It seems it is a virtual fatwa-fest out there.If the one against Mickey Mouse was not absurd enough here is one sure to make it to the Grammy's for the silliest one ever.I wonder what Amitabh will have to say about this on his blog.Will he remain silent so as not to  UPSET and ENRAGE a particular community in the larger interest of the success of his future films and earnings or will he stand up in defense of his father's seminal work?

An excerpt  from Madhushala

      dharm-granth sab jala chuki hai jiske antar kee jwaala
      mandir masjid girje sab ko toD chuka jo matwaala
      panDit momin paadriyoN ke fandoN ko jo kaat chuka
      kar sakti hai aaj usee ka swaagat meri madhushaala



A fatwa against Madhushala

LUCKNOW: It’s an indictment that came 73 years too late. Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s magnum opus Madhushala, which made him an overnight celebrity with its publication in 1935 has ruffled holy feathers here for “it’s potential for promoting moral depravity and licentiousness in society, particularly among youth”.

On Friday evening, Shahar Qazi Lucknow, Maulana Mufti Abul Irfan Ahmad Jaimul Aleem Qadiri who is also the president of Idara-e-Sharia issued a fatwa against Madhushala.

The book he decreed, “was anti Islamic and also unfit to be taught at any academic institute”. And even as the edict by the veteran cleric, generally regarded as a liberal, has invoked a passionate debate among literary circles, not to mention a feeble protest from his younger colleagues like Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangimahali, the mufti justifies his stance.Mufti Qadiri said that a Muslim organisation from Madhya Pradesh approached him on November 10 with a copy of Madhushala.

“They had sought my opinion over the wisdom of prescribing as text book in schools and colleges a book that eulogised alcohol and drunkenness in society.

The decree, said mufti, was passed after going through the contents which “turned out to be extremly hurtful to the setiments of devout, though this kind of writing has its own set of admirers”. Bachchan sahab may have been a good shair but artistic license can be allowed upto permissible limit which he obviously crossed in his writings, the fatwa maintained.

It categorically states that “paeans to alcohol can only pollute young and impressionable minds and bring about social ruination. Moreover, use of words like masjid, muazzin, Allatala, Eid, marsia, namazi etc along with sharab, sharabi and maykhana is truly blasphemous. The usage only signified mental bankruptcy.” 

Original article here: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Lucknow_A_fatwa_against_Madhushala/articleshow/3718451.cms