Muslim leaders in India condemn levying Jazya on Pak Sikhs

NEW DELHI: Prominent Indian Muslim leaders on Sunday strongly condemned incidents of Sikhs being attacked in Pakistan and asked to pay "protection money", saying such a move is against the spirit of Islam and the action harm the interests of Muslims all over the world.

The religious leaders also expressed "alarm" over reports coming out of Pakistan's tribal regions about extortion of huge amounts of money from the Sikh community in the name of "Jazya" and attacking of their houses.

"Jazya was actually a tax for protection levied after a war by the victor on the vanquished, the amount of which was to be decided by both parties on mutual agreement.

"Levying the same on Pakistani Sikhs is absurd as they have not been a party in any war and have lived in the land for as long as the Taliban elements themselves," Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani, Secretary of Jamiat Ulama-e Hind, told reporters.

"Moreover, in a democratic set up that Pakistan is, all communities have an equal say and equal duties. In the light of Islam, the action is wrong; we do not know, which Shariah they are trying to impose in the tribal regions," he said.

Reacting strongly to the reports, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, secretary general of All India Organisations of Imams of mosques, said the imposition of 'Jazya' on Sikhs in Pakistan cannot be understood and needs to be condemned.