Indore: Pakistani-origin Canadian writer, Tarek Fatah, yesterday wondered why prominent personalities who have returned their awards protesting against 'growing intolerance' did not do so when Kashmiri Pandits were persecuted by extremists or the arm of a Kerala professor was chopped off.
Fatah praised India's religious diversity and termed the country as the "future of human civilisation".
"These prominent persons have the full right to return their government awards. But I don't consider their decision as wise. Why these personalities have not returned their honours when extremists forced to Pandits to leave Kashmir and when the arm of a writer in Kerala was chopped off," Fatah told reporters.
Fatah, the author of Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State, arrived here today to participate in the Indore Literary Festival.
"When painter M F Hussain was forced to leave India, why these writers have not returned their awards? This practice of returning honours should not be celebrated."
Fatah's comments came against the backdrop of a string of writers and filmmakers returning their awards in protest against "growing intolerance" in country under NDA rule.
He also criticised senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for his remarks over Paris attack.
"France had given civilisation to the world. Those who termed it as action and reaction should be damned."
Khan had stoked a controversy with his remarks on Paris terror attacks saying the "superpowers" should think whether it was a "reaction" to the "killing of innocents" in Arab countries.
Praising India's religious diversity during the inaugural session on the topic "Religious Extremism and Contemporary Times", Fatah termed the country as "future of human civilisation."
"Even if the entire world gets destroyed and only India survives, then also nothing will happen to this country as here Hindu, Muslims, Sikh and Christians are living together," he said.
He appealed to Indian Muslim writers to raise their voice against religious extremism.
"They should openly say that armed Jihad is against Indian Constitution and therefore they reject it outright," he added.
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