“Sunni Muslims won’t obey the fatwas from Deoband, Nadwa and Salfi Ulemas”

In what is being viewed as the greatest revolt against the Wahabi thought, the Sunni Muslims of India have publicly proclaimed that they will no longer pay heed to or obey the fatwas issued from Deoband, Nadwa and Salfi Ulemas, who are propagating an ideology counter to the peace-loving and love-dissipating ideology of the Sunni Muslims of India. India has always been a cradle for co-existence and peace and this ideology propagated by the countless Sufi sages of the past is greatly in contrast to the ideology of Wahabis, who form only a miniscule percentage of Sunni Muslim population but owing to petro-dollar support have been able to infiltrate most of the institutions and organizations in the country, thus posing a great threat to the stability of our country. These views were stated by Syed Babar Ashraf, National Secretary of All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) on his visit to the Capital, in course of his preparation for the grand Muslim ‘Maha Panchayat’ being organized at Pakbada, Zero Point (Adjacent Hotel Regency) New Moradabad on 16^th October, to mobilize the Muslims against the threat posed because of infiltration of Wahabi thought and the subsequent evils like terrorism and militancy that are byproducts of this thought. All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board is an apex body of Sunni Ulemas and Mashaikhs (Sajjadanasheen or rather trustees) of hundreds of Dargahs spread acrossIndia, including the likes of Ajmer, Khichocha Shareef andBareilly. Earlier rallies by AIUMB at Sandis Compound (Bhagalpur) and Company Bagh (Moradabad) and Sambhal (Moradabad) has witnessed gatherings of five to six lakh each.

“The fact today is thatIndia’s secular democracy is in danger because of the Saudi financed Islamic extremism. Radical Wahabi Islam is the single biggest reason behind the radicalization of a few Indian Muslims. A vast majority of Muslims inIndiaare Sunni Sufi Muslims who are nationalistic, patriotic, above all peace-loving and ardent followers of the Sufi Path,” said Ashraf.

Ashraf feels that increasing employment and rising poverty among Indian Muslims provides a fertile ground for the Wahabi hardliners to indoctrinate their ideology.

It is to be remembered that renowned advocate Ram Jethmalani expressed similar thoughts sometime back and he had to take back his words because of external pressure.