Muslims targeted for their religious beliefs and way of living: Omar Abdullah

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah spoke out over a variety of issues including ban on hijab, loudspeakers in mosques and halal meat.

Speaking to media persons in Srinagar on Wednesday (April 27), Abdullah said that Muslims were being intimidated and made to bend for their religious beliefs and their way of living. “Why shouldn’t we use loud-speakers at mosques? If other religious places have a right to use it, why not mosques,” he asked, referring to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray’s recent speech where he said he would counter azaan from loudspeakers atop mosques with Hanuman Chalisa. Abdullah said Muslims never said anything about using loud-speakers at any other religious place.

Also read: Jahangirpuri tries to rebuild bulldozed trust

“You get rattled by our religion. You don’t like the way we dress, the way we pray. You don’t have problem with anyone else,” he added.

Communal clashes were reported in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh between Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti this year, purportedly over processions, loud music and rallies that passed through Muslim-dominated areas.

About the halal meat controversy raging in Karnataka, the former J&K chief minister said. “Why do you tell us not to sell halal meat? Our religion asks us to eat halal meat. Has any Muslim forced you to eat halal? You eat the way you like to eat and we do the way we like,” he said.

Abdullah said the India at present is not the one that Jammu and Kashmir had thought of. He said the people of J&K would have reconsidered their decision had they known that religious rights of Muslims “will not be protected” in this country. “When we decided to accede to India, we acceded to a country where every religion would be treated equally. We were not told that one religion will get preferential treatment over others,” he said.