Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
This has reference to the article “Tablighi Jamaat: Da’wa to Coronavirus’ by K N Pandita DE April 9, 2020. After having gone through the article and with due respects to Prof Pandita I have come to the conclusion that the article has been prepared in haste without any research and analysis. The article is based on anti Tablighi Jamaat material available on internet and it would have been better if a research based piece was written on the issue.
Delhi Govt’s order
Delhi Government while exercising powers conferred by the Delhi Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19, Regulations, 2020, and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 had prohibited all sports gatherings, including IPL matches, as well as conferences and seminars having 200 or more people. The congregation at the Nizamudin Markaz was a clear violation of the order. But at the same time there were scores of meetings and conferences that took place in between March 13th to March 21st in Delhi. Tablighi Jamaat was cornered only because some members were tested COVID positive. Being a law abiding and largest non political Islamic religious movement of the world, Tablighi Jamaat leadership should have taken March 13th orders of Delhi Government very seriously. If we look on the other side of this whole issue, the Government also was not serious about COVID 19 until March 21st evening when PM Modi announced the Janta Curfew (March 22nd 2020) through a TV broadcast. Had officers of Delhi Government like the concerned District Magistrate or SDM enforced March 13th order in letter and spirit especially around Tablighi Jamaat Markaz, the situation would not have taken an ugly turn.
After situation took an ugly turn on March 26th , journalists, academicians and writers are spreading misinformation campaign without doing any homework or research. Many of them claim that it was a deliberate attempt of Tablighi Jamaat to spread COVID 19 infection ? From last more than a week now the situation has taken another ugly turn , many writers, TV anchors, academicians and political analysts have started labeling Tablighi Jamaat as an extremist organisation which according to them is the breeding ground for terror organisations. Some have gone a step ahead calling Tableegi’s as antechamber of fundamentalism which nurses and indoctrinates terrorists ? In such a scenario isn’t it the duty of every conscious citizens from any faith , religion or caste to reveal the facts so that only one sided idea is not promoted. I am writing this piece to put the things straight.
Prof Pandita’s article
His article titled as ” Tablighi Jama’at: Da’wa to Coronavirus-19 “has not only hurt the members of Tablighi Jamaat but the article is being severely criticized by large section of secular and liberal Muslim society as well. The title of the article is highly communal and one can surmise from this article what message is being conveyed to people? It clearly indicates that spreading COVID-19 infection was a deliberate attempt of Tablighi Jamaat which in other-words can be attributed to Muslims at large.
The author writes that Tablighi Jamaat’s goal is to create the “golden age” of Islam (Khilafat) through invitation (tabligh) to Nominal Muslims to return to the six pillars of Islam. He quotes Lamia Karim of Berkley Centre of George Town University. Had Professor done some research himself , he would not have mentioned six (6) pillars of Islam. Everyone is familiar with the fact that there are only 5 Pillars of Islam namely Kalima , Namaz (salah), Fasting (saum/ roza ), Zakat (Alams) and Hajj. As for as Prof Pandita’s Six Pillars are considered these are the teachings of Tablighi Jamaat founder Moulana Elyas Kandhivili who founded this informal organisation way back in 1926. Moulana Elyas declared 6 principles for Tablighi Jamaat other than 5 Pillars of Islam. The “Six Principles” are i.e, Kalimah (Declaration of faith), Salah (Prayer), Ilm-o-zikr (Knowledge), Ikraam (Respect), Ikhlas-e-Niyyat (Sincerity of intention), Dawat-o-Tableegh (Inviting people towards teachings of Islam). By linking these six principles of Tableeg with six pillars of Islam clearly indicates how the things are copy-pasted from internet ?
Non-Violent work
Another thing the author has mentioned is that the Tablighi Jamaat is being heavily criticized by Muslim extremist groups and militant Deobandi Islamist’s, such as the Taliban, Kashmiri militant groups, anti-Shiite sectarian militant groups and Jamiat-e- Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) and Sunni Wahhabi ulema of Saudi Arabia. This is correct to some extent as Tableegi Jamat has always been apolitical and non violent. They have never ever spoken on the issues in Afghanistan , Syria , Iraq , Pakistan or Kashmir. Like other Muslim organisations , Tableegi Jamat in India has never ever spoken against RSS , BJP or any Hindu right wing organisations.
In the same para Prof Pandita takes a sudden U turn and writes that Tablighi Jamaat is largely reported to be serving as a fertile ground for the growth of Islamic religious extremists and is said to be providing terrorist recruits to Al Qaeda and other Islamic militant groups ? This is very much confusing. How can Tableegi Jamat provide recruits to organisations like Al Qeada ,Taliban or other militant groups when the same is being criticized for decades by the Militant groups ? It is a known fact that Intelligence organisations get regular updates about working of Tablighi Jamaat and they have never ever reported anything against Tableegi Jamat and now when this COVID-19 controversy started , this group is being accused not only of spreading the coranovirus infection but is also accused of spreading terrorism. Can Prof Pandita tell me how many Tableegi Jamat people have been involved in militancy in Kashmir ? Can he or any other political analyst tell me how many times this Jamat gave anti India speeches in Kashmir ‘s Masjid’s or asked people to take out anti India processions or throw stones at security personnel ? Never .. A false narrative is being promoted. I have personally attended some programmes of Tablighi Jamaat in past and have never found anything wrong in it. Their sole aim is self purification and making people pray namaz 5 times a day , speaking truth , reading Quran and the book namely Fazail e Aamaal that contains sayings of Prophet Mohammad on the issues of Namaz , Zikir , Fasting (Roza) etc.
The author in his article quotes one Susan Sadi who published a piece 17 years back titled as The Truth is worth (New York Times of July 14, 2003) linking Tablighi Jamaat with Al Qaeda. For information of readers there is no official membership for Tablighi Jamaat and people come and attend its programmes for 4 months , 40 days or 3 days, stay in Masjids and travel from one place to another . This is similar to living in seclusion which Sufi people used to call Chilla (40 days) a sort of self purification worship in isolation away from family and home. The individuals coming to these programmes are from diverse backgrounds and they are not only from lower strata of the Muslim community as Prof Pandita has mentioned in his article. People like Pakistani Cricketer Inzamam ul Haq , Saeed Anwar and many others are also actively involved in Tableeg work from last 20 years. One must have noticed these known celebrities hardly gave any political statements or support violent ways to achieve political goals. If some individuals participate in programmes of Tablighi Jamaat and then commit crime after some years , one cannot attribute his or her ideology to the organisation (Tablighi Jamaat) ? If that has to be investigated one must see what kind of ideology Tableegi Jamat follows or what kind of literature / books they ask their followers to read ?
Foreign Tableegis
Prof Pandita in his article mentions about Tablighi Jamaat’s foreign participants who according to him are engaged in missionary activities and not underwent stipulated 14-day home quarantine after landing in India. I want to make this clear that Tablighi Jamaat is not a missionary organisation that is involved in religious conversions. The Jamat only works within Muslim communities. As for as 14 day home quarantine is considered who was supposed to enforce it ? As per my information the foreign nationals that were held up in Nizamudin markaz had come to India in February or early March. In February no foreign nationals were being examined at the airports and this is a known fact. In March first week Government started thermal temperature checking for Chinese returned persons at airport and by March 7th or 8th passengers returning from other countries were also being examined ? By March 12th this was extended to domestic passengers as well. Those foreigners who turned to be COVID 19 positive after being taken out of Nizamudin Markaz hardly knew what all was happening ? If authorities were not serious until 22nd March , how could ordinary people be serious about this ? How can we even blame airport authorities or immigration officials who allowed these foreigners to enter India ? Those traveling around January or February would have no symptoms at all and persons having landed in Delhi , Mumbai or other Indian airports in March would not have developed symptoms while entering India as it took them some weeks to develop COVID 19 symptoms.
All the foreign travelers had a valid passport and visa given by Indian high commission in Malaysia , Indonesia , Thailand , Bangladesh , USA, UK or any other country. Those foreigners who landed in India especially from countries like UAE , Saudi Arabia , Iran , Malaysia , China , Indonesia , Philippines , Thailand , South Korea and other COVID 19 effected countries post March 13th or 14th should have been send to quarantine centers but who was supposed to do that ?
Why these foreign Jamaatis were not quarantined while landing at New Delhi airport or any other airport in India post March 10th when the disease was spreading fastly in India ? Why didn’t Delhi Government kept a medical team outside the Tablighi Markaz in view of the fact that many foreign nationals visit the Markaz daily ? These are important issues which Government needs to answer ?
Conclusion
Tablighi Jamaat is an Islamic reformation movement that focuses on Muslims to return to practicing their religion as it was practiced during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). This Movement isn’t even involved in religious conversions of Non Muslims as it is solely focused on reformation of Muslim society as per teachings of Quran and says of Prophet Mohammad (SAW). Tablighi Jamaat is also not involved in any political activities and during last 95 years since this organisation was established the organisation has never even issued a press statement or established offices in towns and cities. On daily basis local intelligence unit of Delhi police collects details of visitors who come to Nizamudin Markaz as a visitors book is well maintained there . Till date the intelligence or police have never even given an adverse report against Tablighi Jamaat in India.The expenses on account of food and travel are taken care by the persons themselves who travel for 3 days ,40 days or 4 months. During this time people stay in Masjids. While people are in Jamat tour it is forbidden to discuss any kind of politics and worldly affairs. To drag these people into a new controversy like spreading COVID 19 infection deliberately and helping terrorist groups is completely ludicrous and absurd which hurts the sentiments of Muslims at large.
(The author is Srinagar based Activist and Columnist.)
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