Bareilly, February 18 – Following RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement that Muslims living in India are also Hindus and "did not come from Arabia," All India Muslim Jamiat President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi backed the remarks on Wednesday, saying Bhagwat was correct.
He further stated that it is true that the ancestors of Indian Muslims were Hindus.
Mohan Bhagwat had said, "Muslims living in India are also Hindus. They have not come from Arabia. They also need to be converted back to Hinduism, but this will happen gradually." He made these remarks during a social harmony meeting in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Expressing concern over the declining population growth rate among Hindus, Bhagwat also said that there should be at least three children in every family. "Currently, the population rate is 2.1. It should be at least 3. Now, tell all those who are getting married to have at least three children," Mohan Bhagwat said.
Speaking to IANS, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi said, "Mohan Bhagwat's point that Muslims did not come from Arabia is correct. Those who were Hindus, Buddhists, Dalits, and tribals in India were subjected to injustice. When Muslim rulers came and made decisions based on justice, they gave humans the status of humanity."
He claimed that when people were told about the philosophy of equality and encouraged to raise their voice, they inclined towards Islam.
"Certainly, it is true that Hindus were the ancestors of Muslims in India who accepted Islam. How many people were from the Arab? Very few. But when people saw the specialities of Islam, they accepted Islam," he said.
Razvi, however, expressed concern over the idea of "returning home" and said it would amount to conversion.
"If they are talking about returning home, then I will consider it a conversion. There are conversion laws in the country. If anyone, whether Hindu, Muslim or any organisation, carries out conversion, then it will come under the jurisdiction of the law," he said.
He added that the Constitution clearly states that conversion cannot be done through pressure or greed.
"The Constitution also clearly mentions that there should be no conversion by pressuring someone or by offering greed," he told IANS.
