Reject Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan: Javed Akhtar, Naseeruddin, Shabana Azmi

Afghanistan is yearning for peace & not 'Islamic Emirate', said Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy in a statement.

The Indian Muslims group, including Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar and Naseeruddin Shah, have rejected the call for 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' under Taliban.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

A group of prominent civil society members have stated that it is 'deeply disturbing' to see the 'euphoria' among certain sections of the country after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

The Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD), in a statement signed by 128 people including lyricist Javed Akhtar and veteran actors Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah, said that it rejects the “idea of a theocratic state anywhere in the world”.

“It therefore questions the legitimacy of the ‘Islamic Emirate’ the Taliban seek to impose on the war-torn, war-weary people of Afghanistan who are yearning for peace", the statement read.

“We are deeply disturbed by the euphoria evident among a section of Indian Muslims, including religious leaders such as the office bearers of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Maulana Umrain Mahfuz Rahmani and Maulana Sajjad Nomani, and the Jamaat-e-Islami-Hind, over the Taliban’s capture of power”, it added.

The signatories include journalists, lawyers, students, academicians, civil society activists and members of the film industry. “It is nothing but sheer opportunism and hypocrisy to stand in support of a secular state in a country like India where Muslims are in a minority and applaud the imposition of Shariah rule wherever they are in a majority. Such rank double-standard gives legitimacy to the Sangh Parivar’s (RSS) agenda for a Hindu Rashtra,” the statement said.

The statement further stated that the IMSD respects the views of the growing tribe of Islamic scholars, religious leaders and Muslim intellectuals across the globe who argue that the very notion of an “Islamic state” is antithetical to what Islam teaches.

It called upon the BJP-led government to sign the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and act in consonance to that convention. “India must open its doors to all Afghan refugees, irrespective of religion,” the statement said.

Shabana Azmi shared the statement on Twitter and wrote, "Strong statement by Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy rejecting the call for Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan under Taliban rule".