Eminent Shia scholar and general secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind, Maulana Kalbe Jawad and Supreme Court Advocate Mehmood Pracha have called for a massive protest against former Shia Waqf Board chairperson Waseem Rizvi at New Delhi’s Jama Masjid after Friday prayers on 19 March 2021.
Muslims are holding protests across the country against Waseem Rizvi after he filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court demanding to delete some of the verses from the Holy Quran.
A massive protest was staged at Lucknow’s Bara Imambara on Sunday which was collectively held and led by Sunni and Shia ulama as they demanded his immediate arrest for making dubious remarks against the Quran.
Former All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Salman Nadwi, Imam of Teeley Masjid Maulana Fazley Rahmani, Supreme Court lawyer Mehmood Pracha along with others marked their presence at the protest.
While addressing the public, Maulana Kalbe Jawad said, “If any action is not taken against Rizvi, it would be considered that the government is supporting him.”
Realizing the gathering of Sunnis and Shias under one umbrella for a single cause, Maulana Salman Nadwi suggested, “Shias and Sunnis keeping their differences away must come on a single conclusion as one Ummah.” He also suggested that recitation of Quranic verses should be done all day and night during the upcoming month of Ramadan.
A memorandum was also sent to the Prime Minister, Home Minister and State Chief Minister in this regard.
Heavy security deployments were made during the protest and barricades were set up from Chhota Imambara to the Teele Wali Masjid. Police forces were designated to roofs of buildings of the area.
Rizvi’s brother accused him of saying all this under the influence of someone and said that by questioning the authenticity of the Holy Quran, he has committed a grave sin.
“He has lost his mind. He neither prays nor fasts and he has nothing to do with Islam,” Rizvi’s brother said.
Rizvi was previously externed by the Shia community over his offer to donate the land of Babri Masjid for the construction of Ram Temple in 2018.
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Ghazala Ahmad is the Delhi Correspondent for The Cognate.
