Imphal, June 24 NNN : Things related with Prophet Mohammad’s pictures or cartoons are continuing to stir up hornet’s nest and it has now Manipur’s turn to bear the brunt.
If a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in a Danish newspaper had the potential to bring up the furor to international level few years ago, the Manipur text book impasse over the Prophet Mohammad’s picture is equally going to be catastrophic if not guarded well.
On Sunday in Imphal, Muslim students burnt large number of text books collected by them that contain the picture of Prophet Mohammad.
A General Knowledge (GK) book called Prime General Knowledge Book meant for Kindergarten students carries a man with a beard and a turban. The man in the picture holds an object resembles a book. The book was published by Prime Publications and printed at Sangai Offset Printers in Imphal. The book in question was written by S Babylal Jassal. The book was prescribe by the Manipur
Of the many gods’ pictures in the GK book the students are to enter the correct names of the gods that are given below the page that should match the pictures.
According to the Muslim students, the picture of Prophet Mohammad printed in books is against the Islam.
The Pangal (Muslim) Students Organisation (PSO) on Sunday asked the government to ban the book.
Speaking to the media at the spot where the books were burnt today, Jagir Hussain, advisor of the students’ body said that anywhere in the world no pictures of Prophet Mohammad has been printed in books.
Warning to take up series of intense agitations in the days to come, the Pangal Students Organisation said many Muslim organisations not only in Manipur but from outside the state will endorse in banning the book and the follow up agitation against the book.
Earlier, Popular Front of India, Manipur unit had collected and burnt large number of the GK books in Imphal. It had also banned the book.
Few years ago, Denmark’s leading newspaper Jyllands-Posten carried a cartoon which depicts the Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban and the controversy had catapult into the worldwide level in few days time of the publication.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/muslim-students-burn-book-for-publishing-mohammad-prophets-picture/
