Deoband: Hundreds of women marched together in protest against the presence of the Pakistani Islamophobe Tarek Fatah in India and his hatemongering here in Deoband on Monday.

Displaying high standards of Islamic manners and maintaining a dignified silence, marchers held placards in their hands that read, “Tarek Fatah is a Pakistani agent”; “Down with Tarek Fatah”; “Tarek Fatah go back”; “Tarek Fatah is a disdained figure”; “Arrest Tarek Fatah”; “Ban Zee News”; “Stop Spreading Sectarianism”; “Arrest Tarek Fatah” and“Long Live Ganga Jamuni Culture”.

The procession walked from Mohalla Abul Barakat, a locality in the vicinity of the well-known Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, to the Police Chowki where they handed over a four-point memorandum to the deputy superintendent.

The memorandum addressed to the President of India and Prime Minister, said, “India is a secular country in the development of which all Indians, regardless of their religious backgrounds, have played an important part. The majority of its citizens believe in living peacefully and share each other’s moments of sadness and happiness.”

It went on saying, “We want to bring it in your notice, Your Excellency, that Pakistan does not like this peace, the communal amity and mutual love the people of this country have for each other and the progress this country has made. For this reason, it does not miss any opportunity to destroy peace and tranquillity here. Sadly some of our fellow countrymen have fallen prey to the ploy of that ill-wisher.

“Excellency, we, as true Muslims and true Indians, would like to bring in your notice, a weekly programme called “Fatah ka Fatwa” being broadcast on Zee TV in which a Pakistani by the name of Tarek Fatah, has been blurting out misleading and malicious statements about Islam and Muslims. There are several clips on YouTube in which he has uttered blasphemous and baseless statements about Allah, Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) which is intolerable for any Muslim. Tarek Fatah is a Pakistani and he could be an ISI agent sent to India to spread mischief.”

The memorandum urged the President and the Prime Minister of India to, “1) Cancel Tarek Fatah’s visa; 2) Bar his entry into India; 3) Order the related authorities to file a case against Zee News and its owners for recording and telecasting and continuing a programme that is spreading hatred; 4) Impose immediate ban on this programme, proscribe and destroy all the recordings of this programme so that no other channel dare allow a Pakistani to spread communal hatred in this country in future.”

The demonstration was organised by the students and staff of the madrasa (seminary), Mahad Aaisha Siddiqa Qasimul Uloomlil Banat, who were joined by hundreds of other residents of the town.

In a separate statement the head of the madrasa, Ms. Iffat Nadeem, said, “The man being given a celebrity status by Zee TV and tolerated by the Government is on record to have said that he would be happy to see India disintegrate into smaller countries. Any Indian worth his salt would be wondering to know what is behind all this tolerance shown by the authorities so far”.

Ms Iffat added, “Have all the laws and all the codes of criminal procedure of India been waived off for this man who has brazenly alleged, not once but several times, that Muslims gather in mosques on Fridays to pray for the destruction of India. What else can it be except attempting to push the country into the fire of communal hatred and pitch communities against each other.”

Ms Iffat said, “Government of India should look into the sensitivity of the issue and act immediately before it is too late and this man succeeds in his plan.”

Ms Iffat added, “There is restlessness among Muslims at this issue and following the legal procedure they have been trying to file FIRs in various parts of the country but they are being denied the right to take legal recourse. Does it mean laws are only to punish Muslims for the crimes they do not commit but to be denied justice?”

In the meanwhile, Muslims campaigning for the ban on Tarek Fatah who made several attempts to file an FIR against Zee TV and Tarek Fatah but faced hurdles, succeeded in registering one at Khurja Police Station in Bulandshahr.

The FIR No 0192 against Tarek Fatah and Zee TV said they have attempted to cause riots, disturb communal harmony in the country and hurt religious sentiments under Sections 153Aـ195A 298, 500, 505, 504 and 120B of Indian Penal Code.