NEW DELHI: 91 Muslims from across the country, including scholars, activists and academicians, have opposed the decision of filing a review petition in the Ayodhya dispute case, saying the petition will “harm and not help” Indian Muslims.
In a statement, they said while they share the unhappiness of Indian Muslims that the Supreme Court placed faith above law in arriving at the decision, they said the mandir-masjid dispute only helps mask the real agenda of the Sangh Parivar, which is to replace the secular-democratic republic with a Hindu Rashtra.
The signatories of the letter, which also includes lawyers, journalists, businessmen, poets, actors, filmmakers and theatre personalities, have opposed the decision of several of the Muslim litigants in the Ayodhya dispute to challenge the recent unanimous decision of a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court.
The court decided to order the land to the Hindu litigants while offering an alternative plot of five acres to the Muslim litigants.
The statement said that the continuation of the dispute in court will add fuel to anti-Muslim propaganda and Islamophobia and aid further communal polarisation.
“On the other hand, in choosing not to pursue the matter further, Muslims stand to gain the goodwill and empathy of the non-communal millions from the majority community. This will be in the best interests of the community and the country,” it said.
The signatories included activist Javed Anand and actor Shabana Azmi.