Recently, the Shahi Imam of Kolkata’s Tipu Sultan Mosque, Maulana Noorur Rahman Barkati was in the news for issuing a fatwa against Narendra Modi. The Imam had declared an award of Rupees 25 lakhs for shaving the head and beard of the Prime Minister. He was speaking at a joint conference by the All India Majlis-e-Sura and All India Minority Forum, in a promotional campaign for Mamata Banerjee.

Now it appears the Imam has gone quite a few steps ahead. The Imam was invited to a panel discussion on Zee News, to debate his controversial fatwa. Among the panelists, was Canadian columnist and staunch critic of radical Islam, Tarek Fatah.

In a shocking incident of gross “intolerance”, out of nowhere, the Imam declared during the debate that Fatah “would be beheaded”.

Fatah later posted the video on his Facebook page:

Here is the Kolkatta Mullah telling me on live TV, “your throat is going to be slit.” Despite committing a criminal act by issuing a death threat, trust this man to walk free under the protection of Kolkata Police. Remember, this criminal Jihadi is the same mullah who honoured Osama BinLaden with a funeral prayer. Earlier on, the same mullah put a ₹50,000/- bounty on the head of Taslima Nasreen

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In the video, Barkati says: “tumhari gardan kategi bewakoof” (Your head will be severed you idiot) to Fatah. The other claims made by Fatah in his Facebook post above are also true.

In 2011, the same Shahi Imam Maulana Nurur Rehman Barkati, held a special Friday prayer for the ‘peace of the soul’ of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

As for the bounty on Taslima Nasreen’s head, Barkati issued his first fatwa against her in 2004, setting the price on her head at Rs 20,000. In the second fatwa issued in 2006, the price went up to Rs 50,000. In the third fatwa in 2007, Imam Barkati said the money would be unlimited. Knowing that the Imam has in the past issued bounties on critics of Islam, the latest “threat” to Fatah cannot be taken lightly.

The Imam is also a huge supporter of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee.

As seen above, the fatwa issued against Modi was in fact issued at a press conference taken in support of Mamata Bannerjee itself. Further, in 2015, Barkati had virtually campaigned for Bannerjee saying:

“India is a secular country and Mamata Banerjee is the most secular leader of the country. It thus becomes pertinent that all should vote for her in the 2016 assembly elections.”

Is this statement on live TV enough for a few Bengali artists to return their awards to Mamata Bannerjee? Will a rally be taken out by eminent personalities against such veiled death threats?