02-19-2006, 08:23 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Muslim Board man wants cartoonist killed </b>
Pioneer News Service / Lucknow
<b>Prominent Muslim leader and senior member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board Zafaryab Jilani on Saturday defended Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare Minister Haji Yakoob Qureshi declaring a bounty of Rs 51 crore for anybody who beheads the Danish cartoonists who caricatured Prophet Mohammad</b>.
<b>Mr Jilani said Haji Qureshi had not done anything objectionable by announcing a reward for killing the cartoonists.</b>
<b>"After all, Qureshi's announcement highlights how offended the Muslims feel by this heinous act of the cartoonists. Moreover, Qureshi's offer stands for anyone from the Muslim world and not India alone and the statement is within Islamic laws", </b>he said.
Both Sunni and Shia Muslim organisations have planned a mammoth protest march here on Sunday against the cartoons and India's stand on Iran's nuclear programme at the IAEA.
However, Haji Qureshi's announcement in Meerut, calling for the death of the Danish cartoonists, on Friday has led to strong reactions from political parties while the State Government has refused to comment on the issue.
The BJP has demanded action against Haji Qureshi with State unit president Kesharinath Tripathi pointing out that Islamic law is not above the Indian Penal Code. Mr Tripathi said the Minister has committed a criminal offence and is liable for punishment. He demanded that the Government take cognisance of the matter and register a case against Haji Qureshi.
Congress spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh wondered whether the decision to announce the reward on the cartoonists' heads was taken in a State Cabinet meeting since the Government has maintained silence over the issue. "The Chief Minister should come clean on the issue. His silence is shocking and surprising", Mr Singh said.
The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, however, has officially distanced itself from Haji Qureshi's announcement. AIMPLB spokesman SQR Iliyasi said Haji Qureshi's statement was an attempt to incite passion and cannot be justified. "Though the publication of the cartoons of Prophet Mohammad is highly deplorable and condemnable, this kind of statement could inflame passion," he told PTI over phone. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ravishji and Nareshji,
Here comes statements from secular and pious religious leader.
They will never disappoint us. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Pioneer News Service / Lucknow
<b>Prominent Muslim leader and senior member of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board Zafaryab Jilani on Saturday defended Uttar Pradesh Minority Welfare Minister Haji Yakoob Qureshi declaring a bounty of Rs 51 crore for anybody who beheads the Danish cartoonists who caricatured Prophet Mohammad</b>.
<b>Mr Jilani said Haji Qureshi had not done anything objectionable by announcing a reward for killing the cartoonists.</b>
<b>"After all, Qureshi's announcement highlights how offended the Muslims feel by this heinous act of the cartoonists. Moreover, Qureshi's offer stands for anyone from the Muslim world and not India alone and the statement is within Islamic laws", </b>he said.
Both Sunni and Shia Muslim organisations have planned a mammoth protest march here on Sunday against the cartoons and India's stand on Iran's nuclear programme at the IAEA.
However, Haji Qureshi's announcement in Meerut, calling for the death of the Danish cartoonists, on Friday has led to strong reactions from political parties while the State Government has refused to comment on the issue.
The BJP has demanded action against Haji Qureshi with State unit president Kesharinath Tripathi pointing out that Islamic law is not above the Indian Penal Code. Mr Tripathi said the Minister has committed a criminal offence and is liable for punishment. He demanded that the Government take cognisance of the matter and register a case against Haji Qureshi.
Congress spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh wondered whether the decision to announce the reward on the cartoonists' heads was taken in a State Cabinet meeting since the Government has maintained silence over the issue. "The Chief Minister should come clean on the issue. His silence is shocking and surprising", Mr Singh said.
The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, however, has officially distanced itself from Haji Qureshi's announcement. AIMPLB spokesman SQR Iliyasi said Haji Qureshi's statement was an attempt to incite passion and cannot be justified. "Though the publication of the cartoons of Prophet Mohammad is highly deplorable and condemnable, this kind of statement could inflame passion," he told PTI over phone. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ravishji and Nareshji,
Here comes statements from secular and pious religious leader.
They will never disappoint us. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->