Author:
Publication: Rediff
on Net
Date: September 24,
2000
The Students' Islamic
Movement of India Sunday dared the Uttar Pradesh government to ban the
organisation, saying it would only awaken Muslim students leading to their
strong affinity towards it.
National president Shahid
Badr told newspersons in Allahabad that before considering any move to
ban Muslim organisations like SIMI, "the government should try to rein
in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Sangh Parivar which had been
spearheading a campaign against SIMI".
Condemning the demand
for a ban on the organisation, he said SIMI had been peacefully disseminating
teachings of Islam and was not indulging in any subversive or anti-national
activities.
Alleging that the Bharatiya
Janata Party-led government at the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government
were pursuing an anti-minorities agenda, the SIMI national president said,
"Ever since the BJP came to power, atrocities against Muslims and Christians
have increased manifold".
Elaborating on the awareness
spread by SIMI, Badr said his organisation wanted to establish a state
ruled by followers of Allah and in this regard, SIMI activists have undertaken
a task to impart a true Islamic way of life among people, particularly
to Muslims.
