Actor Naseeruddin Shah’s ex-army man brother, Zameer Uddin Shah has come under the attack of Islamists for suggesting a dialogue between Hindus and Muslims as the only solution to foster amity between the two communities.
A Twitter user named Muslim Spaces was the first to criticise the veteran actor’s brother, sharing an article he wrote for The Indian Express in August last year, titled: “Why Mohan Bhagat’s appeal for Hindu-Muslim communication is a step in the right path.”
This is what Zameeruddin Shah had to say. @zoomshah is brother of Naseeruddin Shah and father of @sairashahhalim. pic.twitter.com/FzkgJ497mu
— Muslim Spaces (@MuslimSpaces) January 19, 2022
Soon many Islamists followed suit. They chastised the ex-army personnel, claiming that his “monkey balancing” attempt would only get him so far.
Sir, this monkey-balancing might be getting pretty tough seeing what is going on all across the country….no?
— Mir Ahmed (@Myaa0) January 20, 2022
This monkey balancing & playing both-sideism attitude only causes more & more harm to already persecuted Muslim community who are receiving genocidal threats from system backed #Hindutva terrorists.
— Shaikh Mohd Asad اسعد (@imAsadShaikh) January 19, 2022
You can’t find the hard-liners in a community which is on the verge of genocide. https://t.co/CFyErWkWh0
In the article, Zameer Uddin Shah had weighed in on RSS chief Mohan Bhagat’s address at the Mewar Institute in Ghaziabad on July 4 during the Muslim Rashtriya Manch’s launch of Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed’s book, The Meeting of Minds – A Bridging Initiative. While analysing Bhagat’s speech, he had stated how he, too, is a supporter of Hindu-Muslim dialogue to promote peace between the two communities.
This old article by Zameer Uddin Shah did not go down well with several Islamists on Twitter, who brought up the year-old article to attack a respected member of their own community. Probably, talking about peace and reforms within the religion is not being a true Islamist for the Islamists.
Replying to Muslim Spaces, Zameer Uddin Shah Tweeted on Wednesday: “I firmly believe that only continuous dialogue between Hindus and Muslims is the key to amity and progress . There are unfortunately, hard liners on both sides, but more encouraging is the growing tribe of sensible people who abhor bigotry.”
I firmly believe that only continuous dialogue between Hindus and Muslims is the key to amity and progress . There are unfortunately, hard liners on both sides, but more encouraging is the growing tribe of sensible people who abhor bigotry. https://t.co/2Xzrc14QvG
— Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Veteran) (@zoomshah) January 19, 2022
In response to Zameer Uddin Shah’s Tweet, Muslim spaces shared a screenshot of another article of that of the ex-army man published on October 11, 2019, wherein Shah, who is also the former AMU Vice-Chancellor opined that the “Muslims should handover the Ayodhya land to the Hindus for lasting peace.”
Zameer Uddin Shah again took to Twitter to justify his stance. He wrote: “I had good reasons for saying so. I was aware that Judges seldom go against public opinion and was sure what the Ayodhya verdict would be. We would not have regained the mosque but not have been losers. We have,now, not only lost the case but are all round losers.”
I had good reasons for saying so. I was aware that Judges seldom go against public opinion and was sure what the Ayodhya verdict would be. We would not have regained the mosque but not have been losers. We have,now, not only lost the case but are all round losers. https://t.co/XVj5W4PcNC
— Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Veteran) (@zoomshah) January 19, 2022
Islamists take offence against suggestions made by Naseeruddin Shah’s brother, asks him to stop ‘monkey balancing’
Since yesterday, Zameer Uddin Shah has been responding to many such radical Islamists, who in their long-established, deep-seated hate for Hindus, have taken serious offence to his suggestions.
Fond hope. You are aware how surcharged emotions are. https://t.co/7yPJIOS5fl
— Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Veteran) (@zoomshah) January 20, 2022
Suggest alternatives. Dogmatic stubbornness and with-drawing into a shell will only exasperate matters. https://t.co/c4Fg7HP2M3
— Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Veteran) (@zoomshah) January 20, 2022
Despite all this I have not lost hope @MyaaO https://t.co/FF85Sg1evF
— Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Veteran) (@zoomshah) January 20, 2022
That is not my experience. There are sensible, understanding people in all organisations. What other alternative do you have? Will you withdraw into a sulk? Little can be achieved by that. Engage- even with people who you perceive adversarial, without compromising basic tenets. https://t.co/QcOmUVn02q
— Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Veteran) (@zoomshah) January 19, 2022
Interestingly, the radical Islamists who are today in conjunction bad-mouthing Naseeruddin Shah’s brother for suggesting something that goes against their extremist ideology had not said a word when he had blatantly lied about the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat to rebuke the then Gujarat government, led by Narendra Modi.
Charges by Zameer Uddin Shah on delayed Army deployment during 2002 Gujarat riots don’t hold water
On October 6, 2018, some excerpts from Lt. General (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah’s upcoming book “The Sarkari Mussalman” was published, claiming that when riots erupted in Gujarat in February 2002, following the carnage of the Sabarmati Express train, in which pilgrims returning from Ayodhya were burned alive, the Gujarat government, led by Narendra Modi, failed to provide immediate transport to the Army, which delayed Army deployment in the riot-affected state.
He claimed that had the Modi government would have provided necessary logistical support, the damage and loss to life would have been contained.
Following the publication of this news, it was widely shared by people over social media. The truth, however, seemed far from these claims. OpIndia had then reported how Lt. General (Retd.)’s claims were absolutely baseless and unwarranted.
