Religious leaders slam Swamy for mosque remark

Muslim Personal Law Board has criticised Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy for his recent statement that mosque is not a religious place and can be demolished any time, saying it was intended to divert people's attention from "failures" of the Centre.

"We don't agree with the statement. Like in other religions, a mosque is a religious place. In our country there was Islamic rule for 800 years but none of the rulers demolished any mosque," All India Muslim Personal Law Board general secretary Maulana Nizamuddin said.

"Had it not been a religious place, there would have been examples of its demolition in the pages history," he told PTI.

Swamy had reportedly said that mosques and churches are mere "buildings" to offer prayers. "So there is no problem in demolishing them. They demolish mosques even in Saudi Arabia," he had said.

Swamy also said that only temples are the places where God lives.

Nizamuddin said that in Saudi Arabia, rulers used to construct new mosques in case there was need to demolish any of them due to some compulsion.

"Saudi Arab has its own rule. If Swamy had to follow it, he should implement its rules here. Everyone in the world knows that they cut hands in theft cases and behead persons involved in murder and corruption cases," he said.

"The reality is that the statement was given to divert people's attention from Centre's failures, he said.

Maulana Yasoob Abbas of All India Shia Personal Law Board also objected to the statement and said mosques were not normal buildings but Allah's adobe, which cannot be demolished at any cost.

"Where there is a mosque, it should be allowed to exist there," he said.

Image: Members of All Assam Muslim Yuba Parishad during a protest against BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in Dibrugarh on Saturday. Photograph: PTI