Naseeruddin Shah calls out Indian Muslims supporting Taliban

Actor asked if Muslims want "reform and modernity" in the religion or live with dated "barbarian" values

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last month, several Afghani artists voiced their reservations about where the arts and cultural activities in the country would stand. While the Taliban garnered massive support from many, filmmakers have called it the end of the cinema in the country.

Now, Bollywood veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has criticised a section of Indian Muslims for celebrating the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan and said it is a cause for concern. The Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na star, in a video that has gone viral on Twitter, said every Indian Muslim must introspect if they want "reform and modernity" in the religion or live with dated "barbarian" values.

I am so glad #NaseeruddinShah has spoken against the inhuman and barbaric Taliban. I hope more and more educated and creative Muslims (specially from Bollywood) speak against these enemies of humanity. Bravo, Naseer Bhai. pic.twitter.com/RZUSGaugIe

— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 2, 2021

"Even as the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan is a cause for concern for the whole world, celebrations of the barbarians in some sections of the Indian Muslims are no less dangerous. All Indian Muslims should ask themselves if they want reform and modernity in Islam or the barbarian values of the past few centuries," Shah said in the video.

The 71-year-old actor referenced Mirza Ghalib's poem and said his relationship with the almighty is informal (betakaluff). "I don't need a political religion," he said. Shah said Indian Islam has been different from the rest of the world and hoped it never changes beyond recognition. "Hindustani Islam duniya bhar ke islam se humesha mukhtalif raha hai. Khuda woh waqt na laye ki woh itna badal jaye ki hum use pehchaan bhi na sake. (Indian Islam has always been different from the rest of the world. May God not bring a time when it changes so much that we don't even recognise it)," he added.

While some on Twitter heaped praises on Naseeruddin Shah for taking a stand against the celebrations surrounding the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, others have slammed him saying “he should stick to films and steer clear of topics he has no knowledge about... A non-practicing Muslim wants Islam to reform. I wish he had first practiced Islam before coming up with this appalling suggestion.”

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