Reacting to a video statement released by Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri on the hijab row praising Karnataka college student Muskan Khan, her father on Wednesday said the comments of the terror group leader were “wrong”, and he and his family are living peacefully in India.
Mohammad Hussain Khan also said the police and Karnataka government can initiate any inquiry to ascertain the truth.
"We don't know anything about it (video), we don't know who he is. I saw him today for the first time. He has said something in Arabic.....We are all living here with love and trust like brothers," news agency PTI quoted Khan as saying.
When asked about Zawahiri praising Muskan, Khan replied, "People say whatever they want....this is unnecessarily causing trouble. We are living peacefully in our country, we don't want him to talk about us, as he is not related to us... it is wrong, it is an attempt to create division among us."
Zawahiri, who was rumoured to be dead in 2020, resurfaced in a nine-minute video released by As-Sahab media, on Tuesday.
As-Sahab is the official media wing of Al Qaeda. Zawahiri’s video was verified by SITE Intelligence, an American non-governmental organisation that tracks online activity of white supremacist and jihadist organisations.
In the video titled ‘the Noble Woman of India’, Zawahiri chimed into the hijab row which originated in Karnataka and praised Bibi Muskan Zainab Khan, a college student from Udupi who took a prominent part in pro-hijab protests and became known for shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogans to counter a group of boys who were chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’.
Zawahiri said in the video that Indian Muslims should "react to this oppression". He has supposedly stayed on top of developments in India through social media, and said he was so impressed with the video of Muskan that he penned a poem for her. Calling her ‘sister’, Zawahiri said he was moved by her raising "cries of Takbeer".
This was the Jihadi veteran's first video in five months. He also called out countries that had banned the hijab, slamming Pakistan and Bangladesh for being ‘allies of the West’.
Reacting to the video, Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra said, it proves the involvement of "unseen hands" behind the row. He said the home and police department officials are keeping a watch on developments and tracking things in this connection.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Al Qaeda will never understand the importance of wearing uniforms in educational institutions. Supporting the stand of the Indian judiciary on banning wearing hijabs in schools and colleges, Sarma said they will become a platform for the display of religious clothes.
"The Karnataka High Court gave a clear verdict that it's not expected of a student to wear something else except hijab," he told media persons when asked about the video.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/citi...r-al-qaeda-chief-s-video-101649264289893.html