By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi : The anti-terrorism conferences being organized in the country by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) or other Muslim organizations are not meant to clean the image of the Muslim community or madrasas, said Maulana Arshad Madani, ex-president, JUH on 10th May.
Rather, these conferences are just to spread the Islamic teachings of peace and brotherhood and also to expose hands that are hell-bent to tarnish the image of Islam and the Muslim community, said he who has been instrumental behind these conferences after the 25th February national anti-terrorism conference organized by Darul Uloom Deoband.
The Delhi conference, held at Urdu Park in the vicinity of Jama Masjid, was attended by prominent personalities from across communities including Rashtriya Sahara Group Editor Aziz Burney, social activist Teesta Seetalvad, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar, Madhu Sudan Brahamchari besides Muslim religious leaders like Maulana Syed Salman Hasani Nadwi and Maulana Rafiq Qasmi of Jamat-e-Islami Hind.
Teesta Setalvad (first from left), Arshad Madni (in the middle) participating in the Anti Terrorism Conference, New Delhi
Seetalvad condemned malicious efforts to attach Islam with terrorism, saying that Islam has always been supporting democracy, and it is the first religion to give equal rights to men and women.
Maulana Hasani Nadwi said the globalization of war on terrorism is just to terrorise Muslims and tarnish the image of Islam. Raising the issue of arrest of innocents in the country, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar suggested constitution of a panel or a mechanism, between police and court, which can look into the genuineness of such arrests before the suspects are produced in the court. Maulana Arshad Madani, in his presidential address, elaborated on the role of madrasas in the independence war.
Audience listening the speakers in the conference
What caught attention of many people, during the conference, was sloganeering every now and then in support of Maulana Arshad Madani as JUH president. This may be taken as a support gathering campaign by Arshad Madani group. Readers may recall that Maulana Arshad Madani was removed from the JUH presidentship by a no-confidence motion approved by the organization’s executive committee on 6th March. The matter has now landed in court. His rival in JUH, Maulana Mahmood Madani is also organizing such anti-terrorism conferences in other parts of the country.