A fatwa has been issued against Tamil Nadu actor-politician Thalapathy Vijay by a Sunni Muslim body in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, after allegations of anti-Muslim sentiments.
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilly, the National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat and Chief Mufti of Chashme Darul Ifta, issued the fatwa, condemning Vijay for his alleged negative portrayal of Muslims. The fatwa accuses the actor-politician of using Muslim sentiments to further his political career, citing his past actions and the portrayal of Muslims in his film The Beast as evidence.
“Vijay Thalapathy is using Muslim sentiments to make his way into politics from the film world when his history is full of anti-Muslim sentiment,” Maulana Razvi said. He pointed out that the film The Beast unfairly linked Muslims to terrorism, portraying them as “monsters” and “devils.”
The fatwa also criticized Vijay for inviting “alcoholics and gamblers” to an Iftar event, calling it a violation of Islamic principles. Maulana Razvi described these actions as illegal and sinful, urging Muslims in Tamil Nadu to avoid involving Vijay in any religious activities. "These people were neither fasting nor following Islamic practices," he added, noting that a police complaint had been filed by Sunni Muslims in Tamil Nadu over the incident.
In his statement, Maulana Razvi urged the Muslim community to “distance themselves from Vijay Thalapathy, not attend his programmes, and not invite him to their religious programmes.”