By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Amidst massive campaigns by intelligence and investigating agencies, well supported by media, that Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) is involved in all bombings from Ajmer to Ahmedabad, the Delhi High Court tribunal order lifting ban on SIMI is nothing short of a succour to the organization and the Muslim community at large.
The Muslim leadership, in one voice, has welcomed the order given by Justice Geeta Mittal on 5th August, and said that the order will not only restore faith in judiciary but also help clean the image of the Muslim community and Muslim organizations. They are not surprised at the decision as they believe that the ban was clamped on unsubstantiated ground.
Ejaz Ahmed Aslam, secretary (public relations) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind told TwoCircles.net, “Unfortunately and wrongly Students Islamic Movement of India is being victimized. Those people attached with it are not at all militant, they are law abiding people. But unfortunately their name is being dragged everywhere.”
Will the order have any impact on public opinion about Muslims and Muslim organizations? “To some extent, not fully, because minds of the people have been poisoned in a big way; therefore it may have limited impact,” said Ejaz Aslam.
He said that Muslims will have to continuously work for presenting their better image and correct the image media has been presenting.
He expressed apprehension that anti-Muslim forces will not take the tribunal order easily. “While the Delhi High Court tribunal has quashed the ban, the anti-Muslim forces will use some other methods so that the ban may continue,” he told TCN.
Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, president of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, told TwoCircles.net that the tribunal order is the “vindication of our position that the ban was unjust and was clamped on unproved charges. We welcome the decision. We think that Indian judiciary has proved that it is independent and is strong enough to withstand the pressure of the government.”
He said the order will have some impact on the public opinion about Muslims. “People with liberal outlook will welcome the decision. But the saffron media will say that the government did not do homework and that the order of the court is not because SIMI is innocent but because the government did not produce sufficient proof, Dr Khan continued.
What does the tribunal order mean for the community? “The order will give some strength to the community.” But it will have side effect also. “I think that the forces that are against the Muslim community will be more active now. They will use the order as weapon against the government. I don’t think campaign and propaganda against Muslims will stop here. It will go on. Why? “Because ban on SIMI or not such propaganda has itself meaning and purpose for the anti-Muslim forces.” He said to TCN.
“As far as Muslim community is concerned, we stand vindicated because we have said since 2001 when the first ban was imposed on SIMI that it was unjust and there is no proof that SIMI as an organization indulges in terrorist activities” said Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan. He, however, admitted that it is “possible that certain individuals may have been implicated in such activities. If they are proved guilty they should be punished but not the whole organization.”
He said that All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat will soon bring about a white paper on terrorism in India.
Talking to TwoCircles.net Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, member of the Governing Council of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), said, “The order has consolidated our position. Since the beginning we have been saying that there has not been any proof to substantiate that SIMI has been involved in any illegal or antinational activities. The entire issue was fabricated.”
How is the tribunal order significant for the Muslim community? “This is a remarkable development for the community because if the ban had been upheld then all Muslim organizations, one by one, could have been implicated in terrorist activities. And the government would take action against them.”
Strengthening his point Dr Qasim Rasool Ilyas, who is also convener of the Babri Masjid Committee of AIMPLB, said, “In the background note of the ban which had been submitted by the government it has been tried to connect each and every Muslim organization in the country. It was an indirect way to implicate entire Muslim community in terrorist activities.”
SIMI was first banned in 2001 and the ban has since been renewed every two years. What is interesting is that despite the fact that SIMI was banned, it has been blamed for every bombing and terrorist attack in the period and in the garb of SIMI, innocent Muslim youths were detained after each attack.
“During the ban SIMI was linked with every blast and terrorist attack and indirectly the entire Muslim community particularly youths were blamed for it. In the name of Simi many people were arrested who were even remotely not connected with SIMI,” Dr. Ilyas told TCN.
While the Muslim organizations have long been of the view that the ban was uncalled for and fabricated, the lifting of the ban will give correct signal to non-Muslim people in India especially those whose minds were poisoned by the propaganda that SIMI is involved in every blast and bombing in the country, he said.
Along with Muslim leaders, two key allies of the ruling UPA Government have also welcomed the lifting of ban on SIMI.
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav have been quoted saying that there should have been no ban on SIMI. And if at all SIMI has to be banned then why Shiv Sena, RSS and Durga Vahini should not be banned, they pointed out.