By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Lucknow: All India Ulema & Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), premier body of Barelvi Muslims have promoted its General Secretary to the President post. In a meeting held in Amethi on the eve of last Sunday’s Sunni Conference, Syed Mohammad Ashraf Kichhouchhwi has been made the president of the party. The Core Committee of the AIUMB made Babar Ashraf the new General Secretary, he was earlier serving as the National Secretary of the organization.
Later thousands attended the Sunni Conference at Amethi, far below the expected lakhs that AIUMB hoped to attract.
The growth of extremism in the country was the main subject along with representation of Sunni Sufi Muslims in Muslim bodies like Hajj Committees and Waqf boards and government bodies requiring Muslim participation like Maulana Azad Education Foundation and Minority Finance and Developmental Corporation.
Hazrat Maulana syed Mohammad Ashraf Kichchauchvi said that it is known that the khanqahs, Aastanas and Dargahs are spiritual centers that are revered by all including non Muslims and so heads of the spiritual centers found it necessary to come out to save the country and the community from an extreme alien ideology which is destroying the social fabric and creating social He was critical of government apathy towards the community which boasts to be the second largest Muslim population in the world.
Maulana said that the time has come when the union and state governments will have to change their view and stop seeing Muslim issues from the eyes of Wahabi/Salafi elements who have grabbed high positions in Muslim bodies and government bodies requiring Muslim participation.
The conference was addressed by Syed Mehdi Mian and Syed Abdur Rab (Chand Mian) MaulanaAnsar Raza, Syed Sayedul Anwar Syedi Mian, Maulana Junaid Khan, Maulana Syed Alamgir Ashraf, Maulana Nooruddin Asdaq, Maulana Shakil Misbahi, Syed Aamir Masoodi, Syed Tanvir Hashimi.