BAREILLY: All India Muslim Jamaat president and chief of Darul Ifta (the body issuing fatwas), Mufti Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, issued a fatwa against Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijay, president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, on Wednesday, claiming that the actor was anti-Muslim.
In the Fatwa, the cleric mentioned that Vijay had been anti-Muslim on several occasions in the past. “In his film ‘Beast’, Thalapaty showed the Muslim community in a bad light by linking it with terrorism and extremism. In that film, Muslims were shown as demons,” said the cleric while urging the Muslims of Tamil Nadu to keep a safe distance from the Tamil actor.
While talking to media persons in Bareilly, the cleric said that Thalapty was playing with the sentiments of Muslims to consolidate his position in politics after forming TVK. “However, he has a history full of anti-Muslim stances,” said Razvi.
The Maulana cited the Iftar Party held by the actor on March 9, claiming that he had invited individuals involved in activities which were deemed to be against the tenets of Islam.
“He had invited people who were engaged gambling, liquor consumption and were vandals who neither observed Roza nor were they associated with Islamic traditions. Inviting such people was a sin as per the Islamic teachings. The Sunni sect of Tamil Nadu had complained about such an Iftar Party,” said the cleric.
"Due to all this, Sunni Muslims of Tamil Nadu are angry with him. They asked for a fatwa. So, in my answer, I have issued a fatwa mentioning that Muslims should not stand with Vijay," he added.
In the Fatwa, the Muslims of Tamil Nadu have been urged not to believe a person like Vijay and that he should not be invited to the events organised by Muslims.
An FIR was lodged against the actor-turned-politician in Chennai on March 12 for allegedly insulting the Muslim community.
As per the media reports, the actor had observed Roza for a day before organising an Iftar Party on March 9 and his pictures had gone viral on social media.
The Tamil Nadu Sunnat Jamat had moved a complaint against Vijay in the office of the Chennai police commissioner, alleging that he had hurt the Muslim sentiments at his Iftar Party.
However, Vijay’s gesture to host an Iftar Party and challenging the recently passed Waqf Amendment Bill in the Supreme Court is being witnessed as an attempt to consolidate his political bearing among the Muslims.
Vijay had launched his political party on February 2, 2024 and the Election Commission of India had recognised his party on September 8, 2024.