By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Considering it to be their obligation every Indian Muslim organizations within or outside the country is pouring in condemnation towards Al-Qaeda’s announcement of establishment of its militant branch in the South Asia region that includes India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The move of Al-Qaeda is being criticized on all forums in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Muslim organizations in these countries got alarmed immediately after the news of founding of a special branch of Al-Qaeda in Indian Sub continent got viral in the media due to declaration by Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, chief of global militant outfit Al-Qaeda in his 55 minutes video tape released online on early Thursday.
Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri
Condemnations from Indian Muslims
The Darul Uloom Deoband, which has substantial influence in South Asia, was among the first seminaries to have issued a fatwa against terrorism. Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, director of the seminary, said, “Indian Muslims are non-violent and they love their country. They will never be persuaded by a terrorist group.”Reacting to the video message on social media outlets from the al-Qaeda announcing the creation of its branch in the Indian subcontinent, Mufti Nomani said, “Islam is a non-violent religion which talks about propagating peace across the world. Followers of this peaceful religion would never buy arguments of the terrorist groups.”
The Jamaat-e-Islami, an influential countrywide organisation, said the Indian state would deal with the threat. “If the video is indeed genuine, then the Indian state will naturally fight it. Indian Muslims will also fight it. But we are equally concerned about right-wing Hindu as well as Naxal extremism,” Jamaat’s political secretary Mohammed Ahmed said.
“Despite reiteration and disavowing terror again and again, Muslims are still asked their opinion. Al Qaeda at best is a horrible dream. To think of a conscious support from Indian Muslims…that is so preposterous. Muslims are more worried about people like Yogi Adityanath,” said Prof. Rizwan Kaiser who teaches in Jamia Millia Islamia told HT.
Indian American Muslim organizations and their leaders unanimously condemned even the remotest possibility of Al-Qaeda potentially engaging in indiscriminate violence against innocent citizens in India. These organizations include Association of Indian Muslims (AIM), Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Indian Minorities Advocacy Network (ImanNet), Indian Muslim Educational Foundation of North America (IMEFNA), Indian Muslim Relief & Charities (IMRC), Muslim Youth Awareness Alliance (MYAA) and Supporters of Human Rights in India (SHRI).
The American Federation of Muslims of Indian (AFMI) considers the terrorist group’s plans for India with alarm and urges the Indian population in general, and Indian Muslims in particular, to be vigilant about any extremist and suspicious activity and to immediately bring it to the notice of the police, public officials, and community leaders.
The Islamic Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought denounced Al-Qaeda’s attempt of spreading its activities in India and said Despite the ominousness of this announcement the forum is confident that the Muslims of India are peace-loving people and will never succumb to any extremist propaganda.
Condemnation from Myanmar
The Burmese Muslim Association (BMA) has also rejected statements by Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri, unveiling the terror group’s new focus on Myanmar, Bangladesh and India.
BMA said in its statement issued Friday that it urged people to live together in harmony regardless of racial and religious differences.The Muslims living in the country would not tolerate any threat to their motherland, the BMA’s statement said.
Mizzima Daily in Myanmar cited an official of the President’s Office as stating that precautionary measures have been taken by armed forces to beef up check points and monitor infiltration of terrorists.
Condemnation from Bangladesh
Thereport24 reported that in reaction to Zawahri’s message State Minister for Home Affairs of Bangladesh Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “The government is scrutinizing the Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahri’s video message that gives hints of the presence of the Islamic militant force on the ground of Bangladesh.”
The minister said on Thursday, “Nothing to be worried about the alleged message of Al Qaeda leader Zawahri, as the law enforcement agencies have always been put on alert against all sort of militancy,” he said while talking to newsmen at his Secretariat office.
“Now, we are examining the alleged message of Zawahri. If existence of al-Qaeda is found in the country, it will soon be eliminated,” he also said.
Ameer of Khelafat Majlish Principal Maulana Mohammad Ishak said, “Al Qaeda is a terrorist group. It has been engaged in different terror activities defaming Islam. We are against all such terror activities.
We condemn the announcement of Zawahiri. The terror outfit would not get support from Bangladeshis and people having conscience can no way support Zawahiri and his terror activities.”
Islami Oikkyajote chairman Maulana Abdul Latif Nezami said, “We are engaged in democratic movement and we do not believe in armed revolution. We are clearly and unequivocally against the announcement of Zawahiri in launching terror outfit’s operation in Bangladesh.”
Hefazat-e-Islam’s organizing secretary Maulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi said, “There is prevailing a congenial and peaceful environment in Bangladesh. People are living in peace and in such a situation the announcement by Al Qaeda chief Zawahiri has made the people fearful and worried. Bangladesh had experienced earlier militant activities and terrorism by Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Harkat-ul Jihad. But they could not emerge successful and Al Qaeda would not come out successful in Bangladesh despite their announcement.”
Although Al-Qaeda never bothers about such condemnations from Muslim organizations and continue to hold on to its ideology irrespective of following or denial at large by the Muslim community but Muslims in South Asia are concerned about their security due to such announcement under their alleged persecution in the region.
In reference to regions in South Asia, Zawahiri said in the 55 minutes video that the group will defend the “vulnerable in the Indian subcontinent, in Burma, Bangladesh, Assam, Gujurat, Ahmedabad, and Kashmir …” and “your brothers in Qaedat al-Jihad did not forget you and that they are doing what they can to rescue you from injustice, oppression, persecution, and suffering.”
“A new branch of al-Qaeda was established and is Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent, seeking to raise the flag of jihad, return the Islamic rule, and empowering the Shariah of Allah across the Indian subcontinent,” Zawahiri declares in the opening of the video.
He urged Muslims in these regions “to wage jihad against its enemies, to liberate its land, to restore its sovereignty and to revive its caliphate.
His declaration and urgings is being squarely rounded up by the Muslims in the region who are out rightly discarding intervention of Al-Qaeda in their affairs in the country.