Aamir Khan is wrong, Muslims are safe in India: Jamia Masjid Imam

Bengaluru, Nov 25: Aamir Khan's statements on intolerance has kicked up a major row in the nation. In a recent address he expressed alarm over the rise in incidents of intolerance in the past 6 to 8 months.

Were these statements necessary in the first place? Mohammad Maqsood Imran, the Iman of the Jamia Masjid, Bengaluru considers these as unnecessary statements.

Speaking with OneIndia, Imran the man behind the initiative to counter the ISIS propaganda says that India is a safe country for Muslims.

There are problems. It is not as though problems have cropped up out of the blue, he says. If there are problems then deal with it. Running away is not the solution, Imran also adds.

"I do not agree with the statements made by Aamir Khan. This is his country too and he was born and brought up here. Moreover, everything that is, is because of India and if he feels there is a problem, then as an Indian he needs to deal with it and aim at rectifying it."

"Every Indian needs to protect the country. We Muslims have a history with India and there may be people who may want that to change. But that is a minority voice."

"As a Muslim who was born and brought up in India, I feel the need to protect my country and if we have to shed our blood to safeguard our nation, then it has to be done."

"Aamir Khan should have been more responsible while making statements. He is a well known actor. Such persons should aim at sorting out the problem if any. Making sweeping remarks is just not done. Running away means you are being a coward," Imran also adds.

"Such statements are bound to cause a divide in the country and that is not what our country needs now. There are other problems to deal with for the nation as a whole."

"I do not feel unsafe in India. Now tell me which country does not have problems? Is running away from the country the solution? There are people who will try and break unity and disrupt peace, but as responsible citizens, we must ensure that it does not happen."

The man who is taking on the ISIS:

Imran was the first in Karnataka to suggest ways to counter the threat posed by the ISIS. He decided that every Friday a sermon would be delivered at the Mosque educating the youth about the true designs of the ISIS. The ISIS does not propagate Islam, it propagates violence.

Imran has received an overwhelming response to his initiative and almost every Mosque in Karnataka is following in his footsteps.

In fact every sermon issued is recorded and compact discs distributed among the youth. A core committee also reaches out to the youth to tell them that Islam does not propagate violence and following in the footsteps of groups such as the ISIS is nothing but anti-Islam.

OneIndia News