This country has been independent for almost seventy-five years; but if a bird's-eye view is taken of the country and its conditions, the truth will be revealed that the country is independent; but Muslims in this country are not free in any way. From 1947 to 2026, there has hardly been a moment in the history of India when Muslims have felt that they are really breathing the air of freedom here, that they have a free environment to live their lives, that a path has ever been paved for them to move forward, sometimes yes, sometimes no; rather, their freedom has always been undermined, and they have always been deprived of peace and tranquility by mischievous elements, sometimes in the name of changing Muslim Personal Law, sometimes by raising the issue of the Ram Mandir, sometimes by bringing in black laws like NRC, CAA, and Waqf Amendment Act, and sometimes by calling Islamic schools a hub of terrorism; in short, every effort has been made to deprive Muslims of their freedom and to make them second-class citizens here.
        Sectarian forces have always been on the lookout for Muslims not to progress in any field, neither in the field of education, lest they stand up against their power, might, oppression, and violence by moving forward, nor in the political field, lest they unite to end their dictatorship by progressing, and that is why the major political leaders of Muslims have always had to spend their nights in jail, and the ground has always been narrowed for their scholars, and everyone has been put in prisons on the slightest pretext.
       The way Maulana Abdullah Salim Sahib has been arrested today for an old statement cannot be called justice and fairness at all; rather, it is sheer injustice and oppression. A statement for which an official apology has been made, and for which Maulana himself has clarified many times, cannot be a legal proceeding to pick him up from a public road at gunpoint; rather, it is purely abduction under a conspiracy.
          Today, hateful statements are made against Muslims every day, literature is published, and speeches are given on a formal stage to incite people against Muslims. Who is unaware of Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma? Who does not know what kind of filthy language he uses from his political stage? What does UP's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath not say against Muslims? The Parliament, which was established to provide justice to the general public, is also seen making nonsense against Muslims. Apart from them, there are thousands of names like Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Kali Charan Maharaj, and Sakshi Maharaj, who keep giving hateful statements against Muslims every day. The demand of justice was that first of all, their noses should be reined in, their tongues should be curbed, and legal action should be taken against them and they should be put in jail; but this will never happen. This is India, where the only crime is being a Muslim. Here, if you have a beard on your face, you are a terrorist; if you have a cap on your head, you are an extremist; if you give the call to prayer, it disturbs the peace of others; but they play loudspeakers day and night and ruin your peace and tranquility, it doesn't matter.
        Today Maulana Abdullah Salim Sahib has been arrested, tomorrow it will be someone else's turn. Their aim is to make Muslims helpless in every way. At such a time, it is necessary that we stand with Maulana, raise our voices for him, and do as much as we can for him. Our leaders should also come forward and try to pursue legal recourse for Maulana and strive for his release by tearing down the veil of prejudice. I pray to Allah Almighty that Allah makes things easy and creates a way for his early release. Amen!
✍️: Muhammad Shahid Gadawi