One of India’s most liberal and independent-minded thinkers and artistes, Javed Akhtar has spoken out strongly against the Taliban’s new laws that legitimize domestic violence. The Taliban has reportedly legalized wife-beating, provided no bones are broken.

Reacting to what he describes as an inhuman endorsement of violence, Javed Saab said, “The impunity with which this so-called law legalizes violence is shocking to us not to them (the Taliban). I beseech the muftis and mullahs of India to condemn it unconditionally, because it is all being done in the name of their religion. Whatever the reason for this barbaric decree, let us not give any credence to it.”

Javed Saab emphasized that human values and basic decency are non-negotiable. “It’s not about religion; it is about human decency. Violence being endorsed in any form and I include movies must be condemned by all right-thinking human beings.”

Speaking about violence in cinema, he added, “We (Salim Khan and I) never condoned or glorified violence of any kind least of all violence against women. The women characters in our screenplays, be it the blockbuster Sholay or the unsuccessful Imaan Dharam, were treated with due respect and dignity. Cinema has a huge responsibility towards society to project the right values. And by ‘right’, I mean those values that give dignity, respect and a voice to all sections of society.”

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