SHAFAQNA (Shia News Association) — India’s Muslim population is angered over the recent portrayal of Prophet Mohamed (P) in a primary school book. Muslims are demanding the text be barred from schools and have called on the government to intervene.
“Islam prohibits pictorial representation of Prophet Muhammad (P),” Md Burhanuddin, president of Pangal Students Organization (PSO), told Daily News & Analysis on Monday.
The book for kindergarten students in the northeastern state of Manipur portrays a bearded man said to be the Prophet wearing turban and holding a book-like object.
One page of the book also carries pictures of the Prophet (P) along with five other gods.
Though it was not prescribed by the Manipur government, the book is used at a number of private schools.
The controversial book, Prime General Knowledge, is published by Prime Publications and printed at Sangai Offset Printers in Imphal.
Once published, protests erupted in Manipur demanding withdrawal of the book and punishing the publishers and the author.
The protests were led by PSO as well as Manipur unit of Popular Front of India (PFI), who burnt copies of the book.
The PFI has demanded an immediate ban of the book.
The PSO said it would ban all books of Prime Publications if it failed to visit its office and apologize by Monday.
“They have made a grave mistake,” PSO advisor H Rahman said.
“But adopting violent means against them will be against Islam. We want them to come to us and apologize.” —www.shafaqna.com/english/
