Controversy over Muslim body chief calling ‘Om’ and ‘Allah’ one

New Delhi: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief Maulana Arshad Madani stoked a controversy during the general assembly of the Muslim body by claiming that ‘Om’ and ‘Allah’ were the same God. Disagreeing with his remarks, Jain samaj acharya Lokesh Muni, along with some other religious leaders, got up from the stage and walked away.

Speaking at the 34th general session of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind at Ramlila Maidan here, Maulana Arshad Madani said he asked the “dharma gurus” who they worshipped when there were no Sri Ram, Brahma or Shiva. “Some said that Manu used to worship Shiva. Some said that there was nothing in the world and Manu used to worship ‘Om’.
“I asked who is Om. Many replied that it was just ‘wind’. It has no size and is everywhere. It has created the sky on earth. I said that this is what we call ‘Allah’, you call God, Persian speakers call ‘Khuda’ and English speakers call ‘God’. “It means that Manu, who was ‘Adam’, used to worship only one Om, that is Allah. ’
Acharya Lokesh Muni of the Jain community disagreed with this comment of Arshad Madani and got up in the session accusing Madani of fabricating a story about the unity of ‘Manu and Allah’.
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) condemned Arshad Madani’s claim that ‘Om’ and ‘Allah’ are one and fore, saying it has exposed his “real” mentality.