&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'How can 'I love Muhammad' be unlawful?' – J&K CM Omar Abdullah questions FIR against expression of devotion")
On Wednesday (September 24), Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, strongly defended the freedom to express affection for Prophet Muhammad. He questioned how three simple words – "I Love Muhammad" – could be considered illegal, urging the courts to address the issue without delay.
The controversy began on September 9, when police in Kanpur filed a case against nine individuals, including some unidentified persons, for allegedly displaying boards with the words "I Love Muhammad" during a Barawafat (Eid Milad-un-Nabi) procession on September 4. Hindu groups objected to the displays, claiming they were part of a new and provocative trend. This sparked national debate after Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), took to social media, arguing that expressing "I Love Muhammad" was not a criminal act.
Abdullah, in his response, found it perplexing that anyone could file a case over such an innocuous expression. He called it absurd, suggesting that filing such charges might indicate a serious mental lapse. “Why should anyone object to writing this? Who can have an issue with these three words? I cannot understand how writing these three words can lead to an arrest. It must mean someone is truly mentally unwell to file a case over these three words. I would like the courts to quickly set this right. How is writing ‘I Love Muhammad’ unlawful?” Omar addressed the reporters.
He further argued that, even if the phrase were tied to a specific religion, it shouldn't be a matter of concern, as followers of other faiths similarly express their love for their gods or spiritual leaders. “Even if you link it to a religion, what is wrong with it? Don’t followers of other religions write about their deities? Don’t our Sikh brothers and sisters write about their gurus? Don’t our Hindu brothers and sisters write about their various gods? They do. Go anywhere outside Jammu and Kashmir, and you will hardly find a vehicle without a picture of a deity. If that is not unlawful, then how is this?” Omar asked.
