‘UPSC Jihad’ Show is a Prime Example of Virulent Islamophobia, Zakat Foundation Tells SC
New Delhi: Zakat Foundation of India (ZFI), which provides coaching to civil services aspirants, has placed an intervention plea in the Supreme Court in connection with the television program broadcasted by the Sudarshan News channel that purportedly targets Muslim candidates qualifying civil services examinations.
The ZFI told the Supreme Court that the controversial programme “reflects the antagonistic mindset against” Muslims and “is nothing but a prime example of virulent Islamophobia”.
Besides the Jamia Millia Islamia university, the ZFI has also been targeted by Hindutva news channel Sudarshan News in its programme ‘UPSC Jihad’, claiming that Muslims are being infiltrated in the civil services.
The intervention application clarifies the concept of Jihad, rebuts “unfounded allegations” by Sudarshan TV and highlights the “hateful antecedents of Sudarshan TV”, legal news website BarandBench.com has reported.
Pointing towards at the diversity of candidates, the IA states that using Zakat, the compulsory alms given by Muslims every year, ZFI has been funding and providing coaching for not just for needy Muslim candidates, but for candidates from all faiths for eleven years.
“Of the 27 who cleared the selection procedure this year finally, 4 belonged to other faiths. In the previous years too, several candidates from different faiths have qualified and benefitted by the Zakat Foundation,” states the petition.
Stating that the channel has put the cart before the horse and presumed that the donors to ZFI are somehow linked to terrorist activities, the organisation has claimed that it has revealed nothing but a deep seated malaise against Muslims.
Talking about the peition, the ZFI said that Sudarshan News was “openly engaging in hate speech and a misinformation campaign to vilify Muslims as a community by seeking to fear-monger that Muslims are increasing in number and are out to exclusively corner the benefits of reservation for themselves”.
