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NEW DELHI: The Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said on Thursday he had invited Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his son’s anointment as the next chief cleric, and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said he had also invited four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including two ministers.
“We have invited the prime minister of Pakistan as we have had relations with him since my father’s time, unlike Mr Modi, whom we have not invited,” Mr Bukhari remarked.
The anointment of Mr Bukhari’s son, 19-year-old Shaban, will take place on Nov 22. The guests have been invited for a special dinner on Nov 29.
“Modi has not done anything for Indian Muslims even after coming to power. Indian Muslims have not forgiven him for the 2002 Gujarat riots,” he said, referring to the communal clashes in which around 1,000 Muslims were killed.
“Modi has not even apologised (for the riots) and reached out to the Muslims,” he added.
“We have also invited Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi along with (Indian) Vice President Hamid Ansari,” Mr Bukhari added.
—By arrangement with the Times of India
Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2014
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Comments (37) Closed
Oct 31, 2014 09:26am
Muslims are core issue to every society
No one takes Imam serious, he is corrupt to the core
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Oct 31, 2014 09:44am
He is just a politician. Dont represent all Indian Muslims. Why his son to be anointed, is it his kingdom?
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Oct 31, 2014 09:44am
Muslims don't like Modi but country need him. What i honestly believe is Muslims are patriotic but comes to choosing religion or country, they choose religion which is a mistake. First comes a nation and then everything. Why because, if you convert from one religion to another, your religious identity will be changed but identity as an "Indian" is permanent. Muslims worldwide should vote for a leader who has more nationalism. Modi is 1000 times better than Sonia in this matter.
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Oct 31, 2014 09:47am
Nawaz is invited because he had killed lot more Pakistanis than any Indian has. He is a true friend of India and therefore the patriotic and Indian nationalist Imam has invited him.
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Oct 31, 2014 10:00am
A good and clear read:
Behind India’s Pakistan quandary http://bit.ly/1wJZgyI
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Oct 31, 2014 10:03am
Good not invited. There are more important things than these religious time pass.
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Oct 31, 2014 10:03am
Inviting nawaz is not fair.While pakistan passed Anti India resolution,how can he invite him .
Indian muslims decided to leave in india long back. Now modi is prime minister of India represent 1.25 billion people.
It is not good for involving to foreign diplomatic relations. Supreme court has gave a clean chit to Narendra modi.
We decided to concentrate on economic development.
These bukharis are using religion for political purposes in the country.
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Oct 31, 2014 10:21am
Its his personal choice to whom he invites or not. If He thinks that Modi couldnt control Post Godhra riots for 3-4 days then he is right, and he is free to not to invite. We should also hope that Godhra rioters who initiated the riots too will not be invited.
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Oct 31, 2014 10:33am
Those who know modi closely say that he neither forgives nor forgets.
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Oct 31, 2014 10:39am
He is a congress stooge acting at the behest of sonia Gandhi to provoke modi but modi is too shrewd to pay attention to such acts.
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Oct 31, 2014 10:47am
Doesn't matter, perheps he wanted to live in controversy. In the election 2014 he openly favor congress. As far as developement of muslim. government will never favor anybody in the name of religion. "Sabaka saath, Sabaka vikash" . Does muslim are not include in sab(all). These muslim leader has lost common muslims faith.
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Oct 31, 2014 10:51am
Muslims demands equal rights where they are in minority and deny it where they are in majority.
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Oct 31, 2014 11:16am
This is what minority can do in India. They can even snub PM of their country.
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Oct 31, 2014 11:24am
Before elections he has also asked Indian Muslims to vote for Congress and SP. The entire world knows what happened later!!! Few leaders think that they are the owners of the community. Indian Muslims have moved far ahead of these insular bigotry ideologies. You have full freedom to think what you may like but people know better. So Indian Muslims do not need your certificate to believe in Modi. Ever since Modi has been elected, he has not created any policy which will adversely affect any group. On the other hand he is taking lot of initiatives on economic front which will definitely impact both minority & majority in a positive way...
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Oct 31, 2014 11:31am
Is the great historic Jama Masjid his personal fiefdom ? What was the criteria for selection of a 19 year old lad for which any cleric would give his arm for ?
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Oct 31, 2014 11:44am
Can a Hindu religious leader in Pakistan invite Modi to a religious function and not invite PM of Pakistan?
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Oct 31, 2014 11:49am
Good that PM Modi is not invited... A law should be implemented to pack these people out of the country to other countries where they want to live... There are still lot of people in our country who wants to live in Pakistan... Let them go where ever they want so that we can live in peace.. Imam is enjoying the life in our country, eating the food in our country but his love is for another country and leaders... He should show the guts to leave India and live with the people whom he wants to be with...
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Oct 31, 2014 11:54am
@Akbaruddin
who cares
Cogress government always has pampared them for votes
Modi works for 125 crore indians
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Oct 31, 2014 12:13pm
He thought Modi is too big for the event, hr invited small BJB leaders and Nawaz Sharif
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Oct 31, 2014 12:16pm
First of all selecting his own son is against Islamic law. Jama maszid was built by Shahzahan, who was from Samarkand, present day in Uzbekistan. He asked his trusted lituents to be Imam of Zama maszid. One family was ready to be IMAM with the condition that Imam will always be from his family. Shahzahn accepted the condition but later realized the mistake. anyway I dont think Muslim in India treat him as a supreme leader like Ayotallah or Pope..
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Oct 31, 2014 12:20pm
@Akbaruddin
something that is missing in yr country
Infact in pakistan population of minorities is shrinking
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Oct 31, 2014 12:23pm
Modi has been invited to run the country by 1.25 crore peple of india. He doesnt need individual invite ...
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Oct 31, 2014 12:29pm
“Modi has not done anything for Indian Muslims even after coming to power. Indian Muslims have not forgiven him for the 2002 Gujarat riots,”
Well Modi has done everything for all the Indians and not a specific community. If you consider "doing something" means pampering your community then you are hugely mistaking. By the way keep on crying on the graves of 2002 while others take a leap towards progress.
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Oct 31, 2014 12:31pm
In 2014 elections Imam Bukhari had appealed to vote for Congress but no one took him seriously & with this attitude he can not develop Muslim community. That is the reason no one take him seriously in India.
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Oct 31, 2014 12:46pm
If the invitation is real it would be prudent for Nawaz to politely decline.
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Oct 31, 2014 01:02pm
Why should NM be apologetic and follow the policy of appeasement of Muslims (or any other religion). Does he not have a mandate to generate policies for India's betterment than that of any religious group. Fail to understand why most political parties are busy in appeasing Muslims in India. Doesn't that make them more fundamentalist than BJP/RSS? Indian Muslims like the Imam here should stop being manipulated by appeasement politics - and one moment stop being cry babies and work shoulder to shoulder with (good) Indians, towards national progress.
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Oct 31, 2014 01:22pm
@Lefty : small correction , not equal but : "special""
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Oct 31, 2014 01:47pm
This Imam would do more damage to its own community. He is being seen as anti Indian..
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Oct 31, 2014 01:58pm
Imam Bukhari is not taken seriously even by Muslims in India. His political ambitions in Congress were hilarious where even locals around Jama Masjid, mostly Muslims, did not pay heed to his campaigns. Maligning Modi and projecting his as anti-Muslim was Congress agenda that did not work much with Muslims. Over 70% educated Muslims voted for him. The only areas where Congress's ambitions were achieved were mostly in lesser educated rural areas where Muslims are mostly ignorant and give in to what maulavis say. Even Modi's Gujarat accusations turned out to be false SC cleared him post forensic and intelligence investigations. Congress, with the entire govt. machinery for 10 years could not harm him after facts came out clear. I dont think Modi is anti-Muslim or anti anyone. Muslims in BJP ruled states are ways ahead of Muslims in other states. The problem with Modi is his straight forwardness up to the point of sternness in administration and o tolerance towards any terrorist activities which is a good thing for both India and Pakistan.
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Oct 31, 2014 01:59pm
Of course, it is expected from this so called Imam of Jama Maszid. We are not surprised at all. But the only unfortunate thing is, People like these who incite hate are IMAM's of Mazid's.
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Oct 31, 2014 02:11pm
One thing I don't understand is what is this 'shahi' business? Last time I checked India was a democratic country. Kings, Badshahs and Shahs were made redundant long time back by Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel!
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Oct 31, 2014 02:29pm
Right step by right person Imam saheb. Modi deserve isolation from Muslims. That is not enough if Modi invites any Muslims in his function apart from National event Muslims should refused to attend the event hosted by Modi.
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Oct 31, 2014 02:31pm
@Akbaruddin This minority had voted too for Modi in 2014.
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Oct 31, 2014 03:37pm
Are you guys sure it is not a prank by Bukhari? Otherwise it would be really embarassing for Nawaz.
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Nov 01, 2014 06:32am
Hope Pakistani minorities can come on the prime channel and debate like this..
http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/prime-time/prime-time-the-controversy-around-jama-masjid-s-imam/343355?hphin
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Nov 01, 2014 07:22am
If someone is interested to know what Indian Muslim has to say on this issue, please google for Mohd Asim on this issue, you would get a glimpse.
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Nov 01, 2014 07:24am
@Akbaruddin
Imam Bukhari may have some delusions about his status and title, but let's be clear that the title of Shahi Imam doesn't mean anything today.
When Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the majestic Jama Masjid in 1650s in Delhi (then Shahjehanabad), he asked the rulers of Bukhara (Uzbekistan) to send an Imam for the grand mosque. Maulana Adbul Gafoor Shah Bukhari was deputed. Shahjahan bestowed on him the title of Shahi Imam ("Shah" means king and "imam" is the one who leads prayers in a mosque. So Shahi imam means an imam appointed by the king.)
Since then, his offsprings have been Shahi Imams of the Jama Masjid as a matter of inheritance. After the end of Mughal rule, they have simply bestowed this title on themselves. The government of India never created or sanctioned this title, and rightly so.
Our present Imam Bukhari calls himself Shahi Imam because he thinks of himself as that, not out of any statutory sanction. For his son's anointment, he is trying to get some legitimacy by inviting political and religious leaders from many countries. His aim is to create a spectacle and wider acceptability. We must deny him that.
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