This kind of initiative is heading West.
“Maharashtra: Muslim organisations want special law to punish ‘insults’ against Muhammad, even when 295(a) was brought for the same reason,” OpIndia, July 7, 2021:
Muslim religious groups like Raza Academy and Tahaffuz Namoos-e-Risalat Board and Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) have reportedly been pressurised the Maharashtra state government to introduce ‘Prophet Muhammad Bill’. The aim is to bring an act to stop blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad and religious figures of all religions.
As per a report in the Times of India, though the bill is promoted as the ‘Prophet Muhammad Bill’, the draft bill prepared and submitted to the government has been titled ‘Prophet Muhammad and Other Religious Heads Prohibition of Slander Act, 2021’ or ‘Hate Speech (Prevention) Act, 2021’.
Influential Muslim organisation Raza Academy has shared that they want the “Tahffuz e Namoos e Risaalat Bill passed in the assembly or they will launch nationwide protests.
Maulana Moin Ashraf Qadri (Moin Mian), president of All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema, said, “It is our suggestion, but the government can name whatever it chooses to. Our demand is that there should be a strong law to stop vilification, mocking and insult to our holy prophet and all deities and religious heads. Communal clashes have happened because the existing law against hate speech is insufficient to stop miscreants.”
Section 295(a) and the case of ‘Rangeela Rasool’
Though there is no law against blasphemy in India, there is a law that provides the provision of imprisonment and a fine against those who deliberately hurt the religious sentiments of anyone. Section 295(a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has the provision of fine and imprisonment up to 3 years if the accused has hurt religious sentiments “with deliberate and malicious intention”.
The history of Section 295(a) is fascinating. It all began in 1923 when Muslims published two highly offensive books titled “Krishna teri geeta jalani padegi” with derogatory and vulgar language against Shri Krishna and other Hindu deities and “Uniseevi sadi ka maharshi” which contained derogatory remarks on Arya Samaj founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati (incidentally written by an Ahmadi). At that time, 295(a) did not exist.
As a response to the two books Pandit Chamupati Lal, a close friend of Mahashay Rajpal, wrote a short biography of the Islamic Prophet, Mohammed. Titled “Rangeela Rasool”, this short pamphlet was a satirical take on the domestic life of Mohammed. Because of the sensitive nature of the pamphlet, Pandit Chamupati made Mahashay Rajpal promise that he would never reveal the name of the author.
The pamphlet was historically accurate and based on hadiths, but it caused an obvious outrage among the Muslims in Lahore. The first edition sold out quickly, however a mere one month after the publication of the pamphlet, in June 1924, Mohandas Gandhi wrote in his weekly ‘Young India’ condemning the pamphlet, indicating that it had already become a national issue as early as June 1924.
Notably, the Lahore High Court said in a judgement that the writing was “offensive” to the Muslim community, the prosecution was not legally possible as the writing could not cause enmity or hatred between different religious communities as noted under Section 153(a) of the IPC. The Muslim outcry after the said judgement forced the then-rulers to change the law and introduce Section 295(a).
On September 6th, 1929, a 19-year-old carpenter named Ilm ud din stabbed Mahashay Rajpal on his chest eight times while he was seated in the outer verandah of his shop. Mahashay Rajpal did not survive the attack and succumbed to the injuries.
Interestingly, Ilm ud din was an illiterate teenager. He has not even read the Rangeela Rasool book, or any other book in his life. Muslim organisations and religious leaders had sparked so much hatred in the society that a clueless teenager was motivated to murder Mahashay Rajpal because he thought Rajpal had committed ‘blasphemy’.
When Ilm ud din was convicted of his crime, Urdu poet Iqbal and Jinnah had tried to plead on his behalf, hailing his act of murder as a glorious religious work.
The murderer Ilm ud din was hailed as a religious hero, was glorified as a ‘Ghazi ‘ and even has a mazar in Pakistan. In that mazar, even annual Urs is held where Muslims gather to pay homage to ‘Ghazi Ilm ud din’, celebrating the act of murder….
CogitoErgoSum says
The government should choose to name the bill the “False Prophet Muhammad Bill.”
Hindu American says
This frivolous bill will never pass. Mohammedans try this every year, where ever they are 10% or more of the state’s population. It’s all optics.
Hindus may be pacifists but are not stupid (not anymore since 1947). Mohammedans know this.
gravenimage says
I hope you re right, Hindu American.
Infidel says
You’re talking like it’s up to average Hindus. But this bill is being pushed in Maharashtra, where the Shiv Sena – once a real champion of Hindutva – has gone from being an advocate of genocidal tactics against muslims under Bal Thackeray – to being an appeasement party, all so that his son could become the chief minister of that state
Not just that, recently, the RSS chief – no less – came out w/ some inane statements, such as Indian muslims are Hindus, Hindutva is incomplete w/o muslims and talking about launching a ‘Muslim Rashtriya Manch’! Just like one has to hunt the GOP to find genuine America First people, of which only a handful are available, similarly, if one hunts the entire BJP, one will only find a handful of people who are still unapologetically anti-muslim, or who are unafraid to lose the muslim vote. Yogi, Hemanta Biswa Sharma, Tejaswi Surya and Sadhvi Pragya. Others are just waiting to take their marching orders from the RSS, which is now an unrecognizable organization
Raja says
Infidel,
It looks like the Hindu organizations have lost stream and hence blurting out nonsense. And Islamist are always waiting to latch on to any weakness in enemies’ camp whether real or absent. You see, jihad must continue and remain the goal
Keith O says
The big problem with bills like this is that no definition of blasphemy or insults are given.
So mudslimes can claim anything that shows the violence and hypocrisy of islam is “offensive” or “blasphemy”.
These bills are just another means of shutting down any criticism of islam.
Walter Sieruk says
The only real reason that so many Muslim countries actually have “Blasphemy law” enacted is because Islam is such a weak and fragile religion that it can’t stand up to or “hold up” to criticism of any kind.
No matter how mild that criticism might be.
.
Walter Sieruk says
Many Muslim nations have set up what those countries call “blasphemy laws ” because the Muslim apologists for Islam actually no valid logical reason based rational augments to defend their religion .
Therefore ,they resort to such “laws” to silence Islam’s critics.
gravenimage says
India: Muslim organizations push ‘Prophet Muhammad Bill’ to criminalize insults to Islam
……………..
Another attempt to push through Shari’ah blasphemy laws in the civilized infidel world. India just has to look at neighboring Islamic Pakistan to see what a horror these laws are.
Infidel says
Problem right now is that increasingly, the BJP is looking like the Congress party of yesteryear, while its secular opposition – including the Congress – now increasingly resembles the Muslim League
Only saving grace here is that Modi is near retirement age, and the party has strict rules that people above 75 must retire. Modi will be 74 in 2024, when the next elections are due. His first term was great, but his second term is really mediocre
Raja says
Agreed Infidel to your 8:21 pm post.
gravenimage says
Thanks for the background, Infidel and Raja.
John says
This could be Good, “The aim is to bring an act to stop blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad and religious figures of all religions.” especially this bit ” religious figures of all religions” as islam says Jesus in not the “Son of God” so therefore that in itself is Blasphemy against another Religion, So islam is in Breach of the law it wishes to have made. Satanic Filth of the world.
gravenimage says
John, this never works, because it is not Christians or other non-Muslims demanding blasphemy laws.