Malegaon shopkeeper ostracised by Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Hind

A Malegaon shopkeeper who tried to bridge the communal divide in town by quoting from the Qur’an as well as the Bhagwad Gita has been ostracised by the Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Hind.

Mohammed Sharif, 63, who runs a shop for repairing pressure cookers and stoves near Noori Tower fish market, was declared a non-Muslim by Jamaat-e-Ulema-e Hind two weeks ago. The announcement was made in local Urdu newspapers and has led to loss of livelihood for Sharif.

“I have been preaching that God is one and that people should be tolerant to all religions,” Sharif told The Indian Express on Saturday. “My intention is to end communal tension in this sensitive town and promote harmony among Hindus and Muslims¿ But now I find that most people in my mohalla are not talking to me and I am unable to do business in my shop.”

He heads a family of nine and is known in the town for citing verses like ‘Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya¿” from the Gita to substantiate his point that Lord Krishna and Prophet Mohammed were born to help mankind. “There is no conflict in the teachings of the Qur’an and the Gita and there is no reason to fight,” he said.