The Government of India must prevent foreign refugees from interfering in the country's internal affairs: Muslim Personal Law Board

Eighteen years after returning to Kolkata, Bangladesh's controversial and fugitive author Taslima Nasrin made highly inflammatory, misleading, and fact-less statements about the Uniform Civil Code and madrasas while interacting with the media in Kolkata. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has strongly condemned this, terming it an irresponsible interference by a foreigner in India's internal affairs.

The board's spokesperson, Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, said in his statement that claiming madrasas promote extremism or produce "jihadis" is a blatant lie, outright falsehood, and a reprehensible attempt to defame an entire religious and educational tradition. Such baseless allegations not only hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Indian Muslims but also constitute a deliberate attempt to vitiate the country's communal atmosphere.

He said it is highly regrettable that a foreigner, who herself is living in India as a refugee, is making hateful comments on the country's religious, constitutional, and social affairs. Indian soil does not permit anyone to spread hatred in the name of freedom of expression, defame religious institutions, or interfere in the country's internal affairs. The Government of India should clearly define the legal boundaries for such elements and prevent such inflammatory statements in the future.

Dr. Ilyas said that the language used by Taslima Nasrin about Bangladesh is not only irresponsible but also inconsistent with India's balanced foreign policy. Such statements have the potential to affect the bilateral relations between the two countries, and the Government of India should take immediate notice of this aspect as well.

He said that the propaganda campaign against madrasas is not new. Similar allegations have been made repeatedly over the past few decades, but neither have the accusers presented any credible evidence nor have the country's investigative or security agencies corroborated these claims. Nevertheless, defaming madrasas has become part of an organized political and ideological campaign.

Dr. Ilyas said that the reality is that madrasas across the country are providing education to millions of children without burdening the government exchequer. Thousands of graduates from these madrasas are playing a prominent role in various fields, including the judiciary, education, journalism, civil services, social services, and others, after obtaining higher education from prestigious universities. Defaming such institutions that serve the nation is not only against the demands of justice but also equivalent to harming the country's educational and social harmony.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board demands that the Government of India take serious notice of this inflammatory statement, prevent foreign refugees from interfering in India's internal and religious affairs, and ensure that the country's constitutional and social environment is not victimized by the hateful politics of any external individual.