Malick Asghar Hashmi/New Delhi

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said that Islam and fatwas have become political tools in the hands of politicians. He said, often violence arises out of fear and people become enemies of those whom they do not know.

Arif Mohammad Khan was speaking at a function organized to mark 75 years of the publication of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's mouthpiece Panchjanya in the capital on Sunday.

Panchjanya editor Hitesh Shankar who was moderating a question-answer session with Khan quoted the recent interview of RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat on the Hindu-Muslim equations.

Bhagwat had asked Muslims to give up their boisterous talk of 'religious superiority’ while assuring Muslims that there is no threat to Islam and its followers in India. Hitesh Shankar asked Arif Mohammad Khan whether Maulvis and Ulema are responsible for instilling a sense of 'superiority' in the minds of Muslims.

 Arif Mohammad Khan quoted Islamic 'Kaul' (Sayings) and said, "Violence is born out of fear. People become enemies even of those whom they do not know." Taking a dig, he said that after the Prophet, Islam and fatwas were politicized. “Islamic history shows that fatwas were given to weaken the opponents,” he said.

He claimed that due to the politicization of the fatwa, the first fatwa of blasphemy was given against Hazrat Maula Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad. “Fatwas of Kufr are issued to stop those who do good deeds. Fatwas have also been issued against me several times.”

 He said that earlier the situation was worse. Fatwa of blasphemy was given even for speaking good Hindi. At the time of the elections, he used to speak in chaste Hindi in his speeches. Hindu women performed his aarti as a gesture of grand welcome.

He said he had faced fatwas even against such things in the past.

Taking a dig at those who issue fatwas, he said, Maulana Shibli used to say that the doors of heaven would open only for those against whom two or four fatwas have been issued.  He attributed the effort to inculcate a sense of superiority among Muslims more to politicians than ulemas and clergy.

Terming the politicians as 'the middlemen', he said that Prophet Muhammad had come into the world only to eliminate 'middlemen'.

Khan also blamed a section of Sufi exponents for misusing the term “kufr” to score over their rivals.

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Arif Mohammad Khan also recalled his 30 years old relationship with Panchjanya on this occasion.