Met Mamdani for 25 minutes: Umar Khalid’s father amid row over New York mayor’s note for jailed activist

New Delhi: Amid the controversy over a handwritten letter from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to imprisoned student activist Umar Khalid, the latter’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, on Friday disclosed that he met the Asian American Muslim mayor during their trip to the United States last month.

It was during this meeting that Zohran Mamdani handed over a penned note to Khalid’s parents and also expressed concern over his prolonged incarceration.

Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, Umar Khalid’s father and also spokesperson for the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), spoke to IANS, giving an insight into a half-hour-long conversation with the New York mayor and how the latter extended support by penning a handwritten letter for their jailed son.

Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas told IANS that he met Zohran Mamdani in New York last month, as he was in the US and also sought a meeting. This meeting lasted for about 25 minutes.

He further said that Zohran Mamdani penned a letter in support of Umar Khalid, which he handed over to him. He also said that two years ago, Mamdani had read out excerpts from Umar’s prison diary, for which he also thanked him.

Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas further said that Mamdani expressed concern about Umar Khalid. He said that it is extremely regrettable that a promising young man, who campaigned against CAA and NRC and raised issues concerning tribals and Dalits, has been kept in jail for five years without a trial and without bail.

He said that Mamdani asked what he could do in this matter, to which Khalid’s father replied, “Just pray.”

Umar Khalid’s father spoke about the New York mayor’s assurance of all possible assistance for his jailed son. He said that Mamdani also met two Congressmen, who assured support in the matter.

It was after this meeting that Mamdani sent out his message via a handwritten note, which has gone viral on social media.

Regarding Umar Khalid’s bail, his father said that he was present during the recent arguments in the Supreme Court and hoped that something positive would unfold soon.

Notably, Umar Khalid, a Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist, has been lodged in jail for nearly five years in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots.

When asked if he wanted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue, he said that he had neither expressed any such desire nor made any such request.

“This is an internal matter of the country and should be resolved within the country itself,” he opined.

On the question of the situation of Muslims in India, he said that there is no doubt that the attitude towards Muslims in India is a matter of concern.

“They are being discriminated against, their houses are being bulldozed, and Muslim youth are being implicated in false cases while no action is being taken against those who make inflammatory statements against the community,” he said, claiming that such things do not project a good image of India.

On why Umar Khalid’s case is resonating internationally, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas said that the world has become a global village and any issue arising in any country has the potential to resonate throughout the world.

“Umar’s voice has been echoing on social media for a long time, both within the country and abroad,” he added.

He also informed that two or three years ago, the world’s top 200 intellectuals had written a letter expressing their concerns. It’s not surprising that what Zohran Mamdani said during the elections was also heard in India.

When asked if Zohran Mamdani’s role in the US was similar to the one in India by Rahul Gandhi, Syed Qasim Rasool refused to comment.

Responding to Devkinandan Thakur’s statement regarding a Bangladeshi player in an IPL cricket team, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas said that Shah Rukh Khan should respond to this.

“This is how cricket works: players are signed, and they play the game. A cricket match was also played between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor. There was opposition, but the match was played,” he elaborated.
IANS