Press Trust of India Posted online: Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 1848 hours IST
Lucknow, August 19: Muslim leaders and clerics reacted sharply to a reported decision by the Centre asking all schools to make their students recite the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram as part of the centenary celebrations of the National Song on September 7.
"Reciting Vande Mataram is against the tenets of the shariat (islamic law)," Zafaryab Jilani, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board(AIMPLB), said.
"There are some lines in Vande Mataram which go against our religion," Jilani said. However, Muslims had no problem in reciting the National Anthem, Jana gana mana, he said.
All India Muslim united Morcha vice-president M Asiddique also denounced the move, saying the recitation of Vande Mataram was "against Islam".
He said Muslims could under no circumstances allow their children to recite the song.
Another AIMPLB member, Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, aired similar views and demanded scrapping of the move.
The Centre has sought the Uttar Pradesh government's help for the concluding function of the ‘Vande Mataram centenary celebrations’, wherein the song will be sung in all schools, colleges and educational institutions on September 7.
An official release issued in Lucknow on Saturday had said that a letter from Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh had been received by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, seeking his help for successfully holding the function.
Necessary directives according to the wishes of Singh for ensuring the recital of the song's first two stanzas at 11 am on September 7 were issued to concerned officials, the release said.
