By Muslim Mirror Staff
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday issued an appeal to the Muslims to stop taking part in television debates whose “sole intention is to make a mockery and insult Islam and Muslims.”
The advisory from the apex Muslim forum issued to the press urged the Muslim scholars and ulema to “boycott the news channels whose only objective is to ridicule Islam and Muslims” while underscoring that the media outlets invite them (Muslims) only to obtain some degree of “legitimacy”. The press note further underlined that the Muslims participating in the TV debates “are not able to do any service to Islam and Muslims”. It said: “The intention of these programmes is not to reach any conclusion through constructive discourse but to ridicule and defame Islam and Muslims.”
The Muslim body, which represents all maslks (sects) and India’s top Muslim organizations, came down heavily on the news channels for their ‘agenda-driven debates’ and observed that the Muslim ulema and intellectuals participating in the debates “became victim of their (TV channels) agenda”. “If we boycott such programmes and channels, not only it will affect their TRP, but they will also fail in achieving their desired outcome through such debates.”
Top Muslim bodies support AIMPLB’s decision
Meanwhile, top Muslim organizations such as All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), a consultative forum of nearly a dozen Muslim bodies, and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) among others, supported the AIMPLB’s move. AIMMM president Navaid Hamid said that it was the “right and much required move. “Most of the Muslims who go to the TV debates have their own personal agenda. Precisely, they are not able to put across Muslims’ point of view properly. Some are too naïve to understand the motive of the debates; some are ignorant but many think they will get something out of it, Hamid said.
Supporting the move Anis Ahmed, General Secretary of Popular Front said “The step by Personal Law Board is a positive step. The prime time TV debates are no longer a platform that was meant to discuss serious issues of public interest. The present debates are very toxic in nature and has only resulted in Polarization and spreading hate. As the intent is to tarnish the image of Muslim community hence participating in such ill-intended debate will not serve any good to the Muslim community nor the Indian society. There are still genuine media houses who are committed to the cause of truth and such media houses debate must not be boycotted. The board must take into confidence all the panelist and convince them this stand so that everyone is on the same page.”
Hailing the move, JIH vice president Salim Engineer said that the Muslims should certainly observe “restraint for the time being” from participating in any TV debates. “While it is not any kind of decree (fatwa) or so, it is an appropriate advice. Since JIH is part of the AIMPLB, we certainly support it. Many Muslims going to the TV channels have failed to put across the Muslims’ point of views properly. They fell into the trap of anchors. So till the situation improves, the Muslims should stay away from taking part in any TV debates,” said Engineer.
Disturbed over the round-the-clock Muslim-bashing by the TV anchors, Muslims for quite sometime have been expressing their anger through social media platforms against the mullahs and self-claimed scholars who take part in TV debates with many even earning wrath of the community. Recently, All India Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqir Raza Khan had also called for social boycott of the Muslims who take part in TV debates.
“This is a belated but much required step. The TV newsroom is the epicentre of hate. TV news channels should not only be boycotted by Muslims but also by the opposition leaders. For, they have reduced to be the mouthpiece of government.,” said Quamar Ashraf, an independent media analyst while hailing the AIMPLB move.
“Barring some ‘apologetic or sarkari Musalmaan’, the top Muslim organizations have almost stopped sending their tc on Muslim issues for nearly three decades.
Ashraf, however, raised questions on the professional ethics of the TV media who invite none-entity or any Tom, Dick, Harry for the debate on anything or everything.