muslims or not, who differ from them on matters of religion. This is plain hypocrisy which does not help the Muslim cause," the statement said.

Rushdie was recently stabbed in the neck and stomach by 24-year-old New Jersey man Hadi Matar when he was about to speak at an event at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York.