Singing national anthem un-Islamic, say UP clerics after Adityanath order
Muslim clerics have protested the UP government's notification on singing the national anthem in madrassas on I-Day. They have urged community members to "mark the day as patriots, but refrain from singing the anthem or record videos as they are against Islam". Bareilly shehr qazi Maulana Asjad Raza Khan says madrassa managers should instead hoist the tricolor and sing 'Saare Jahaan Se Achcha'.
What did the directive say?
According to UP teachers, the government issuing such directives is nothing new, but the Yogi Adityanath administration has turned it up a notch: it has asked for video recordings of events. According to the notification, madrassas have to hoist the flag, sing the anthem and patriotic songs, and pay tribute to freedom fighters. If they don't, government aid will be withdrawn, it has warned.
Withdraw order or we will defy diktat: Muslim clerics
But clerics aren't convinced. "Tagore wrote the anthem in praise of then-British King George V. According to Islam, our 'adhinayak' is god, not George," Khan says. Khan quoted Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, who earlier suggested the part be replaced by "jan gan man mangal gaye". Pilibhit shehr mufti Maulana Jartab Raza Khan urged Adityanath to withdraw the order, or Muslims will defy the diktat.
