Title: Fatwa against
Shabana Azmi
Author: Syed Amin Jafri
in Hyderabad
Publication: Rediff
on Net
Date: March 3, 2000
Film actress Shabana
Azmi has earned the wrath of the mullahs in Hyderabad because she tonsured
her head for her role in the controversial film, Water.
Five city-based Islamic
seminaries have termed the action "as a violation of Islamic doctrine and
abominably inadmissible." They want Azmi to renew her faith.
The fatwas [religious
edicts] these institutions issued declare that Muslim film stars performing
acts of polytheism on screen should also renew their faith. One termed
it as an "atheistic act and a mortal sin" while the others defined it as
"transgression."
It was a Hyderabad-based
journalist, Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez, who sought edicts on these issues
in the wake of the controversy raging on in the Muslim community over Azmi
tonsuring her head. The issue was hotly debated in the local Urdu press.
"I posed two questions
to the religious institutions after the Urdu press was flooded with queries
and protests about Shabana Azmi's outrageous act. I sought a fatwa on whether
actors from Muslim families or having Muslim names are committing sacrilege
by performing the rites of other religious groups on the screen," Parvez
told rediff.com.
"I also cited the instance
of Shabana Azmi, who not only performs puja on screen but also got her
head tonsured for portraying a character in Water. I wanted to know whether
her act is permissible in Islam or whether she is liable for excommunication,"
he said.
Another query he posed
to the religious scholars was whether Muslim film stars, who offer namaz
and go for Haj or Umra in real life but commit polytheistic acts on the
screen "under professional compulsions" should be condoned for their sacrilegious
acts, which constitute "unforgivable sins."
The queries were sent
to Al Mahada-Aali-ul-Islami, Darul-Uloom Sabil-ul-Islam, Darul-Uloom Rahmania,
Darul-Uloom Hyderabad and Hyderabad's oldest Islamic university, Jamia-e-Nizamia.
The institutions responded
promptly. Darul Uloom Rahmania's Mufti Ghiyasuddin issued the edit on February
24, followed by Al Mahada's Mufti Khaled Saifullah Rahmani on February
25, Darul-Uloom Sabil-ul-Islam's Mufti Mustafa Miftahi and Jamia-e-Nizamia's
Mufti Ibrahim Khaleel-ul-Hashemi on February 26, and Darul Uloom Hyderabad's
Mufti Mohammed Jamaluddin Qassimi on February 27.
According to the edict
from Darul Uloom Rahmania, offering worship to the deities would be tantamount
to paganism or infidelity. If a Muslim woman tonsures her head, it would
be a violation of the Shariat and Islamic doctrines.
Jamia-e-Nizamia, which
is one of the oldest Islamic universities in India, has termed all acts
of polytheism as "atheism".
Al Mahada said that terming
such acts of polytheism as professional compulsion was an excuse which
was worse than the sin itself. If a Muslim, even while knowing that due
to these acts a Muslim loses his faith, goes ahead with it then he is committing
infidelity. Hence, all film stars who call themselves Muslims must renew
their faith.
The Darul Uloom Sabil-ul-Islam
declared that it was unlawful for Muslims to act in films. If a Muslim,
while sticking to his religious faith, still acts in a film, it would amount
to transgression.
