The Muftis of Darul Uloom Deoband and some other Islamic scholars have forcefully said in plain words that India being a democratic country, no proscription for beheading anyone can be issued here as it is possible only in a country ruled under Islamic government and, even there, any Tom, Dick and Harry cannot issue such a fatwa.
Deoband scholars do not agree with the writings and views of Taslima Nasreen in any way, but they say that any opinion that does not seem appropriate can be criticised and, further, government can be demanded to take legal action against the person expressing it.
On August 9, Taslima Nasreen was attacked in Hyderabad by a group led by Majlis-e-Ittihadul Muslimeen’s three MLAs during the release of Telugu edition of her book Shodh titled as Chulloo Ko Chulloo, and after Friday prayers on August 17, Shahi Imam of Kolkata’s Tipu Sultan Shahi Mosque Syed Mohammad Noorur Rahman Barakati issued a ‘fatwa’ to behead Taslima Nasreen, which cannot be supported in any case.
Grand Mufti of Darul Uloom (Wakf) Maulana Khurshid Alam, Na’ib Mohtamim Mufti Ehsan Qasimi, Mufti Mohammad Arif and Maulana Abdullah Javed, an author, said as only legal action can be taken against any person in India, therefore, no one has got the right to kill anyone or order any other person to do so, and the people not agreeing with Taslima Nasreen’s writings can move a court of law or present their case before the government and demand action.
These scholars of Darul Uloom (Wakf) have declared the ‘fatwa’ issued by Kolkata’s Imam Syed Noorur Rahman Barakati to be incorrect.