Court case against 'Azaan'

Mumbai, Oct 12 (IANS) Bollywood movie "Azaan", scheduled to be released Friday, has run into rough weather after a Samajwadi Party leader from the city approached the Bombay High Court, saying the film's name hurts Muslim sentiments.

The case was filed after Naeem Akhtar Azmi, the mufti (chief priest) of Sunni Darul-Uloom Mohammediya Minara Masjid, Wednesday issued a 'fatwa' that no film can be named after 'azaan' -- the auspicious call to prayers to Muslim faithful.

The 'fatwa' came in response to an open query posed by Mumbai Samajwadi Party vice-president Farookh Ghosi.

"Following the fatwa, I have filed a writ petition in the high court seeking the court's directions to file an FIR (first information report) against the movie producers, director and actors for abusing and exploiting the holy name of 'azaan' for commercial gains, which has hurt Muslim sentiments," Ghosi told IANS.

The petitioner has also demanded a stay on the global release of the film Friday and a ban on the movie till the producers change its name.

The petition is expected to come up for hearing in a day or so, and Ghosi said he has written to the state government seeking its urgent intervention in the matter.

"If the state government fails to respond within the next 24 hours, over 10,000 Muslims along with muftis and maulanas shall stage demonstrations after the Friday afternoon namaaz all over Mumbai," Ghosi warned.

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