Muslim voters told to reject all political parties

[bulbul]

Muslim religious leaders on Monday told Muslim voters to reject all political parties in the ongoing assembly elections, accusing politicians of using the community as a vote bank. "We appeal to Muslims not to vote for the so-called secular parties and exercise the 'NOTA' option to express their anger and anguish against all political groups," Mufti Ishtiaq Hussain Qadri told a gathering of over 1,000 religious heads of Islamic institutions here.

Muslims are not going to lose anything by exercising the NOTA option. It will be a loss to the so-called secular parties who always exploit Muslims for their political objectives. "Minorities are remembered only at the time of elections."

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/muslim-voters-told-to-reject-all-political-parties/436128-80.html Brave words :hatsoff:

[randomGuy]

:hatsoff: Would be a great thing for indian politics if people were to do what he is asking for.

[hhunaeh]

I would :hatsoff: if people tell such religious leaders who tell them whom to vote for and whom not to vote for to go fvck themselves.

[bulbul]

I don't remember a election where Muslim leaders openly commenting like this.. This and some other comment from clerics earlier proves that Muslims were really a vote bank as many of us said before.

[randomGuy]

I don't remember a election where Muslim leaders openly commenting like this.. This and some other comment from clerics earlier proves that Muslims were really a vote bank as many of us said before.

I pondered over the scenario of a muslim cleric telling his followers to vote on candidate's merit but given tht there's so much appeasement in our politics, using NOTA seems the best practical option for Muslims. so :hatsoff: to the cleric for coming up with the idea.

[Ghost Buster]

I would :hatsoff: if people tell such religious leaders who tell them whom to vote for and whom not to vote for to go fvck themselves.

This

[panther]

Voting in a country which is secular by constitution is haram, mufti saab should have gone one better and told everyone to abstain from voting.

[Stuge]

Voting in a country which is secular by constitution is haram' date=' mufti saab should have gone one better and told everyone to abstain from voting.[/quote'] :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[Mariyam]

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/muslim-voters-told-to-reject-all-political-parties/436128-80.html Brave words :hatsoff:

Why are they brave words? A religious leaders has no business telling people which way to vote , or in this case not vote, in the first place. Its stuff these 'leaders' do to stay relevant. Random sound bytes means a few moments of glory. And these sound bytes are picked up by those in the political establishment and the opposition and trumpeted as some kind of Universal truism. Have you even heard of this particular Mufti before? I'd barely heard of him, though I admit my knowledge of Barelvi religious leaders is very poor.

I don't remember a election where Muslim leaders openly commenting like this.. This and some other comment from clerics earlier proves that Muslims were really a vote bank as many of us said before.

How does it prove that?

[randomGuy]

All muslims clerics call for using NOTA for an election will result in - No appeasement politics for that election, more religious harmony in society (and perhaps will result in paradigm shift in indian politics for future as well)

[Mariyam]

All muslims clerics call for using NOTA for an election will result in - No appeasement politics for that election' date=' more religious harmony in society (and perhaps will result in paradigm shift in indian politics for future as well)[/quote'] Why not then just dis-enfranchise them evil, disharmonious (if that's even a word) perennially appeasement seeking Muslims? Why bother with the whole NOTA option? A great step forward for progressive anti-appeasement politics that would be. Religious disharmony in our country has very little to do with who votes which way. Some religious leader telling his followers which way to vote (or not vote) is wrong. If you condone a mufti telling his followers to exercise the NOTA, you should be okay with a Mufti telling his gathering to vote for a certain party. Otherwise, there is a very obvious double standard.

[bulbul]

^Plz read the reason clerics gave, Madam. Sorry to disspoint you,we are not as bad as you think...

[Mariyam]

^Plz read the reason clerics gave, Madam. Sorry to disspoint you,we are not as bad as you think...

I've read the 'reasons'. I even responded to you some posts ago, only to not get any (coherent) response. Do you think a person telling others which way to vote or not vote solely on the basis of his or her religion strengthens a democracy? From the very article you've posted

He said NOTA was the "best weapon" in the hands of minorities. "We must utilise it." Mufti Istiaq said Muslims remained socially, economically and educationally backward despite decades of Congress rule. The Bharatiya Janata Party too pursued a policy of alienating Muslims, he said.

So not voting is going to improve the lot of the Muslims whose cause he claims to champion? What is anyone going to achieve by exercising the NOTA? yes, you make a statement. But you're stuck in the same situation as you were before. Not solving anything. As a matter of principle, is a vote a 'weapon'? PS: You are much worse. You are a fan of the bankrupt bewdas. :whack:

[bulbul]

Poor clerics,they dont have any option left.. If they said vote BJP then they will get stoned.... So next best option is to say vote NOTA end of day reason they gave is reasonable though....may be because i am "communal i may feel like ...who knows.. Sorry if "seculars" feel otherwise.. PS : main reason i was mentioning is they spoke about "Votebak" politics which was a tabooo in ICF..

[Mariyam]

Poor clerics,they dont have any option left.. If they said vote BJP then they will get stoned.... So next best option is to say vote NOTA end of day reason they gave is reasonable though....may be because i am "communal i may feel like ...who knows.. Sorry if "seculars" feel otherwise..

I've never called you communal. Why do you keep invoking that when you reply to me? As if insinuating that I've been calling you someone with a communal mindset all along. If you feel that you are communal or Rajnikant or a watermelon just put that under your username and save yourself the trouble of having to repeat that every time. On topic: There have been some clerics who've said vote the BJP. Haven't heard of them being stoned, although I'm not exactly sure which 'stoned' you refer to here. There have been many who said vote Congress. And now there is one who said choose the NOTA. Since you mention the reason; The cleric said (his words)" that being used as a vote bank by the so called secular parties has left the community backward etc etc" Fair point. He's not lying either. He's re-iterating what we all know to some extent as a problem area. But pray tell me how will choosing for the NOTA alleviate the said problems? Is this an attempt to solve a problem or just an attempt to get some mileage by getting a few seconds of soundbytes? And the larger question still remains. Should people be voting on the lines of their religion or on the basis of what their cleric/mufti says? Is that the way to strengthen democratic foundations?

[randomGuy]

Why not then just dis-enfranchise them evil' date=' disharmonious (if that's even a word) perennially appeasement seeking Muslims? Why bother with the whole NOTA option? A great step forward for progressive anti-appeasement politics that would be. [/quote'] Leave aside whether it right or wrong for a moment, can a cleric make law in parliament to dis-enfranchise Muslims?:winky: It does create disharmony in different ways. For ex., Parties have an incentive(votes) to manufacture animosity. Thats true in an ideal world. We do not live in an ideal world.

[bulbul]

@ Mariam, Where did i told people vote based on what clerics preach? all i said was clerics are waking up to this vote bank policies and trying to send message to masses who comes to listen to them. At least they are not asking people to follow Taliban. People are free to vote whomever they want,only dumb and fanatics vote based on what others say. Take your own example - you always preach how great SRK and his movies are, eventhough i read all your words in wonder , i never even go anywhere near to cinema where SRK movie is played. Same way people can ignore what clerics say and vote for whomever they want. If i remember correctly there is a thread in ICF about NOTA , many people are agreed with option ,so now if a cleric said that why it will become an attempt to get mileage? Maintaining democracy and all are fine but eradicating this Vote bank politics is first step toward improving our democracy , if it through NOTA or POTA so be it , some start has to be done somewhere. PS : regarding "stoned" word that's my lame attempt at using exotic words like how you use,looks like a spectacular failure

[The Outsider]

So if a Muslim vote bank exists all Muslims will vote for NOTA based on the above cleric's fatwa.

[asterix]

What ij Fatwa? Is something similar prevalent in other great religions too? Why do fatwas are issued and is it followed by the followers?

[randomGuy]

So if a Muslim vote bank exists all Muslims will vote for NOTA based on the above cleric's fatwa.

all other clerics should take a cue frm this cleric.