Gadar could lead to communal hatred

Basharat Peer in New Delhi

All India Muslim Personal Law Board Vice President, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, has appealed to the Muslim community not to resort to violence in their protest against the film, Gadar - Ek Prem Katha.

The film, he says, shows the protagonist being asked to shout an anti-India slogan, "Hindustaan Murdabad!" before his conversion to Islam.

There have been instances of violence and protests against Gadar - Ek Prem Katha in various parts of the country especially in the Muslim populated areas.

"Muslims do have a right to protest against it. But resorting to violence would only confirm the image the producers of the film want to portray of the Muslim community," Sadiq told rediff.com

Sadiq adds, “Showing things like this not only sends a wrong message about Muslims but also leads to communal hatred. Earlier, we had films thriving on violence and sex. But the new addition of spreading communal hatred is something we can ill afford."

The producers of the film had approached Sadiq during its making and shown him some pages of the dialogues to be used in the film.

"One of the dialogues was when the hero is being asked to chant anti-India slogans. I asked them to remove this dialogue -- this is not what Islam preaches. It was bound to hurt the sentiments of Muslims. But they haven't paid any heed to it," fumes Sadiq.

This has irked other Muslim leaders as well. General Secretary, AIMPLB, Syed Nizammudin, speaking to rediff.com said, "If that is what they are portraying, it is condemnable -- it portrays a wrong image of Muslims."

Meanwhile, the AIMPLB will meet soon to decide on its course of action regarding Gadar - Ek Prem Katha. The meeting was delayed because its president, Mujahidul-Islam Qasimi, is not in the country and is expected to return home in a day or two.

Kalbe Sadiq also protested against the use of his name by the producers in the credits of the film without taking his permission: “How could they use my name without my permission? And that too, along with Kalraj Mishra (President, BJP UP) and Vinod Khanna (film star and BJP MP)?”

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