I think this whole issue of banning Maa Tujhe Salaam is stupid and wrong.  Whatever happened to the concept of free speech.  Why is it that anything anti Pakistan or for that matter pro India is made into an anti Muslim issue.  Anwar bhai whatever you might say, but in my opinion you are wrong to come to the defense of those that oppose this movie.  But more than that I think you are wrong in equating Pakistani's with Muslims.  There are a lot of Muslims in India (more than any other country in the world except Indonesia) who have absolutely no problem with this film.  Anyhow if you don't like it, don't watch it.  A bunch of hooligans breaking the law to oppose and/or ferment trouble using the movie as an excuse is no reason to ban the film.  Instead they should be penalized under the law and made an example of so that others are discouraged from doing the same.  I don't recall any American films that were anti Soviet (and there are many) ever being banned in the UK.  Or for that matter a film like Indiana Jones and The Temple Of Doom being banned, which had elements quite degrading to Indians and more specifically Hindus.  On the other hand, I don't think Maa Tujhe Salaam has anything in it that could be even slightly construed as anti Muslim.  Anti Pakistan, maybe, but definately not anti Muslim.  Because if that was so, the movie would never have cleared the Indian censors to begin with.  It is about time that people stopped equating Islam & Pakistan or for that matter Kashmir & Muslims.  Furthermore if Pakistan wishes to do so, it is more than welcome to make it's own anti Indian films.  O' wait, they have made a few in the past, have they not?  So what's the difference here?  The fact that people prefer to watch Indian films over the generally inferior Pakistani films.
PS: My post is in no way meant to be offensive to Islam or any Muslims (Pakistani or otherwise) and I hope that no one will try and construe it that way.
And by the way, I personally would support banning not just this film but all such films.  Although that ban would be on the grounds of it being, just plain bad cinema and not personal political beliefs. 
 
Edited By Sanjay on Jan. 29 2002 at 22:59