Kiran Rao, Architect
Recently, India had registered tangential increase in the number of Corona infested cases and most of these cases are attributed to the Islamic event held in Nizamuddin area (Old Delhi). One wonder, why this event is closely tracked and how this event contributed to highest number of positive cases in India.
The event was held between Match 12th till 17th but was extended until 27th. Muslims all over India and other countries had attended this missionary event and returned homes and later caught with the symptoms and are quarantined with required treatment.
However, it is an uphill task for police to identify and quarantine those who are reluctant to come out for treatment. So far, Police have quarantined 21,000 Muslims and their family apart from those contacted. This is just one side of the coin regarding the outbreak. However, the other side of the coin is more despicable due to the behavior and situation apart from timing and there is a reason to it.
Tablighi Jamaat is an Islamic orthodox organization that has roots since 1927 involved in missionary activities and also grown significantly after India’s independence. It is a religious organization that carry out prophet’s message and are fundamentalists.
It has spread to around 150 countries and according to pew research the origin of funds are questionable and may have connections with terrorist organizations. Russia, Pakistan and other Central Asia countries have banned this organization.
Timing and behavior
The Nizamuddin Markaz faction of Tablighi Jamaat is headed by Maulana Saad Kandhalwi, great-grandson of the founder Maulana Muhammad Ilyas. Maulana Saad is now the key accused in the FIR registered by Delhi Police. Delhi Government on March 13th 2020 issues a Government order banning religious congregation, social gatherings until March 31st.
Holding a major event during the crisis timing definitely raises an eye brow considering the closure of holy shrines Mecca and Medina. However, this event went defying the Government instructions and Government Order. The result is appalling and as many as 1/3rd of the infected are related to this event.
While the entire country is maintaining social distance, this religious event signifies the defying aspect of government order. It might be due to the extremist fundamental religious angle but at a time when the entire country is fighting on epidemic, it is the duty of the citizen to follow the rule of law.
Thus, it is imperative that this organization is completely in suspicion based on their behavior and non-cooperation with the police. As much as 950 foreign delegates attended this event who came on a visitor visa however the visa doesn’t permit to gather religious event.
Many Jamaat religious fanatics in the organization refused to cooperate with police investigation. It is necessary at this crucial time of the hour to quarantine themselves however, the dismal behavior and their intent makes them to suspect more than before. The dereliction of organization leadership should be held responsible in spreading the wrong message to the entire community. Their belief is that Corona Virus can’t do anything and whatever happens to them is god’s will. However, they do not have the right to kill others by transmission.
Apart from the inept Tablighi leadership, as many as 59 residents In Indore India, who attended the event pelted stones on police, medical crew and two female Doctors. They refuse to take treatment nor take tests. While the moral responsibility was completely trashed, some Tablighi’s in Ghaziabad UP, who are under observation at a Ghaziabad hospital have been at the hospital’s isolation ward have been roaming around without their pants, nude, and listening to vulgar songs apart from asking for cigarettes from the housekeeping staff and making vulgar signs at nurses. In these circumstances it is highly difficult to treat them. It is clear that their intention is not to get treated but spread to others.
The notion of insecurity among non-Muslims is due to various aspects related to the event. It is due to the timing of the event while India is going on appalling crisis with unexplained anxiousness and during the crisis, why can’t Muslims follow the same law as everyone does?
Why are they different from other non-Muslims? Apart from, why they are reluctant to social distancing like everyone does rather than holding the event for proselytizing. Not limited to this, but considering the evil side of the organization which in many way acted as a nursery and gateway of terrorism as quoted by Dr Farhan Zahid, a Pakistani counter-terrorism and security expert, in his analysis titled “Tablighi Jamaat and its links with terrorism” [Foreign Analysis March 2015 Centre Francais de Reserche Sur le Renseignement].
Dr Farhan says, Tablighi “in a way plays the role of recruiter and sympathizer [for terrorism]. The congregation allows radical elements worldwide to meet and discuss violent activities and provide them with the best opportunity to coordinate”. Adding “many of its followers have dual and overlapping membership with jihadist groups”. These factors are truly a fodder to assume things and feel insecure.
Angle of Hindu Phobia:
Digital Non-Profit organizations like Equality Labs who consider themselves as Messiah and promote themselves as champion involve in various anti India activities in US apart from Anti Hindu propaganda by infusing the trepidation and emotions as an opportunity to spread propaganda.
The motto of the organization is to demean Hindu traditions, and rituals in every possible way, be it their opposition on abrogation of article 370, humanitarian citizenship act or the latest Tablighi event. They have related all these to Muslims despite the fact that every situation is different.
They equated unequal aspects and portrayed those to show India as anti-Muslim. While sitting in US, 8000 miles away from India, their aim is to make Hindus culpable of recent activities. The observation is that Citizenship amendment act provide the citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan who came to India prior to 2014 as refugees.
Equality Labs, termed the act as anti-Muslim and created unwarranted apprehension among political and Muslim groups. However, they refuse to support the humanitarian perspective of the act as the beneficiaries are Hindu Dalits. Although their claim being Dalit activists, they refuse to support Hindu Dalits who are entitled for the path to citizenship and deserve right to live. Listening to their fake narrative on various platforms, their propaganda is to show India as Anti Muslim.
But when someone question how India’s Citizenship Act strips the citizenship for Muslims, they immediately label them as Hindu Nationalists. Their strategy is to galvanize the support from various Muslim organizations like CAIR and other Pakistani based groups, who apparently are against India. While, they do not deny certain fundamentalists who openly declared Jihad against India using Corona Virus, Love jihad they simply ignore it.
Their operations are based on Goebbels Propaganda. Looking at their recent narrative on the Tablighi event, the defensive approach on Time magazine expose their callousness on supporting an organization that has extremist connections. Countries like Russia already have banned it however, it is the hollowness of the Equality labs and ignorance made them to outcry on India considering the animosity and sickness on Hindu and Hindu culture.
