On 16th February, Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Niyaz Khan stated in a social media post that Islam is originally an Arab religion and that all Indians were once Hindus. He emphasised that Indian Muslims should first see Hindus as their brothers before looking up to Arabs.
इस्लाम तो अरब का धर्म है। यहां तो सभी हिंदू थे। हिंदू से लोग मुस्लिम बनाए गए थे। इसलिए भले ही धर्म अलग अलग हों लहू तो एक है। सभी एक संस्कृति का हिस्सा रहे हैं। अगर जो मुस्लिम अरब के लोगों को आदर्श मानते हैं वे पुनर्विचार करें। सर्वप्रथम हिंदुओं को अपना भाई माने बाद में अरब को।
— NIYAZ KHAN (@saifasa) February 16, 2025
In the post on social media platform X, he wrote, “Islam is an Arab religion. Everyone here was once Hindu. People were converted from Hinduism to Islam. Therefore, even if religions are different, the blood remains the same. All have been part of the same culture. Those Muslims who consider Arabs as their ideal should reconsider. First, recognise Hindus as your brothers, and only then look towards Arabia.”
Speaking to Aaj Tak, he elaborated on his views, asserting that Islam arrived in India from Saudi Arabia. He added that the cultural roots of India remained deeply embedded in Hindu traditions. He drew parallels with nations such as Indonesia and Malaysia, highlighting how people adopted new faiths under external influence but retained genetic and cultural links to the past.
Niyaz stressed that Hindus and Muslims living in India have a common ancestry, which has been proven by genetic studies. He also commented on the tendency of some Muslims in India to prioritise Arab culture. He urged such Muslims to focus on India first. Niyaz further argued that local scholars and thinkers should be the role models for Muslims in India rather than figures from foreign lands.
He rejected any political motivations behind his statement and asserted that he was a writer and thinker who advocates unity among different communities.
