By Syed Zubair Ahmad

Mooting the idea of renaming the shaheed  Babri Masjid as “Ram Masjid”  for its reconstruction at the very site where the 400 years old mosque stood before its demolition in Ayodhya, Abdullah Shah Qalandar Chishti said it is the best way to bring reconciliation between Muslims and Hindus on the dispute.

Chishti, who heads the Chishti Institute of Indology, said in an interview to MuslimMirror.com that Babri Masjid has been made a ‘thorny’ issue between a section Hindus and Muslims for serving a political interest of a certain group which harps on divisive politics and programme under the garb of so-called ‘cultural nationalism’.  However, he said the Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir dispute can be resolved by renaming the masjid after Lord Ram as Hindus would not oppose this idea.

While the apex court is beginning to hear the case from February 8, he asked the Government of India to consider his proposal which could bring a solution acceptable to both the parties asserting that it is in the interest of the entire nation, he said.

India needs a national reconciliation move to restore centuries-old cordial relations between both the communities which have been marred due to the Ayodhya dispute, he said.

Abdullah Shah, who has been working to solve the dispute since a long time has come up with this unique idea of rechristening the Masjid as “Ram Masjid” as he believes that Hindus would abandon their claim on the mosque and would revere the mosque because of its affinity with Lord Ram.

He is of the view that the Ayodhya dispute is of political nature and a section of Hindus would not like Mughal Emperor Babur.

He said the government has to engage Indian Muslims so they may not feel alienated in their own country.

According to Abdullah Shah ‘The government should acquire 10-acre land and build a Ram Masjid along with a  Ram Mandir on the disputed site in the interest of the nation and for this, it should take both the communities in confidence to arrive at an amicable solution.

“Muslims should drop the claim to rebuild Babri Masjid and formulate it to construct Ram Masjid  at that place. On the other hand government should make sure that the community is getting education, healthcare, and employment.”

Abdullah Shah has also proposed the construction of ‘Chisti Institute of Indology’ in Ayodhya where Madrasa graduates from all sects should be taught about Indian culture, Indian religion, Indian Art,  Indian History Indian Philosophy, Indian Astronomy, Indian sociology for two years so that they can have a better understanding about their motherland .

Muslims need political and social dialogue with their Hindu brethren to strengthen the communal harmony in this country, he added.

‘According to great Islamic poet, Allama Iqbal ‘Ram Imam ul Hind’ so Muslims have all respect to this great personality of Indian history. There is no conclusive evidence that Ram is not a prophet, he might be a prophet like Abraham, Moses Jesus Abraham, and Muhammad, that’s why Muslims have due respect to Ram, he said.