‘The election is not about which party wins or who forms the government. It is about our conscience. It is about standing by those who stood for us when it mattered the most’
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Prominent student activist and former JNU students’ union leader Afreen Fatima on Tuesday appealed to the voters of Okhla and Mustafabad in the national capital to support the jailed candidates of All India Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Shifa-ur Rahman and Tahir Hussain by whole-heartedly voting for them on Wednesday.
Both candidates have been incarcerated for the last five years under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots. Shifa-ur Rahman, former president of the Jamia Alumni Association, played a major in the historic protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Hussain, a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor, was suspended from the party after his implication in the Delhi riots cases. AAP snubbed its councillor even when he maintained his innocence and claimed that he was himself a victim of the largely anti-Muslim violence in his area and false cases were registered against him.
Urging the electorate to vote for both the AIMIM candidates, Fatima said that they were put behind bars because they were Muslims and dared to resist and speak up.
“I’m writing this as someone who refuses to forget those who have sacrificed everything for us. If you are voting in Mustafabad or Okhla, I am personally urging you to vote for Tahir Hussain and Shifa-ur Rahman Khan. The election in these two constituencies is not about which party wins or who forms the government. It is about our conscience. It is about standing by those who stood for us when it mattered the most,” she said in a series of posts on her social media handles on Tuesday.
Fatima had played a major role in the massive protests against the CAA and she had to bore the brunt for her actions. Her house was demolished by the Uttar Pradesh government after her father Javed Mohammed was accused of leading a protest against the inflammatory remarks on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Since her house was demolished, she has rarely been seen opposing the government decisions. Now, she took to social media to appeal to people to stand up for those who fought against the CAA.
“These are not just names on a ballot. These are men who have endured unimaginable injustice. They fought for us. They suffered for us. And now, they are asking for our support. What kind of people would we be if we turned our backs on them? If we let fear dictate our choices?” she noted.
Fatima asserted that AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the same when it comes to the issues related to Muslims. She drew attention to AAP’s apathy during the 2020 Delhi riots, silence on Muslim issues and failure to support Shaheen Bagh protests.
“They have always abandoned us. And we cannot afford to abandon our own,” she said about AAP.
Asking the Muslims to stand with those who stood for them, Fatima stated “Do not let fear make you a powerless voter. Do not let people fool you into betraying those who stood up for us. This is a moment to prove that we remember, that we care, and that we will not let injustice win. This vote is a moral responsibility. A test of our integrity. A moment where we decide: Will we stand with those who stood for us, or will we turn our backs on them? This is the most brave and dignified thing we can do as a community”.
She added “Vote for Tahir Hussain and Shifa-ur Rahman Khan. Spread the word. Speak to your family, your neighbours, your friends. Let everyone know, that we do not forget, we do not abandon, and we are NOT AFRAID.”
