The management committee of Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque has issued a stern warning to politicians and individuals involved in plans to construct a mosque named 'Babri' in West Bengal's Murshidabad district. The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM) accused them of playing with the religious sentiments of the Muslim community across India.
AIM's Strong Condemnation and Appeal
In a strongly-worded statement released on Sunday, the committee appealed to all Indian Muslims to be vigilant against what it termed a "dangerous" conspiracy by certain "wicked people." AIM Joint Secretary S M Yasin spearheaded the criticism, explicitly targeting the move by suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir to lay the foundation for a mosque named after Babur in Murshidabad.
Yasin made a poignant historical reference, stating, "There was only one Babri Masjid, in Ayodhya, which was martyred on December 6, 1992." He expressed dismay over practices of celebrating that date as a 'victory day' and seeking political mileage from the issue, labeling such acts as unfortunate.
Questioning the Motive and Timing
The AIM clarified that its opposition was not to the construction of a mosque itself, but to the specific naming and suspicious timing of the project. Yasin raised critical questions about the intent behind the move.
"People certainly have the right to know the reason for choosing the name Babri and this particular date to lay its foundation," he asserted. He highlighted that the idea did not surface for almost 33 years after the demolition of the original Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, making the current initiative deeply suspect.
Yasin directly questioned Kabir's motives, asking, "Who knows at whose behest he is doing this and why he is playing with Muslims' sentiments?" He described the suspended MLA as a "beaten pawn of politics."
A Warning Against Reigniting Past Wounds
The committee's statement served as a caution against reigniting the communal tensions of the 1990s. Yasin delivered a clear message, warning that the community should not allow influential individuals, "no matter how big a barrister or politician they may be," to manipulate their emotions and drag the nation back to a painful era.
He emphatically stated that any attempt to use a new mosque to erase the memory of the Ayodhya demolition and the associated violence from 1990 to 1993 would fail. "We remember Babri Masjid of Ayodhya even after 33 years and will continue to remember it," Yasin affirmed, assuring that such opportunists would not succeed.
In conclusion, the office-bearers of the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid made an appeal to the community's religious scholars (Ulema) and intellectuals to step forward and alert Muslims about this plan, which they perceive as a significant threat to social harmony.
