Naseeruddin Shah, Javed Akhtar & 128 Others Condemn France Attacks

Two attacks by religious extremists have killed a total of four people in France during the month of October.

Naseeruddin Shah, Javed Akhtar.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Over 100 renowned Indian personalities issued a joint statement condemning the fatal attacks in France. The statement read:

We, the undersigned, unequivocally and unconditionally condemn the recent killings in France by two fanatics in the name of faith. We are deeply disturbed by the convoluted logic of some self-appointed guardians of Indian Muslims in rationalising cold-blooded murder and deplore the outrageous remarks of some heads of state.

Naseeruddin Shah, director Kabir Khan, lawyer activist Prashant Bhushan, Swaraj India chief leader Yogendra Yadav, poet Javed Akhtar, filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, and distinguished former police officer Julio Ribeiro were among the diverse signatories of the statement, reported NDTV.

The statement also spoke on religious groups that “indulge in whataboutery” whenever crimes are committed in the name of their god, stating that “rationalising crimes by comparing them to similar crimes committed by others is an irrational and absurd argument... No god, gods, goddesses, prophets or saints may be invoked to justify the killing and/or terrorising of fellow human beings.”

The 130 signatories mentioned that they stand in solidarity with the French Council of Muslim Faith, which has also admonished the attacks and made an appeal to Muslims in the country to cancel the celebration of Eid Milad un Nabi, the prophet’s birth, to stand in solidarity and mourn with the families of the victims.

Many world leaders have also expressed their grievances and spoken in the aftermath of these attacks.

(With inputs from NDTV)