Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi said that he believes in regional stability and cordial relations with neighbouring countries, but pointed out that there was no denying that the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks came from Pakistan.
Mr. Owaisi, who is president of All India Majlis-e-Ittahadul Muslimeen, was speaking at an event in Addison, the U.S.A., where a member from the audience sought to know what he thought about Pakistani Muslims.
“We believe we should have good relations with India’s neighbouring countries. But, the Mumbai terrorist attacks cannot be denied. Ajmal Kasab and the others came from Pakistan. I know a family from Nizamabad. A woman who was married only five or six days prior and had gone to Mumbai. She still had henna on her hands and was shot and killed at the VT Station,” he said.
He said Indian Muslims played a crucial role in India’s Freedom Struggle. “Those who were razakaars left the country, and those who were wafadaar (patriots) stayed back,” he said.
Mr. Owaisi touched upon the mural installed in the new Parliament building and stated that it depicts Akhand Bharat. “It has Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan,” he said, adding that it could pose a problem for the Ministry of External Affairs. In a light-hearted manner, and speaking about the inclusion of Afghanistan in the mural, Mr. Owaisi said: “The work which Uncle Sam could not do, I do not know, perhaps Uncle Modi will do.”
Mr. Owaisi raised concerns over the communal tensions in Uttarakhand, and the reported marking of Muslim establishments with a cross mark. Quoting Gregory Stanton, Mr. Owaisi drew parallels with the genocide in Rwanda.
He also drew parallels with the Germany of the 1930s and said: “If you see what is happening in India, my personal opinion is that, we are seeing Germany of 1930s where hate speeches and attacks began against the Jews. Hitler then said that movies should be made against Jews to portray them as against the German nation. The Eternal Jew was made after which attacks on Jews happened. Now you are seeing pictures like The Kerala Story, Kashmir Files, and more will be made.”
The Hyderabad parliamentarian said that the genocide of the Jews began during Kristallnacht, and then Reichstag was burnt down. “It is our wretchedness to see in 2023 in our beloved country, where our ancestors made immense sacrifices (during the Freedom Struggle), that same thing is happening what happened in the 1930s in Germany,” he said.
