Star India pacer Mohammed Shami has been phenomenal for India in recent times. His amazing bowling performance helped India reach the finals of the ODI World Cup in 2023. However, since then, he has been running out of the game due to an injury. Shami, who recently received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, spoke about communal harmony in India.
In a recent interview, Shami spoke about the conditions of Muslims in India amid the inauguration of the newly built Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. While answering a question related to the chants of ‘Jai Shree Ram’, Shami said that everyone should chant it. He believes that every community has 10–12 sick-minded people who propagate hatred towards other communities for their benefit.
He said, “No, if we talk about Hindus and Muslims, everyone has equal rights. If there had been a problem (for Muslims), we would not have been here. Similarly, if a non-Muslim faces an issue somewhere else, they can’t live there.”
“However, you have seen some people on social media chanting Jai Shree Ram and some others doing riots; they just want that. They want to create disharmony. They don’t want anything else. In my own village, we have a 50/50 population of both communities, and we celebrate each other’s festivals if they are ours.”
“They question us for losing games,” says Mohammed Shami
Further speaking about the ongoing situation and social media trends, Shami says that there is no solution to it. He also mentioned that people often question players for losing the game and then praise them the next day. Shami believes that everyone is different and should respect it.
He said, “People question us for losing the game, citing no ball and wide, so you can’t do anything about it. Everyone is different, and they live and think differently too. Every religion has 10–15 people who don’t respect other communities and create a ruckus. If I want to chant Jai Shree Ram, I will do it 1000 times; similarly, if I want to chant Allah hu Akbar, I will do it. This can’t give or take anything from anyone.”
