By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Propaganda against madrassas in a section of media is a kind of terrorism, said Jamiat e Ulama e Hind’s All India general secretary Maulana Syed Mahmud Asad Madani.
Madani was speaking at a protest convention called by Jamiant E Ulama Hind state committee against the propaganda of ‘madrassas in the name of terrorism’ held at Shahid Minar Maidan here on November 29.
Maulana Mahmud Asad Madani
Veteran Jamiat leader and Nayeb Muhtamim of Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana Qari Muhammad Usman said, “The propaganda against the Madrassa and Muslim clerics is not a new topic. I condemn the continuous propaganda by a section of media insisting what the communal forces indicate that the Madrassas are responsible for terrorism.”
Maulana Usman said, “When Christian, Hindu or Sikh commit any crime, nobody mentions the religious angle. So why are different standards applied when a Muslim does any crime? Few years ago, some people were dead in Nanded while a bomb was being made. They (police) found from them an artificial beard. But that is hushed up as a minor matter. This should be stopped.”
“Now, along with Arabic and theological subjects, madrassas teach Science, Geography, English, History, Mathematics and different language also,” he said.
Maulana Usman said, “Madrassa activities are running as per the Indian constitution and we will always fight against terrorism.”
Maulana Mahmud Madani said, Indians Muslims are not the supporter of terrorism and never have supported in the past. The Ulema then directed to see the real way to remove the “bad elements from the society. So, those who are called Muslim terrorist, everyone should call them real terrorist. The propaganda against the Madrassas and Muslims by a section of media is also a kind of terrorism. Muslims are the second largest community in the country, so there is no need to become a terrorist.”
The stage of the convention, called by Jamiat-E Ulama-E Hind at Shahid Minar Maidan Kolkata on 29 November 2014
He called the youth to “come forward through education. All the youth should have only one target: education.”
State president of JUH Maulana Husamuddin said, in the name of terrorism a section of the state trying to malign the madrassas, mosques and clerics. “Madrassas always make good patriotic students,” he said.
Educationist Manisha Banerjee said she senses a conspiracy in the Burdwan incident. “The bomb blast at Burdwan, Khagragarh occurred on October 2. Just few days before, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had delivered a speech on the television where he had clearly warned that Bangladeshi inflators have entered in the country. Few days later, Burdwan blast happened.”
Banerjee also said, “Now media sees in everywhere the terrorism in the name of madrassas but can’t they see where the extremists are? From the Ashram of Baba Rampal rifles were fired targeting the police, however, he is not been declared an extremist or a terrorist n nor is Rampal’s ashram dubbed a terrorist hub.”
Maulana Mahmud Asad Madani and Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury
State secretary of JUH Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury presented a six point proposal at the convention. These are: ‘Do not divide between national solidarity and integrity’, ‘Maintain the secular character of the country, democracy and patriotism’, ‘Never accuse the religion of Islam’, ‘Stop the propaganda against Madrassas’ and ‘Give the assurance about the safety of life and property for all’.
JUH claimed the convention broke all previous records of gathering at the Shahid Minar Maidan post-Independence. According to Kolkata police officials, Shahid Maidan has a capacity of 1.5 lakh people but the gather was twice as much that day.
Large number of people had come from north Bengal, especially from Malda, Murshidabad and North and South Dinajpur district. There were also people from neighboring district, who had come mostly by road. Along with the madrassa students and JUH supporters, a lot of general public was present during the convention.
When police tried to control the overflowing gathering, angry supporters vandalized the police vehicle. It prompted the police to lodgde an FIR against the JUH.
Huge Gathering in the convention, called by Jamiat-E Ulama-E Hind at Shahid Minar Maidan Kolkata on 29 November 2014
State secretary of JUH Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury told TCN, “Before the meeting at Shahid Minar Maidan, we had applied for Brigade Parade ground. But the Army did not give us the permission. So we decided to hold the meeting at Shahid Minar Maidan.”
Three days ago, a delegate of JUH had met Higher Kolkata police officials at Lalbazar and told them clearly about the possibility of “unexpectedly large crowd.” “But it seems Kolkata police underestimated the crowd and failed to control the gathering,” Chowdhury said.
Responding to the call by the JUH to different Muslim organization and leader to participate in the convention, Imam of Nakhoda Mosque Maulana Muhammad Shafique Qasmi; Jamiat E Ahle Hadith state leader Shaikh Professor Ainul Bari; Maulana Yahia of Imams Association; former MLA Anuradha Puttunda; Maulana Rafiqul Islam; Mufti Abdus Salam and several others leaders were present.
(Photos by Sandip Saha for TwoCircles.net)