By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Friday criticised the fatwa issued against Bollywood actor Sara Ali Khan for visiting the Kedarnath shrine, describing it as an example of religious fanaticism and questioning why anyone should be prevented from expressing faith in a place of worship.
Rawat said religious fanaticism had caused considerable harm to society and the country saying extremists existed in both Hindu and Muslim communities who often make provocative statements merely to attract public attention.
Reacting to reports about the fatwa, Rawat said Sara had visited Kedarnath with devotion earlier as well and had returned this time too. She is the granddaughter of former cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actor Sharmila Tagore, and daughter of actor Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, he said, adding that she was free to follow her faith.
“She also follows the religion she inherited from her father. But some narrow-minded people are issuing a fatwa against her for visiting Kedarnath. Where will this kind of religious fanaticism take us, our society and our country? We need to think about it,” Rawat said.
He said there was a difference between being religious and being fanatical, adding that people could remain devoted to their religion without becoming intolerant of others.
“You can be religious while remaining gentle and liberal. Follow your religion and spread its good values. But if someone has faith in a deity, why should you stop that person from expressing it?” he asked.
Acknowledging that idol worship was not practised in Islam, Rawat said there was a distinction between faith and idol worship. He suggested that Sara might have visited the shrine to meditate and could also have remembered Allah there.
“The entire world belongs to Narayan, Allah, God and Bhagwan. Every piece of land belongs to the Almighty,” he said.
“Such people are found on both sides. There is no shortage of those who try to hurt society just to draw attention to themselves. They are neither well-wishers of Hindus nor of Muslims. They are not even well-wishers of their own religions,” he said.
His remarks came after Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, issued a fatwa against Sara Ali Khan for offering prayers at the Kedarnath temple, saying her visit was against Sharia and that she should repent.