‘Gita, Shahbaz, Madrasa and the Maulana’ #Ghaziabad
By Samiullah Khan
The girl named Gita used to live in Jhandapur Sahibabad with her family, then the family later moved to a village known as Gharoli near Ghazipur in Delhi, The girl’s parents are employed in their jobs.
Near the girl’s home in Neelmani colony there is a madrasa known as Darul-uloom Amjadya Nooriya where preliminary religious education is provided to the children. Persons who are responsible for this seminary are religiously qualified people who are all the time interested and concerned for the religious education and social uplift of the people of that area.
Currently the maulana [religious teacher responsible] had been very busy working for the betterment and uplift of the local people and in this connection he had also arranged a public meeting to be held on the 28th of the month but as the space for the madrasa is very limited and the staff also is made of a small number of tutors therefore the maulana and his staff with under additional pressure of work were doing their best to cope with this demanding situation. As a temporary measure the maulana had deputed one of his most trusted and able student named Shahbaz to look after smaller children in his stead. Shahbaz is a very intelligent and capable student well-versed in Quranic recitation and singing religious hymns.
Shabaz is alleged to have raped a girl named Gita.
As the maulana is in police custody, his wife told us that this boy (Shahbaz) used to come to our home for helping us buy and bring our groceries. Whenever he came to our home he kept his gaze down and keeping to himself. In our remotest imagination we would never even thing that he would ever commit something like this and therefore I fail to believe this allegation against him. If he has done something like this then certainly he must have been guided astray by the devil. Apart from his wife’s statement about the arrested boy, the maulana himself who has also been incarcerated challenges that the government agencies are welcome to interview and examine me and all my girls in every way possible and if I am found guilty in any way possible then I am ready to be hanged in a public square for any guilt proved.
Also watch this interview with a young religious scholar from the area where the rape is alleged to have taken place.
The maulana says that through his own investigation he has come to the conclusion that the boy and the girl involved in this story have actually both been used to plot against him and the purpose of all these (rumours) allegations is to sabotage and destroy the good efforts he has been doing for the benefit of the public of the area.
Events as they unfolded are like this:
The girl disappeared from her residence on 21st of the month and arrived at the madrasa on the 22nd at about sunset when the maulana was busy in making arrangement for the public meeting. At Maghrib prayers time he came and after offering his prayers he went to his room. Having been very hectic the whole day he was extremely tired and he then took time and went down in his basement room to rest.
After Isha prayers, suddenly the police raids the place and holds up the girl from upper hall area. No sooner the news gets started spreading all the news channels and the politicians become alive and running as if God-given golden opportunity has come their way all of a sudden.
If we look at all the events taken together, the whole story unfolds as row among the local actor minnows politicians who have all been guided locally. In this episode none of the Sangh Agency was ever involved and nor it was basically a Hindu Versus Muslim issue. However now as the things are the Sanghi actors have accepted the chance to meddle into it as the beneficiaries.
The maulana in this issue is a married man and has been running the madrasa for many years. He has two children. His madrasa and his establishment has been progressing well. As a person he is a hard-working honest man sincere to the cause he has been working.
The maulana was going to initiate some new venture of his efforts on the 28th of the month which was not being taken well by some local short-sighted ill-meaning jealous opponents who had not been happy with the lifestyle of the maulana which he had achieved all of this through his hard and sincere efforts. Perhaps some of the un-employed good-for-nothing rogues instead of doing something good themselves started hatching plans to destroy all of what the maulana has achieved or was going to achieve onward.
Talking to the wife of the maulana, we were told that some people were very jealous of him and they were finding it very hard to believe that a maulana (i.e a Muslims religious teacher) could achieve all of it (meaning a secure home) while they lack all of such facilities. She asked that if they are a maulvi family then don’t they need a roof over their head?
According to the local public it is alleged that the boy (Shahbaz) has been hoodwinked to become a player in all of this episode by some local wayward youth and it is also rumoured that in the wake of the maulana’s busy schedule for doing good for the public, the trouble mongers got hold of the girl and made her bode their will to ensnare the boy (Shahbaz). In all of this episode one side of the story is being ignored by the media purposely or by mistake that there are some other boys as well involved in all of the events and have been held by the authorities.
The important questions that are relevant in all of this story are:
(a) The girl disappeared on the 21st of the month and got discovered on the night of the 22nd from the madrasa but there is no mention of the part that where she had been all the time before reaching the madrasa that night.
(b) Who are the other arrested?
(c) The girl had been missing from 21st of the month and no one seems to know her whereabouts then, but the police traces her as soon as she reaches the madrasa on the night of the 22nd. What are the sources of this lead?
(d) Why are the people forming a link between the girl and Shahbaz not being brought to be known?
(e) Why the family of the girl had to change their residence in Jhandapur to Gharoli village? And why the fellow-residents of the family in Jhandapur not been asked their sentiments about the family so far.
If all the above questions are answered fully only then the whole story will become clear.
(f) Why those elements against whom the maulana’s wife has so far been alleging about their jealous behaviour not been enquired and asked about?
Whoever hatched this conspiracy, perhaps themselves had not imagined that the matter would develop to this proportion and will become a national issue. They must have by now become very worried, because originally they were only bent upon to destroy the popularity and well lifestyle of the maulana and had perhaps believed that by this mayhem he would abandon the good efforts he had been doing and the whole matter would dissolve into this air but as things have developed into the proportions and become a national issue of Hindu Versus Muslim nature.
The story as it unfolds so far tells us that:
On one side of the story there is the maulana who has been the target of all of this and dragged in it by getting one of his students involved into the conspiracy. Now there is the Sangh and Bhajpai gang that has jumped to fish into the troubled water and thus take full advantage of it by attacking the Muslim society and the media houses are making full use of it to abuse the Muslim culture and its society.
Never before has been such a case where a devout Muslim offers his own womenfolk for physical narcotic tests. In this case the maulana who is presently held in police custody has offered himself to be hanged publically if he himself or the boy found guilty through narcotic tests.
Never before has been such a case where a devout Muslim offers his own womenfolk for physical narcotic tests. In this case the maulana who is presently held in police custody has offered himself to be hanged publically if he himself or the boy found guilty through narcotic tests.
Apart from the main story the title given to this episode has nothing to do with the entire basis of the story.
The cc TV footage has clearly showed that this is not a rape case. The girl went this course by her own sweet will and therefore it cannot be categorised as a physical rape and raising ‘Justice for Gita’ slogan is simply a travesty of justice and righteousness because of that Muslims are also becoming the target.
The maulana entrusted one of his most trusted and able student with some responsibilities that resulted in some untoward outcome. If so then he can be censored for entrusting responsibilities to a wrong person but to involve him into a case of forceful rape is beyond any reasonable practice while his own wife and other family members and neighbours as well are all swearing for his righteousness and honesty while he himself has offered for his own tests.
On the other hand when there is no case of physical rape in this episode then why an illegitimate physical relationship that has been let happen and permitted in the modern world then why it is now being used for criminal purposes?
Maulana’s wife has clearly stated that she is fully convinced that her husband is innocent and prove that she will go to the police, the session’s court and even the High Court.
Maulana’s wife has clearly stated that she is fully convinced that her husband is innocent and prove that she will go to the police, the session’s court and even the High Court.
To what extent this woman is simple and trustworthy we came to know when she told us that again and again that a person who teaches religion cannot be ill and vile minded to act in such a manner alleged. Allah doesn’t let simply any Tom, Dick and Harry type people teach religion. It is the job of clean and honest people. She said that she clad in Burqa will go all lengths to fight and prove the innocence of her husband.
She said that if her husband had not been a righteous person (he has been managing and organising religious education and training of small children for a long time) then the whole family would have been destroyed totally a long time ago.
After listening and studying the whole case we have concluded that the whole uproar can be a result of local rivalry and jealousy as well. Those who always believe and take it for granted that all those who work and are engaged in religious work live a poor hand to mouth livelihood deprived of the good things other people usually enjoy.
However the whole situation has now been hijacked by the ill mongers and made into an episode of national uproar.
The trouble makers made this simple and small matter of local jealousy into a case of national importance simply starting it by the trouble mongers with the trend slogan ‘Justice for Gita’ that is simply vicious and is causing the enrolling of simpleton Sanghis to make it a matter of national level and cause a hate campaign of one against the other.
When there has not been any actual physical Gitta rape, then what does it mean to cause such an uproar like raising the slogan such as ‘Justice of Gitta’ surely it is what the Sanghis want to achieve i.e. widespread hatred of one by the other sects of the society.
What is needed in this matter is not penalising Gitta and Shahbaz but both need giving help and training in good faith to instead of falling victim to the circumstances they have been in.
Besides all those who used and abused these two young bodies for their evil purposes should be investigated, tried and punished for abusing, defaming and hindering a person and his institution engaged in religious teachings and good work for the uplift of the society.
The whole case should be looked at with un biased view and all those media people and channels be warned with strict response for their irresponsible behaviour and thus causing national unease.
The Muslims on their side also have to rise above their petty religious differences and work in tandem together for the betterment of whole of the society.
Samiullah Khan is the General Secretary of Karvan-e-Amn-o-Insaf
Translated by Urdu Media Monitor from Samiullah Khan’s FB.