Veteran actor and director Naseeruddin Shah has recently called out a “section of Indian Muslims celebrating the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan”, and called it threatening instead. In a recent video recorded in Urdu, the actor drew distinctions between ‘Hindustani Islam’ and what is practiced in other parts of the world.
Naseeruddin Shah’s words
“Even as the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan is a cause for concern for the whole world, celebrations of the barbarians by some sections of Indian Muslims is no less dangerous,” Naseeruddin Shah said in a video shared on social media. Shah further went on to say that the ones who are rejoicing on the revival of Taliban, should ask themselves, “if they want a reformed, modern Islam (jiddat pasandi modernity), or live with the old barbarism (vaishipan) of the past few centuries.”
The distinction between “Hindustani Islam” and the rest
Moreover, Naseeruddin Shah went on to differentiate in between what he called “Hindustani Islam” and what is practiced in other different parts of the world. He added, “May God not bring a time when it changes so much that we cannot even recognise it.” He mentioned his own personal relationship with God, and that he doesn’t need political religion. “I am an Indian Muslim and as Mirza Ghalib said years ago, my relationship with God is informal. I don’t need political religion,” he said.
Taliban’s return to power
Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan on August 15, as the United States was in the middle of withdrawing from the country after seizing control from government forces across the country.
