On October 22, Hindutva leader Gautam Khattar delivered an inflammatory speech against the Muslim and Christian communities in Chattarpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Abusing the message of the Quran and the ritual of Azaan, he attacked the core concept of Tawheed, which signifies faith in the oneness of Allah. Gautam said, “You are asked to stop your Katha during Azaan and Namaz, but the chant of La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah Wa Ashhadu Alla Illaha illallah Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammadan Abduhu Wa Rasuluh is not a prayer. They (Muslims) say there is no one except Allah worthy of worship and no messenger except Muhammad.”
He accused the Muslims of stone-pelting during Ram Yatra and incited the Hindu mob to commit communal violence. “Which is why they do stone-pelting on our Yatra. Islam is an enemy of humanity”, he said.
While the doctrine of Tawheed does not instruct Muslims to hate anyone, it is a matter of faith in the oneness of Allah and love for His Messenger. It is also a part of the religious freedom rights of Indian Muslims.
Quoting another ayah from Surah At-Tawbah of the Quran, Gautam stated that Islam teaches to fight against humanity. In contrast, for Muslims, Prophet Muhammad is the utmost humane soul, and both his life and teachings are considered epitomes of faith and compassion.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.