“Mosques that have been constructed in place of temples, should be handed over to Hindus. We should correct the mistakes of ancestors and establish peace in the country.” – Syed Waseem Rizvi
Muslims should give up their claim on all disputed sites and also hand over the places to Hindus to “correct the mistakes of ancestors,” Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi said Monday.
Rizvi said the need for such an appeal arose after reports of Sunnis seeking permission to offer namaz on disputed structures. He added that if all such issues were not resolved, some other similar dispute may crop up even after the Ayodhya issue is resolved. He made the appeal in a video circulated on social media.
In his appeal, Rizvi claimed that there were 11 such major disputed sites across the country, including those in Mathura, Varanasi and Jaunpur (See Hindu Temples: What happened to them).
Rizvi also claimed that while all the churches that were destroyed to build mosques had been reconstructed and restored, “now was the time to give back land of temples, which was taken by Mughals”.
He further said, “Mosques that have been constructed in place of temples, should be handed over to Hindus. We should correct the mistakes of ancestors and establish peace in the country.”
Speaking to The Indian Express Monday, Rizvi said, “The need for the appeal arose as Sunnis have sought permission to offer namaz at disputed sites where mosques now stand…. But that is not the solution. Finding solutions to Ramjanmabhoomi and Babri Masjid dispute is not the solution because another similar issue may crop up as there 11 such major sites, where mosques were allegedly constructed after destroying temples. As offering namaz is not allowed at disputed sites, I made an appeal to all followers of Islam to hand over the sites to Hindus to correct the mistakes of ancestors.”
Rizvi is facing four criminal cases, including one each in Lucknow and Prayagraj and two in Rampur, on charges of illegal transfer and misuse of waqf land since 2016. Recently, the state government sent a recommendation to the Centre for a CBI probe into allegations of irregularities and misuse of waqf land against the Sunni and Shia Waqf Boards and their chairmen. – The Indian Express, 22 October 2019
› Maulshree Seth is a principal correspondent at The Indian Express in Lucknow.
Filed under: india | Tagged: ramjanmabhumi dispute, temple-breaking, UP shia wakf board, wasim rizvi |
Shia Waqf board chief calls ‘Babri Masjid a blot to India’, says it is a ‘crime to call it a mosque’ – OpIndia Staff – OpIndia – October 5, 2019
The Shia Waqf board chief, Wasim Rizvi, who has always been controversial among Islamic clerics, has yet again come up with a statement which will presumably not be very well received by his community.
In a controversial statement, as reported by Zeenews, the Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chief has addressed the Babri Masjid and blamed it of being a ‘blot to the country‘. He said that it is a crime to call “that blot as a mosque“.
Wasim Rizvi, who has been batting for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya for quite some time, pointed out that during the excavation, a square made of bricks was found at the bottom of the 50 pillars of the temple in Ayodhya. A total of 265 old remnants of the temple were found on the basis of which the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had reached the decision that a temple was buried underneath the Babri Masjid.
Rizvi reiterated that there should be an agreement and the right to build a Ram temple should be returned to the Hindus while the Muslims should build a new mosque in Lucknow.
He wrapped up by affirming that at the backdrop of such a scenario, calling Babri, a masjid will be unjust and against the principles of Islam. “There is still time the ‘mullas’ of Babri should accept their mistakes and accept the preachings of Prophet Mohammed,” he said.
Rivzi had earlier to contend on the same lines saying that, “There was never a mosque on that site in Ayodhya and there can never be a mosque there. It is the birthplace of Lord Ram and only a Ram temple will be built. Sympathisers of Babar are destined to lose.”
This isn’t the only time Wasim Rizvi is in the news for his statements. Last year as well the Shia Central Waqf Board of Uttar Pradesh had told the apex court that it was willing to build a mosque in a Muslim-dominated area, at an equitable distance from the Ram Janmabhoomi site. This pro-Ram Mandir stance of Rizvi was in line with the Shia Wakf Board’s deportment that Ram Mandir be constructed at the Janambhoomi area.
In fact, at the beginning of 2018, Rizvi in one of his statements had urged the Muslims who were opposing Ram Mandir to go back to Pakistan.
Wasim Rivzi has by now managed to constitute a troop of nitpickers from his own community lobbying against him for his bona fide opinions.
It was reported how he urged PM Modi to shut down Madrasas by claiming that they are a breeding ground for terrorists. This angered a few radical Muslims who then proceeded to put a Rs 10 lakh bounty on his head for his statement.
Rizvi has been critical of ‘extremist’ Sunnis and has claimed in the past that they are propagating radicalism in India. Recently, in a video, he had criticised fundamentalists for trying to spread radicalism in India and had added that Muslims who keep beard without a moustache are fundamentalists. In yet another statement he had called out on Muslims eating beef and stated that killing of cows is ‘haram’ (forbidden) in Islam and it should stop.
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