Distancing himself from the video statement released by Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al Zawahiri, in which he praises Karnataka college student Muskan Khan after she stood up to those heckling her for wearing a burqa, her father on Wednesday, April 6, termed the comments of the terror outfit's leader as "wrong", and said he and his family were living peacefully in India.
Noting that such incidents are disturbing the peace of the family, he said the police and state 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," Mohammad Hussain Khan told reporters in response to a question on Zawahiri's video.
Queried on Zawahiri praising Muskan, he said, "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."
In the Arabic video clip, with English subtitles provided by the American SITE Intelligence Group that tracks online activity of white supremacist and jihadist organisations, Zawahiri also reads out a poem, which he says he wrote for "our Mujahid sister" and for her "brave feat". "May Allah reward her for exposing the reality of Hindu India and the deception of its pagan democracy," the Al-Qaeda chief said in the video, also ending speculations about his death due to natural causes.
BIG : Terror Organization #AlQaeda openly declare support for #Hijab movement in India
— Live Adalat (@LiveAdalat) April 6, 2022
Terrorist Al Zawahiri release a video praising Radical muslim girl Muskan who was seen shouting Allah hu Akbar inside an educational institute in Karnataka pic.twitter.com/YalDcRHBbI
Observing that Muskan too has seen the video, her father said that whatever Zawahiri has said is “wrong”. "... she (Muskan) is still a student, she wants to study," he said. He further iterated that the family has no ties with Al-Qaeda.
However, reacting to the video, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra alleged that it proves involvement of "unseen hands" behind the hijab row. He also said that the Home and Police department officials are keeping a watch on developments in this connection.
At the peak of hijab row in February, Muskan Khan, a second-year BCom student in Mandya was heckled by a group of students, who were wearing saffron shawl, for entering the college while wearing a burqa. As they shouted "Jai Shri Ram", Muskan retorted by shouting "Allah-hu-Akbar." When a professor tried to intervene, she asked why she should give up the right to wear the hijab.