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AMP Report - February 25, 2008
20,000 scholars at Darul-Uloom Deoband
term terrorism un-Islamic
On February 25, 2008, Darul Uloom Deoband, the second-largest institute of Islamic learning after Cairo's Al-AzharUniversity, held an "All India Anti-Terrorism Conference" in the town of Deoband near the Indian capital of New Delhi. The conference, which was attended by an estimated 20,000 Islamic clerics, scholars, muftis and teachers of madrasas from across India, issued a declaration against terrorism stating that killing a single person is tantamount to "the killing of the entire humanity, without differentiation based on creed and caste." While not mentioning it by name, the declaration accused the U.S. of tyranny and colonialism in the Muslim world, saying: "The Conference expresses its deep concern and agony [over] the alarming global and national conditions [presently prevailing in the world], in which most of the nations are adopting an attitude against their citizens - especially the Muslims - that cannot be justified in any way, in order to appease the tyrant and colonial master of the West."
The declaration expressed concern regarding Western influence over the "internal and external" policies of India's government, noting: "It is a matter of greater concern that the internal and external policies of our country are [becoming] heavily influenced by these forces. Their aggression, barbarism and state-sponsored terrorism - not only in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in Bosnia and various South American countries - have surpassed all records known to human history."
The declaration also asked the Indian government "to curb those maligning the madrasas and Muslims" in India (in recent years, Indian police have arrested a number of youth from Islamic seminaries for their alleged involvement in terror-related activities). According to the declaration, "The situation has worsened [to such an extent] that every Indian Muslim, especially those associated with madrasas, who are innocent with good record of character, are always gripped by the fear that they might be trapped by the administrative machinery anytime."
Adil Siddiqui, a spokesman for the Deoband school, noted that “whenever there is any incident of terrorism, every possible attempt is made to link it to Muslims, particularly who have studied in madressahs. This is totally wrong.”
Various fatwas have been issued in the past against terrorism but this is the first time that such a large gathering of scholars have came out strongly against terrorism. This is also a first attempt to define terrorism in light of Islam.
Representatives of many different Muslim schools of thought and Muslim organizations attended the conference. Apart from madrasas following Darul Uloom Deoband's school of thought, the representatives and Ulama of Baraelwi, Ahl-e-Hadith, Jama'at-e-Islami and Shi'ah schools of thought, as well as Sajjada Nashins of various Dargahs attended the conference.
The heads and representatives of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat(Salim Qasmi), Milli Council and the Darul Uloom Deoband's Old Boys Association also participated in the conference.
The Islamic seminary founded in 1866 has always been in the news for its far-reaching “fatwas”.
The Darul Uloom has been in talks with Islamic scholars across the world to arrive at a consensus on issues like terrorism and whether such tools of violence are just, a seminary official was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
Darul Uloom Deoband is considered as one of the more orthodox schools within Islam and some believe it inspired the Taliban movement.
India is home to nearly 150 million Muslims and has an honorary seat at the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Text of the declaration
"DECLARATION
"All India Anti-Terrorism Conference
"Organized by: Rabta Madaris Islamiah (Islamic Madrasas Association)
"Darul Uloom Deoband, on 17 Safar 1429 H = 25 February 2008 Monday
"Chaired by: Hazrat Maulana Marghoobur Rahman Sahib,
"Mohtamim Darul Uloom Deoband & President of Islamic Madrasas Association, Darul Uloom Deoband
"Islam is the religion of mercy for all humanity. It is the fountainhead of eternal peace, tranquility [and] security. Islam has given so much importance to human beings that it regards the killing of a single person [as] the killing [of] the entire humanity, without differentiation based on creed and caste. Its teaching of peace encompasses all humanity. Islam has taught its followers to treat all mankind with equality, mercy, tolerance [and] justice. Islam sternly condemns all kinds of oppression, violence and terrorism. It has regarded oppression, mischief, rioting and murdering among [the] severest sins and crimes.
"This All India Anti-Terrorism Conference, attended by the representatives of all Muslim schools of thought, organised by Rabta Madaris Islamiah Arabia (The Islamic Madrasas Association) Darul Uloom Deoband, condemns all kinds of violence and terrorism in the strongest possible terms.
"The Conference expresses its deep concern and agony [over] the alarming global and national conditions [presently prevailing in the world], in which most of the nations are adopting an attitude against their citizens - especially the Muslims - that cannot be justified in any way, in order to appease the tyrant and colonial master of the West. It is a matter of [even] greater concern that the internal and external policies of our country are becoming heavily influenced by these forces. Their aggression, barbarism and state-sponsored terrorism - not only in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, but also in Bosnia and various South American countries - have surpassed all records known to human history. Our great nation, [on the other hand], has always been known for impartiality and [for] its moral and spiritual values.
"Now the situation has worsened [to such an extent] that every Indian Muslim - especially those associated with madrasas, who are innocent with good record of character - are always gripped by the fear that they might be trapped by the administrative machinery anytime. Today countless innocent Muslims are spending their lives behind bars, and are forced to bear many intolerable tortures. [At the same time], those spreading terror, attacking police stations, killing police [officers] in broad daylight and [carrying] illegal arms are roaming about freely, while the government takes no effective and preventive steps to check their acts of terrorism and violence.
"This [discriminatory] attitude has put a big question mark on the secular character of the government, posing a great threat to the country. The All India Anti-Terrorism Conference strongly condemns this attitude, expresses its deep concern [over] this partiality of the government officials, and declares its continuous joint struggle for [rule] of law, justice and [secularism].
"This conference strongly demands that the Indian Government curb those maligning the madrasas and Muslims. The administrative machinery should be [required] to conduct impartial investigations into activities [of] disturbing public peace in the country, and to punish only those found guilty. [The conference] also demands to free the accused if he is found innocent, and to punish severely those officials who accused him of terrorism. No person of any particular community should be suspected without solid reasons. In short, the government agencies must fulfill their duty justly, without any prejudice and bias, so that real peace and security may prevail in the country.
"This All India Anti-Terrorism Conference [calls on] all intellectuals, writers and [journalists] to analyze the national and international affairs independently and honestly, and [to] avoid biased and partial attitudes. Moreover, this All India anti-Terrorism Conference, attended by the representatives of all schools of thought, [calls on] to all Muslims to continue, as they always did in the past, their loyalty towards the dear motherland and [their] love and respect towards humanity. It appeals to them to fully understand the present alarming situation, the gravity and intensity of the time, and to feel the pulse of the present world, so that they might not be employed as tools of evil by anti-Islamic or anti-national forces.
"It [further calls on] them to live with dignity and pride, to be faithful to the country, to fully trust their leadership, to render full support to [the] Islamic madarsas which are valuable assets of the Muslim Ummah, to spend their lives... following [the] Islamic Shariah and teachings with full confidence. They should always remember that [the] most important thing is Islam and its practice; hence, their prime focus should be on enriching their lives with good deeds and noble manners - for the state of the world is deteriorating due to non-practice of [the] Islamic teachings.
Need for holding state-wise conferences against terrorism.
"This meeting of [the] working committee of [the] All India Madarsas Association [regards it] necessary to hold state-wi[d]e conferences, [just] as it held this grand conference in view of the existing [circumstances]. The present situation of the country demands a joint and constant effort to denounce terrorism, [as well as the] biased and discriminatory attitudes of the government against the Muslim community. Such conferences must be held in the major [cities] of all the states. This meeting appeals to Darul Uloom Deoband to act as a leader in this direction. “
http://darululoom-deoband.com/english/news/shownews.php?id=5
Via E Mail - March 1, 2008
Introspection on Deoband Declaration
By M. Burhanuddin Qasmi
It is imperative to see that even some hard core BJP sevaks are speaking about organizing debate on mutual understanding among Hindus and Muslims in India after the Anti-Terrorism Deoband Conference on 25 February, 2008. It is also appreciable that national and international media both print and electronic are taking the 'Deoband Declaration' with the same letter and spirit that the issue actually deserved.
The discussions on various web sites and TV talks where a few participants have understably put their views honestly are encouraging. Some of the arguments like what more the Darul Uloom can do while countering terrorism and why Deoband was organizing the conference this late in some newspapers and web blogs have also been repeated in the conference itself by the speakers and enshrined in the 'Deoband Declaration', where this writer was present as participant as well as a member while preparing the declaration.
What disturbing common peace loving Muslims of India is why the mainstream media or for that matter socio-political analysts in general are not asking write wing Hindu political parties— Shiv Sena, BJP and extremist organizations like VHP, RSS and Bajrang Dal to introspect honestly about their role in the national integration and communal harmony in India. Why a debate is not being conducted to precisely define what exactly terrorism is? If the activities of ULFA, Maoist, Naxalite and LTTE come under the universal definition of terrorism, if yes, then why a word 'Muslim' is prefixed while describing some terrorists and others are just known by the organizations they belong to?
Very recently Tamilnadu police have unfolded a terrorist plot of Privar activists and arrested three persons-- S Ravi Pandian (42), S Kumar (28} and V Narayana Sharma (26), all Sangh Parivar activists, for bomb blasts in the bus stop and RSS office at Tenkasi, a busy town in Tirunelveli District of Tamilnadu, where at least six persons were killed. The list is long from Nanded, Jhalna, Nagpur to Jama Masjid Delhi, Malegaon and Makkah Masjid Hyderabad where write wing political interest is suspect to be behind blasts and fair, transparent investigation is awaited.
While making a trustworthy peaceful society police has a vital role to play but unfortunately it is here India is in making gulf between communities. At a Mumbai flyover a school boy was caught for rough driving, the police officer asks for driving license and when he had the license in hand where a Muslim name was inscribed in it he gores over the boy saying 'kidar ko bomb phorna hain' (where are you going to drop the bomb)? The boy angrily responses what rubbish are you talking about sir? The officer replies 'saly pher itna speed se keyu bhaga raha hain?' (Bullshit (sic) then why are you driving this fast?)
We all must abide by the law and make our policing physically transparent to punish all the criminals whosoever or whatever political party or organization he may belong to and protect all innocent peoples from the least humiliation, was also one of the clear and underlined messages that Deoband declaration wanted to convey to the world. It is the execution of justice which ensures trust of a person on the constitution of a country and the trust leads to love and longing with the nation. You cannot create patriot, they are born out of longing and belong to the system from within, argues the scholars at the Deoband conference.
Maulana Arshad Madni, Dean in Darul Uloom Deoband went a little far and demanded to the government of India for visible equal justice for all. He said "either you declare India a Hindu Rashtra or give all citizens equal justice" he claimed injustice has gradually crossed all limit.
Let us unite to work to instill trust in us and begin every investigation from an equal point without being pre-occupied by one sided notions, is the voice in Muslims streets. Some times real culprits are moving around freely and instead innocents are behind the bar for no wrong of their own, fueling further terror causes.
The theme of the Deoband conference is 'terrorism' is deplorable, unacceptable in any form whatsoever, anywhere in the world; and it belongs to no religion. Terrorism is no body's monopoly— Mahatma Gandhi, two Indian Prime Ministers, Srilankan President, two US presidents were assassinated by terrorists, not Muslims, thus the idea 'every Muslims may not be terrorist but every terrorist is a Muslim' is sic and factually wrong.----
(Author M. Burhanuddin Qasmi is editor of Eastern Crescent, a Deoband alumnus and director of Mumbai based Markazul Ma'arif Education and Research Centre. He can be contacted at manager@markazulmaarif.org)
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