A fresh political controversy has erupted in Tamil Nadu after a Sunni Muslim body from Uttar Pradesh issued a fatwa against Tamil actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay. The religious edict was issued by Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilly, National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat and Chief Mufti of Chashme Darul Ifta, branding Thalapathy Vijay as “anti-Muslim” and accusing him of exploiting religious sentiments for political gain. The fatwa comes in response to a query regarding Vijay’s recent Iftar party hosted on March 8 at Chennai’s YMCA grounds. Maulana Razvi criticized the event, alleging that it was filled with individuals who had no connection to Islamic practices. “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,” he claimed.
Specifically, Razvi cited Vijay’s film Beast, claiming it portrayed Muslims as terrorists and painted the community in a negative light. “He has shown Muslims as monsters and devils in his film. And now, for political reasons, he’s attempting Muslim appeasement by organizing religious events,” Razvi added. The fatwa also condemned the presence of “alcoholics and gamblers” at the Iftar event, calling it a violation of Islamic ethics and the sanctity of Ramadan. The cleric urged Muslims in Tamil Nadu to boycott Vijay’s programs and to refrain from inviting him to any religious gatherings. Adding to the controversy, the Tamil Nadu Sunnat Jamath also filed a police complaint against Vijay for organizing what they called a “mismanaged” and “insulting” Iftar party. The organisation claimed that many attendees were drunkards and rowdies who were neither fasting nor observing the religious customs, thereby disrespecting the spirit of Iftar.
Syed Kous, treasurer of the Sunnat Jamath, said, “Muslims were insulted at the Iftar programme. It was not conducted in a manner that respected Islamic values. Legal action should be taken against Thalapathy Vijay to ensure this does not repeat.” The backlash hasn’t been limited to religious circles. Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai also slammed Vijay, stating, “Just wearing a skullcap and holding an Iftar event doesn’t mean you stand with minorities. You smoke and drink in movies, and now you talk about Tasmac? What change does this bring?”
