A day after controversy erupted over his remarks on the meaning of “jihad”, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani on Tuesday clarified that he takes responsibility for any confusion caused by his statement, asserting that his words were misunderstood outside their full context.
The Jamiat President, while speaking earlier during the National Governing Body meeting in Bhopal, regarding the term “jihad, he said that “Enemies of Islam and Muslims have made ‘jihad’ a synonym of abuse, conflict and violence. Terms like Love jihad, Land jihad, ‘Taleem’ Jihad, ‘Thook’ Jihad are used to insult the faith of Muslims. Unfortunately, responsible people in government and media feel no shame in using such terms.”
Today, speaking exclusively to ANI, Madani said that while his intention was to highlight the “pious” and historical meaning of the term, he accepted that he “could not fulfil the responsibility” of ensuring his words were not misinterpreted.
“It is correct that some confusion has been created, but if you see it in context, then you won’t misunderstand it. To make sure that no misunderstanding happens was my responsibility, and I could not fulfil that responsibility; you can blame me for that,” Madani said.
“But if you hear my full statement, then three statements have been said. One is that in India, Jihad has multiple meanings…The biggest jihad is to have a clear vision of your aim and work on yourself. If there is injustice, raise your voice against it; this is also jihad,” he added.
Clarifying further, Madani alleged that the Centre and state governments have contributed to a negative association with the word “jihad,” even though its actual meaning is rooted in righteousness and resistance against wrongdoing.
-TIN Bureau