'Jethmalani's outburst against Islam result of negative mentality'

Thursday, November 26, 2009 08:54:37 AM, ummid.com & Agencies

New Delhi: Former Union Minister and self-confessed maverick legal hawk Ram Jethmalani's overture against Islam is receiving widespread condemnation from various circles. The Muslim community leaders reacting on his reported statements made during an International Conference held in New Delhi termed them baseless, far from reality and a result of negative mindset.

"Ram Jethmalani's views on Islam and Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab expressed during the conference are historically incorrect and are result of a negative mentality", said Maulana Arshad Madni President of Jamiatul Ulema.

Stating that Ram Jethmalani's overtures were not accidental but deliberate, Maulana Madni who is in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj said, "The attempts are regularly made to quote Islam and history out of context. Jethmalani did the same when he deliberately mingled things from here and there to malign the image of Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab - a reformist and renowned scholar known for his remarkable efforts against the imperialist forces in eighteenth century."

Coming down heavily on Ram Jethmalani, Maulana Madni said, "It would be a mistake to think that Jethmalani is not aware of historical facts. The fact is that he deliberately gave rise to the propaganda that linked Mohammad bin Abdul Wahab's movement against the imperialist forces with the religion just because their personal interests were at stake."

"Like the Indian Freedom Struggle, Mohammad Bin Abdul Wahab's struggle was also a freedom movement. As we cannot term the Indian Freedom Struggle an act of terrorism, same is true for Mohammed bin Abdul Wahab's struggle against imperialist forces."

Jethmalani's "non-mincing" remarks came during an international conference of jurists on terrorism, inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil and attended among others by Singapore Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong and Justice Awn S Al-Khasawneh of the International Court of Justice and envoys of several countries.

Pointing fingers at the 18th century reformer Mohammad bin Abdul Wahab, Jethmalani had observed, "Unfortunately in the 17th century, they produced an 'evil man' in Saudi Arabia by the name of Wahab, who was concerned about the decline of Muslim world but he hit upon a wrong remedy".

His remarks had prompted Saudi Arabian Ambassador to India Faisal-al-Trad to walk out of the conference. Trad later joined the conference after Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily stated that the view expressed by Jethmalani was his personal views.

Later while speaking to the media Saudi envy Faisal Al-Trad said, " It is ironic that despite all the humanistic teachings of the religion, Islam is still linked with terrorism. It has turned out to be a global phenomenon and is a dilemma for the Muslim world."

"I found his utterances bad as he was directly blaming Islam and my country (Saudi Arabia) for terrorism. I did what I should have done as a Muslim and also as a Saudi ambassador. I walked out in protest but offered my apologies to President Pratibha Patil who was on the panel in the conference. I didn't want to create an impression that I was protesting against her", he said.

"And can you believe he was speaking in his own country which has some 140 million Muslim population?", Trad wondered. "He was targeting the centre of Islam. We Saudis are proud to be from the birthplace of Islam. We have a huge responsibility of serving the Muslim world, and accusing Saudi Arabia or the Muslim world of breeding terror is just unacceptable, I repeat just unacceptable."

He said his country itself - "a victim of terrorism" - has always expressed a will to wage a fight against the menace.

"Saudi Arabia has even volunteered to host a centre for global fight against terror - an idea which was mooted in an international conference on counter terrorism in 2005, in which India also participated," he said while terming the controversy as a closed chapter.

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