By
Manimugdha S Sharma
Dec 21,
2020
The
stinging criticism of the authorities by city courts while acquitting
foreigners accused in the Tablighi Jamaat case has brought new hope for scores
of others who have quietly suffered both the pandemic and the ignominy. But
people associated with Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid — where the
gathering had happened in March — are seeing it as an “incomplete victory”.
A Muslim people standing near Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi on
Thursday
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“Yes, we
are happy about the verdict, but this happiness is incomplete without the
guilty being punished. We want action against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as
it was his government that first filed an FIR and opened the door for all this
negativity,” said Shahid Ali, spokesperson of Nizamuddin Markaz. He also
demanded strict action against certain sections of the electronic media that
had run a smear campaign against Tablighi Jamaat, insinuating that it had
indulged in some sort of a “Corona Jihad”.
Calling it
a blot on India’s pluralistic ethos, Ali said that the country’s name had been
besmirched. “This is a country that takes pride in ‘Atithi Devo Bhavaha’
(guest is god). These people came from so many different countries. What ‘Atithi
Devo Bhavaha’ did we show?” he asked.
Author Ziya
Us Salam wrote in his recent book, ‘Inside the Tablighi Jamaat’, that
since its inception, this was really the first time that the Jamaat had landed
in trouble. “For almost 100 years, Tablighi Jamaat, a self-effacing apolitical
body, engaged in the spiritual renewal of Muslims, had worked assiduously and
quietly. Unknown to most beyond its immediate circle, it ruffled no feathers,
held no marches, hosted no press conferences,” Salam writes, adding that it had
also escaped the Emergency unscathed when Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Jamiat
Ulama-i-Hind had not.
“When the
Muslim community was stirred into action during the Shah Bano debate in 1985,
the Tabligh expressed no views…Neither matters of Muslim personal law, nor
masjid shook them, not even the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. The
large-scale anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 failed to goad the body into
action…when Delhi witnessed anti-Muslim violence in February 2020…The Tabligh
members…remained occupied with their respective mosques, focusing on internal
cleansing to benefit the individual first and the larger Muslim ummah at a
later stage,” Salam writes.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
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Advocate
Arif Ali Khan, also associated with the Tablighi Jamaat, explained this by
saying that the Jamaatis have nothing to do with worldly affairs. “They live
above the ground and under the sky. They prepare themselves for the afterlife
because that’s the real life for us Muslims. They are not interested in this
mortal life. They never try to convert people, never take money from people,
buying their own tickets, their own food. Even the poorest Jamaatis will pay
for their own expenses. And yet, they were accused of being paid agents of
Pakistan. Can you imagine how hurtful that is because it’s so different from
the lives they lead?” said Khan who is an advocate at the Delhi high court.
Nadeem
Saifi, who owns an ironworks in the capital and is from the Tabligh, was a
little hesitant to speak to this correspondent. “Bohut Bura Huwa (we
were wronged)” was all that he said. But his brother, who identified himself as
Salim, was more vocal.
Expressing
deep anger about the bad press, Salim said it didn’t need a court verdict to
convince him about the work of the Tabligh. “We were wronged. The entire Muslim
community was made the scapegoat. The portrayal of us was so evil that common
people started hating us. Is that fair? Tabligh has always confined itself to
the community. They don’t trouble anyone,” Salim added.
Has the
court verdict brought closure? “Tabligh Ka Kaam Qayamat Tak Rahega. Namaaz
Ada Kiya Jayega, Deen Ka Kaam Hoga. Rukega Koi Nahin (Tabligh’s work will
be till Judgment Day. We will offer Namaaz and serve our faith. Nobody will
stop),” Salim said.
Original
Headline: Delhi: Tablighis feel
vindicated, say they will stay dedicated to their work
Source: The Times of India
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/negativity-around-tablighis-a-blot/d/123829