With His Challenge Being Rejected Mufti Wajidi Takes on Tarek Fatah on Twitter

By M Ghazali Khan

As the Hindutva darling, Pakistani fugitive and presently the most notorious Islamophobe misusing Indian soil to spread sectarian hatred, Tarek Fatah, continues to spew venom against Islam and Muslims, the Chicago based Deobandi Scholar Mufti Yasir Nadeem Al Wajidi has taken on this Islamophobe on twitter demanding a ban on his weekly programme ‘Fatah ka Fatwah’ telecast on Zee TV, a brazenly anti-Islam channel and a Hindutva mouthpiece.

At the time of writing these lines Nadeem Al Wajidi’s tweet was trending at number 6 in India.

Yasir Nadeem Al Wajidi, 33, is a qualified Mufti from the renowned Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, holds doctorate from International Islamic University Malaysia and Masters in Arabic Literature from American University Virginia. He is the son of a widely respected scholar and newspaper columnist Maulana Nadeem Al Wajidi.

‘If Tarek Fatah really likes debating then I challenge him to debate with me anywhere in the world. However, the conditions are that: (1) The debate would be in accordance with the rules of a [civilised and fair] debate; (2) Would be in the presence of independent judges and at a public place not in a TV studio. Let him come with any question and any allegation. Questions and allegations will be his and responses will be mine.’

Earlier Mufti Wajidi had challenged Tarek Fatah to have an open debate with him. ‘If Tarek Fatah really likes debating then I challenge him to debate with me anywhere in the world. However, the conditions are that: (1) The debate would be in accordance with the rules of a [civilised and fair] debate; (2) Would be in the presence of independent judges and at a public place not in a TV studio. Let him come with any question and any allegation. Questions and allegations will be his and responses will be mine.’ Mufti Wajidi said in a YouTube message.

Outlining the reasons for not holding the debate in a TV studio Mufti Wajidi said

‘The meeting like that of buffoons that you hold in your studio does surely expose your mental status but cannot let the truth come out. If you are prepared to follow the rules of a [civilised and fair] debate, let me know the venue, let’s debate in the presence of independent judges and before the general public. Let’s then see how much weight do your lies hold.’

 

Mufti Wajidi did not only send the challenge in several of his video clips in which he exposed Tarek Fatah’s lies, mischief and distortions but even directly sent several tweets to him. ‘I’m still waiting @TarekFatah. let’s do an academic debate in Delhi in March. Your silence shouldn’t be assumed as your defeat.’ He wrote in one of them.

I’m still waiting @TarekFatah. let’s do an academic debate in Delhi in March. Your silence shouldn’t be assumed as your defeat. https://t.co/XjDOHQjxva

— Yasir Nadeem (@Mufti_Yasir) January 26, 2017

After several such reminders and instead of accepting the challenge the coward used his wife to respond to Mufti Wajidi in which, like her husband, she also used abusive language. ‘#FatahKaFatwa is not a ‘debate’ club @Mufti Yasir. In addition @TarekFatah does not debate with GOATS who wrap their wives in black sacks.’ She wrote.

#FatahKaFatwa is not a ‘debate’ club @Mufti_Yasir. In addition@TarekFatah does not debate with GOATS who wrap their wives in black sacks. https://t.co/JwMUI8s0ho

— NargisTapal (@TapalNargis) January 28, 2017

In the meanwhile Tarek Fatah staged yet another drama. He twitted, ‘Back from Mumbai, I visit a Delhi police station to share with them names of Mullahs who are inciting their followers to ‘take care’ of me.

Back from Mumbai, I visit a Delhi police station to share with them names of Mullahs who are inciting their followers to ‘take care’ of me. pic.twitter.com/V10PzNEnA4

— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) February 14, 2017

So far Mufti Wajidi has uploaded a series of video clips titled ‘Fatah ka Fatwa, A Surgical Strike’exposing the lies and shallowness of Tarek Fatah. In its eighth part Wajidi said, ‘Tarek Fatah’s show on Zee TV reflects a particular agenda and particular mindset. Its aim is nothing but to defame Islam and Muslims in India. But he has refused to have a debate with me because he knows that in a fair debate, held according to standard rules, his agenda would be exposed and the world will find out the lies he has been spreading through his show.’

Mufti Wajidi also said, ‘I would like to say to my Hindu brethren that Tarek Fatah claims that he is a Muslim and we are Muslims as well. Therefore this is a dispute between Muslims. Those who are not Muslims do not have the right to decide who is a true and who is a fake Muslim. Therefore I appeal to all of my Hindu brethren to keep themselves away from this dispute and not to interfere in something that is wholly a Muslim dispute. Due to the support of some extremist [Hindu] elements given to him, an impression is shaping up in the country that Tarek Fatah has been imported  and planted by those very people who do not wish and let Hindus and Muslims live peacefully together.’

In the same episode he showed some of the old clips in which Tarek Fatah can be seen uttering shocking and outrageous blasphemy against God, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Qur’an that any believer would shudder to quote.

After showing the clips Mufti Wajidi asks, ‘Does anyone still have doubts about what is the agenda of this man? Does anyone still regard him a Muslim?’

So far Mufti Wajidi has uploaded eight episodes of ‘Fatah ka Fatwa, A Surgical Strike’ in each of which he has successfully exposed the lies spread by Tarek Fatah and has rebutted the distortions and disinformation spread by this agent provocateur.

In part 6 of the series Mufti Wajidi does not only respond to Tarek Fatah’s allegations one by one but also takes to task all those the so called scholars who appear on Fatah’s programme but do not have the knowledge, skills and training to be able to handle such a challenge.

Sadly despite several appeals by sensible and mature Muslims from various strata not to participate in Tarek Fatah’s programme, many publicity seekers chose to ignore the appeal and have been participating in one of the most unruly and uncivilised discussions. They have failed to challenge Fatah even on most obvious lies. For example he alleges that in madarsas Muslim students are taught that to kill a non-Muslim is a virtue and Arif Mohammad Khan, yet another figure to have earned notoriety by attacking and defaming Muslims agrees with him. None of the so called panellists dared challenge them.

Not only Tarek Fatah but even Arif Mohammad Khan points at one of the panellists and says, ‘He knows that in your curriculum and madarsas it is taught that a non-Muslim may be killed without any reason’.

About Arif Mohammad Khan Mufti Wajidi says, ‘Arif Mohammad Khan is not much different from Tarek Fatah except that he pretends to be an intellectual while Tarek Fatah has been imported to promote an atmosphere of fear. Some ten years ago he published an article in Times of India attacking Madarsa curriculum. I responded to his allegations but Times of India did not publish my piece. Settling that account had been overdue and today I got this opportunity to [counter him] as in Tarek Fatah’s programme he has repeated those very allegations against madarsas that he had labelled in Times of India ten years ago. He has been attacking madarsas for several years. I ask him which book is this in which it is written that you can kill a kafir going around for his business without any reason and if you did that you will be rewarded. Show me that book. On the contrary I will show you the book which says that in an Islamic country where Shari’ah laws are followed, if a Muslim kills a non-Muslim he will be entitled to death penalty exactly as is applicable on a Muslim who kills another Muslim. Let Arif Mohammad Khan reveal the book that enjoins upon Muslims to kill non-Muslims.’

Mufti Wajidi then shows the hadith on the screen in which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) says, ‘Whosoever metes out cruelty to a Mu’ahid [a non-Muslim citizen] or deprives him of his right or burdens him (in imposing jizia, a tax guaranteeing protection) more than his ability to bear, takes anything from him by force, then in the Court of Allah I will plead for him against such a Muslim’ (Abu Dawood)

It is worth quoting another Hadith here in which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) says, ‘Whoever killed a Mu’ahid shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise though its fragrance can be smelt at a distance of forty years (of traveling). (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Tarek Fatah also refers to Ghazwa-e-Hind and all of the panellists behave in such a manner as if pernicious and dangerous plan is being hidden. Mufti Wajidi clarifies, ‘Holy Prophet (PBUH) has predicted some of the signs before the occurrence of which Qiamat [doomsday] will not happen. In those days India was one the big and famous countries like Persia and Roman Empire. This is a thousands year old country and the Arabs knew about it. So the Prophet (PBUH) has predicted all the countries where big wars will take place before Qiamat. This Hadith [saying of the Prophet] is called Gazwa-e-Hind. Nowhere in it has the Holy Prophet asked the Muslims to wage a war and go on a killing spree. The only aim of this Hadith is to predict about the big wars that would take place before Qiamat. This  might have already happened in the past or might take place in future. The Prophet (PBUH) has only mentioned as a sign of Qiamat.’

Mufti Wajidi gives examples from Tarek Fatah’s clips of his discourteous, abrasive and wild manners when he does not have an answer to a question and resorts to counter attacks. As a matter of fact he takes pride in this calling it a ‘Punjabi’ way. ‘I will not talk to you in the language of UP. I am a Punjabi.’ He tells a journalist who challenges him on an issue. This is hardly surprising that the students of Punjab University had to communicate with Tarek Fatah in the language he claims he understands well.

His own intolerance and hatred towards Islam and Muslims was more visible in an ETV programme in which instead of answering to questions he attacks the host, Khursheed Rabbani, and even refuses to engage in the customary hand shake towards the end of the programme.

To him each and every Indian Muslim is the enemy of India and is trying to destroy the country. He can be seen in several of the programmes asserting, ‘Aapka mulk nahiN hoga. Hindustan hamara to hai’ (India may not be your country but it’s my country). One wonders why no one is showing to the public the real views of this opportunist on India. If you haven’t seen it please watch it here.

The fact is that after Tarek Fatah’s refusal to accept Mufti Wajidi’s challenge for a debate Zee TV has no justification in continuing the poisonous programme. Mufti Wajidi has already sent a Tweet to Zee regarding this but this has fallen on Zee TV’s deaf ears. It has adopted the policy of ignoring every sensible argument and is adamant in continuing hatemongering.

One debate and @TarekFatah’s game is over. I’m sure @ZeeTv advised him not the accept the challenge for obvious reasons. #BanFatahKaFatwa

— Yasir Nadeem (@Mufti_Yasir) 14 February 2017

As for the so called scholars appearing on ‘Fatah ka Fatwah’ it suffices to say that it looks like what is known as the ‘noorakushti’ [a fixed match] in north India. Known Urdu columnist Wadood Sajid was rather polite when he wrote, ‘There is also some part played by  the over-zealous representatives of the Muslim community itself in giving him so much importance, who, merely to get a chance to appear on TV, come to debate with this idiot.’

The fact is that many of them have dubious credentials with a past of trying to please BJP leaders while having participated in a delegation of ‘Indian Muslims’ to Israel and having presented to Shimon Peres  a bronze statue of Gandhiji to him.

Indian Muslims have been trying to take legal action against Tarek Fatah and file FIR against him in police stations where they have been told that since there was no law and order problem and no obvious uneasiness within the community an FIR could not be registered. This means to file an FIR Muslims should first organise protests.

As these lines are being written students of Darul Uloom Deoband have organised a massive protest demanding a ban on his programme.