Fatwa by Muslim body on Indian National Song

I bow to thee, Mother,

richly-watered, richly-fruited,
cool with the winds of the south,
dark with the crops of the harvests,
The Mother!
Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight,
her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom,
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

"We love the nation but can't worship it," said Kamal Farooqi, a prominent member of the board.

Party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was not mandatory under the law for anyone to sing the national song and “no one was forced to sing it.” Then why did the Jamiat feel the need to pass such a resolution at its meeting in Deoband? Why protest when it was not being forced on any one?

He was even more critical of Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who was present at the JUH session, for “legitimising” the resolution.

Mr. Naqvi said the Minister did not react to the passing of the resolution and did not make any reference to it when he spoke at the function.

The party said the Vande Mataram issue was taken up at the very start of the session. It demonstrated the “separatist mindset” of the Jamiat. On the one hand, it was praised by the Home Minister for adopting resolutions condemning terrorism and terrorists and, on the other, it declares the singing of the national song un-Islamic.

While what Sharia norms would mean is not spelt out by the resolution, it is understood to refer to segregated classrooms and use of veil and hijab. Darul Uloom has repeatedly ruled co-education as unlawful and also did not support a recent ruling of a senior cleric at Cairo's highly respected Al Azhar that face veils were not required in all-women classrooms.

The Jamiat also noted that the women’s reservation bill seeking 33% reservation for women in legislatures was “uncalled for” as “bringing women into the mainstream will create social problems and issues including their security.”

"A nation can ignore its minorities only at its peril...We must always remember that pluralism is our inheritance and strength. It was the duty of the majority to protect the minority. Due to the acts of a few, we have allowed diversity to become differences," he said.

Speaking at the 30th general session of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind here, he said, "We cannot view Islam as an alien faith because this is the land of your forefathers, this is the land of your birth. It is a matter of our pride that Islam exists in India along with other major religions".

As in Deobandi writings, the Jamiat warned against other sects like Qadyani for being "turncoats", suggesting its own version of Islam was the true and correct one. Calling for professional technical institutions, it said it was necessary for Muslim organisations to take the lead as Muslims who studied professional courses could get cut off from their moorings. It condemned US intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.