Veteran actor calls out Indian Muslims celebrating Taliban's return in Afghanistan

MUMBAI: Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has criticised a section of Indian Muslims for celebrating Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan and said it is a cause for concern.

The Taliban ousted the government in Afghanistan and took over the control of the country after capturing Kabul last month.

Shah, in a video that has gone viral on Twitter, said every Indian Muslim must introspect if they want "reform and modernity" in the religion or live with dated "barbarian" values.

"Even as the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan is a cause for concern for the whole world, celebrations of the barbarians in some sections of the Indian Muslims is no less dangerous. Every Indian Muslim should ask themselves if they want reform and modernity in Islam or the barbarian values of the past few centuries," Shah said in the video.

Very well said Nasir sb. It needed to be said. https://t.co/7HCwDSVDAJ

— S lrfan Habib (@irfhabib) September 1, 2021

The 71-year-old actor referenced Mirza Ghalib's poem and said his relationship with the almighty is informal (betakaluff).

"I don't need a political religion," he said.

Shah said Indian Islam has been different from the rest of the world and hoped it never changes beyond recognition.

"Hindustani Islam duniya bhar ke islam se humesha mukhtalif raha hai. Khuda woh waqt na laye ki woh itna badal jaye ki hum use pehchaan bhi na sake. (Indian Islam has always been different from the rest of the world. May God not bring a time when it changes so much that we don't even recognise it)," he added.