Lucknow’s Maulana Kalbe Jawad challenges Prime Minister Modi’s diplomatic ties, claiming Iran protects cattle while Israel remains a global hub for beef consumption.
Firebrand Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad has launched a blistering attack on India’s foreign policy, using a sharp dietary contrast to highlight what he calls the hypocrisy of the nation’s alliance with Israel. Speaking to a charged crowd in the historic district of Lucknow, Jawad didn’t pull his punches. He centered his grievance on a single, provocative claim: “Iran don’t eat cow but Israel tables are full of beef and you call it fatherland.”
The statement is a direct needle to the Indian government’s domestic stance on cow protection. Jawad, a 35-year veteran of religious and social activism, argued that while the Islamic Republic of Iran maintains a cultural and religious reverence for cattle that prevents their slaughter, Israel treats beef as a staple. He then turned his sights on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning why India embraces a nation he describes as a “fatherland” of Zionism while ignoring the values of its regional neighbors.
Jawad’s rhetoric isn’t just about what’s on the dinner plate. It’s a geopolitical broadside. The cleric referred to the Israeli leadership as “international criminals” and slammed the Prime Minister for accepting awards from Tel Aviv. He pointed to the recent targeted killings of Iranian leaders as evidence of a “cowardly” campaign led by Israel and the United States.
“Is this the partnership India wants?” Jawad asked the crowd. “To side with those who spill blood and feast on the very animals we claim to protect at home?”
The Maulana’s words carry weight in Uttar Pradesh, where the Shia community looks to him for both spiritual and political guidance. By framing the argument around cow protection, Jawad is effectively using the government’s own ideological language against it. He noted that while India expresses “deep concern” over cattle welfare domestically, it strengthens ties with a country where the beef industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
The timing of this speech is no accident. Tensions between Iran and Israel have reached a boiling point, and Jawad has already declared three days of mourning in Lucknow. He called for a total shutdown of businesses in the city’s old quarters to show solidarity with Tehran. For Jawad, the choice is binary: you either stand with the “oppressed” in Iran or the “oppressors” in what he calls the Zionist fatherland.
Government officials haven’t officially responded to the Maulana’s specific claims about Iranian dietary habits, which some trade experts say are exaggerated. Iran does indeed have a domestic beef market, though it is smaller than its poultry and lamb sectors. However, in the realm of street-level politics, the accuracy of the cattle census matters far less than the sting of the comparison.
And the sting is being felt. Local authorities are on high alert as a candlelight march is set to proceed through the Chhota Imambara tonight. Jawad has warned that the “slave-like” devotion to Western interests will eventually cost India its moral standing on the global stage.
What happens next depends on how New Delhi manages this domestic friction. If the Shia community in India continues to feel that their religious sentiments are being sidelined for the sake of strategic defense deals with Israel, the protests in Lucknow may only be the beginning. The Maulana has made his position clear: you can’t talk about “Matru Shakti” at home while praising a “fatherland” that eats beef abroad.
