New Delhi, Oct 2 : As Iran launched hundreds of missiles at Israel, All India Imam Association Chairman Maulana Sajid Rashidi on Wednesday called it a war of self-defence.

Talking to IANS, Rashidi said: "Whatever Israel is doing on the map of the whole world, everyone knows it. Palestine in 1948 gave space to Israel in its own home. They always misused it. Whatever atrocities Israel is doing on children and destroying Gaza, Israel will surely have to suffer for it."

"Israel killed Palestinian politician Ismail Haniyeh by entering into Iran, where he was a guest. Now, Israel killed the chief of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah. Iran will react to it. I will also not tolerate anyone coming to my home and killing my guest. This is the result of that. That's why Iran is fighting a war of defence and it should fight. All Muslims are upset about the silence of the Arab world. I think Israel should be wiped out from existence," he added.

Rashidi asserted that Hitler had said at that time that I am leaving some Jews so that the whole world would see what kind of community it was.

He also supported the controversial religious figure Zakir Naik's remark where he asserted that eating beef is not mandatory in Islam and that if someone imposes a ban, it should be followed.

He said: "Absolutely everyone is respecting it, all the people of India are respecting it, wherever cow is banned, Muslims do not eat it. In fact, in our holy book, it has even been said that cow meat is a disease and milk is a cure."

"Muslims of India do not eat cow, yes Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiran Rijiju eats it, he accepts in the parliament. When Former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was alive, he had clearly said that we would not let there be a shortage of beef in the state," he stated.

Rashidi claimed that cow meat is eaten in northern India and raised questions on the Hindu organisations.

"When you say that cow is your mother, why is she mother only in some parts? Why is she not mother in the whole of India? It should be banned in entire India. Some Hindu organisations themselves eat cow meat and blame Muslims," he concluded.

/IANS