Indian Muslims protest against Rushdie’s proposed visit to India

New Delhi: Hundreds of Indian Muslims on Friday protested against Salman Rushdie’s proposed visit to India.

Under the banner of National Council of Shia Ulema and Majlis Ulema-e-Hind, hundreds of Indian Muslims mainly Shias gathered at Jantar Mantar in Central Delhi, to lodge a protest against controversial writer Salman Rushdie’s proposed visit to India.
Salman Rushdie, the apostate, whose blasphemous writing “Satanic Verses” had hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims across the globe, is to attend Literary Festival at Jaipur in the last week of January.
Holding banners and chanting slogans against the apostate, they expressed displeasure over granting of visa to Rushdie, whose blasphemous writings had hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims across the globe. They demanded that Rushdie should not be allowed to visit India.
Earlier, addressing the protestors Maulana Syed Jalal Haider Naqvi, President Shaheed Motahhari Society in New Delhi, Shoaib Iqbal and Asif Mohd Khan, MLAs Delhi Assembly, in one voice expressed extreme displeasure and anger over granting of visa to Rushdie.
They demanded that “Rushdie”, the author of the book “Satanic Verses”, which has been compiled, printed, and published in opposition to Islam, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Qur’an, should not be allowed to visit India.
“Indian Constitution also condemns acts of blasphemy and the violators are treated as criminals,” said the speakers.
Later-on a memorandum, demanding Salman Rushdie’s entry into India should be banned, was given to the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.
The memorandum demanded that the author of the ‘Satanic Verses’ should be barred for life from entering into India. This is because India prohibits hate speech by several sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and by other laws which put limitations on the freedom of expression. (KMW News)