We do not believe in double standards: Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy opposes Taliban's Islamic state

People load on to buses during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan on August 22. Pic/AFP

Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD), a civil society group has said in a statement, having over 100 signatories, that it, "rejects the very idea of a theocratic state anywhere in the world. It questions the legitimacy of the ‘Islamic Emirate' the Taliban seek to impose on the war-torn, war-weary people of Afghanistan who are yearning for peace."

It comes after some leaders from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), namely Maulana Umrain Mahfuz Rahmani and Maulana Sajjad Nomani and the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, expressed what the IMSD termed as "euphoria" over Taliban's capture of power. Javed Anand, Mumbai convenor IMSD, said, "Now, even though it is a situation in rapid flux, we are hearing about how Taliban claims it has ‘changed' and will accord rights to all. Reports from the ground though say something else altogether."

Perhaps the most vital IMSD claims is the "hypocrisy and sheer opportunism displayed by some who stand in support of a secular state in a country like India where Muslims are in a minority and applaud the imposition of Shariah rule wherever they are in a majority. These are double standards."

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The teachings

The IMSD said that it respects the views of the growing tribe of Islamic scholars, religious leaders and Muslim intellectuals across the globe who argue that the very notion of an "Islamic state" is antithetical to the core teachings of Islam.

For Anand, it is the practice of the "barbaric version of Islam that has contributed significantly to the demonisation of Muslims and their faith across the globe. When the Taliban claims they are going to put in place Shariah Law, how do they interpret it? When you cut off the hand of thieves, when you stone women inside a stadium, you foster a perception of the religion. So, it is important that when people think differently or do not agree with that kind of law, they speak out."

24x7 Afghanistan Watch

The IMSD has pushed for the global community to launch what it calls a, ‘24x7 Afghanistan Watch', which holds the Taliban to its supposed claims of change and a new way of ruling. The IMSD stated that it calls upon the democratic world and the US, in particular, to open its borders to Afghans who are forced to flee. They signed off that the BJP-led Indian government must open its doors to all Afghan refugees, irrespective of religion.