Javed Anand

Anand writes columns for mainstream newspapers such as The Indian Express.^[13] As a columnist for the Asian Age he has written a number of articles on Muslim-related topics.^[14]

In January 2012 there were growing protests by Muslim organisations against a visit to India by controversial author Salman Rushdie. Javed Anand reminded Muslims of the approach taken by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, founder of Aligarh Muslim University, in a similar situation. He noted that "Altaf Hussain Hali, who penned Sir Syed's biography, writes that Sir Syed never favoured hounding a writer who had blasphemed against the Prophet. So Sir Syed wrote a book to refute the charges of William Muir in the latter's blasphemous book The Life of Mahomet".^[15]

Talking of violence, he has said: "Put bluntly, do groups and organizations whose rights we defend themselves believe in democratic forms of mass mobilization? Is it ethically right and politically tenable that rights groups focus their entire attention on violations by state personnel but remain mum when 'militants' maim, rape or kill fellow citizens".^[16] Speaking of the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Anand said: "They (terrorists) claim to be doing this in the name of Islam. We have to tell them, 'Not in our name'".^[17]

Talking of a police probe of radical Hindutva organisations in November 2008 he said "I can't see a serving IPS officer going after an army officer or saffron outfits unless these is concrete evidence".^[10] He has criticized Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), describing it as an extremist organisation that rejects democracy and secularism and espouses violence as a means to achieve a new Caliphate.^[18]

In a November 2009 article for this paper he criticized a UK-based Muslim charity for insisting that only Muslim willing to follow strict Shariah rules could receive their help.^[19] Writing in the Deccan Chronicle in April 2011 on the proliferation of Muslim parties he said "Ideologically speaking, it means secularism by daylight, Sharia after dark. Politically speaking, at best they'll cancel each other out; eat into votes of mainstream parties that swear by secularism. At worst, they'll provide propaganda fodder to Hindutva, feed Islamophobia".^[12]

In September 1998, Setalvad and Anand published a paper on Saffron Army Targets People of the Cross that documented forced conversions of Christians to Hinduism with the assistance of state agents.^[20]

In January 2014 the Ahmedabad Crime Branch registered a First Information Report that alleged that Anand, his wife Teesta Setalvad and others had embezzled Rs.15 million intended for construction of a memorial for riot victims.^[21] They were accused of misusing funds they had collected for making a museum for the Gulbarg society.^[22] They denied wrongdoing and said the case had been filed with "ulterior political motive".^[23] In March 2014 a local court in Ahmedabad denied the couple anticipatory bail in the case.^[22] On 12 February 2015 the Gujarat High Court refused to grant anticipatory bail. Later that day the Supreme Court stayed the arrest of the couple in the alleged misappropriation case.^[21]

On 8 July 2015 the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a case against Setalvad and her organization for accepting foreign funding without first obtaining permission from the Home Ministry, a violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. The filing also named Javed Anand and Gulam Mohammed Peshimam, both Sabrang directors. Setalvad told reporters she had assured the CBI she would cooperate fully with them, but had not been contacted by the CBI with any requests.^[24]

Sources