Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat in UP passes fatwa against LeT chief Hafiz Sayeed

Lucknow August 19Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat in Bareilly has passed a fatwa against LeT Chief Hafiz Sayeed today declaring him anti-Islamic and man of terrorist ideology. The fatwa asked every Muslim no to follow him.

Manzar-e-Islam Saudagaran issued the ‘fatwa’ on behalf of Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat. The fatwa came after the 26/11 attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed asked Pakistan army to send its troops to Kashmir in order to teach India a lesson.

Saeed’s statement was in wake of killing of Kashmir-based Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani following which the valley has been witnessing protests and frequent clashes between the protesters and security forces.

Hafiz Saeed has been vocal against India and has recently led anti-India rally in support of ongoing Kashmir agitation. “This time the people in Kashmir are on streets. This protest has become a mass movement,” said Saeed addressing a meet.

Bareilly’s Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat is known for issuing fatwa and it’s first time that they have issued it against a terrorist. Earlier, it has issued a fatwa against popular augmented reality game Pokemon GO and termed it ‘anti-Islamic’ saying it is “one which promotes violence and the devil’s schemes”.

The dargah had also issued a fatwa against KFC chicken products saying that the non-vegetarian food is not halal. “Some people have approached me with complaints against KFC Bareilly for not selling halal meat (food that adheres to Islamic law) and thus it is forbidden to consume it according to Islam,” said the mufti of the dargah.

According to reports, Mufti Mohammed Salim Noori, who is also the spokesperson of the seminary, justified the fatwa this way, “The ideology of Saeed is different from Islam. He, in a way, promotes people who have written few lines against the Prophet Mohammed. He is not a Muslim. It is forbidden to keep any form of ties with him, including greet, meet, have food with him and reading his namaz-e-janaza (prayer read during burial services) after his death,” said Noori. There can’t be stronger words against Saeed who spill innocent blood in the name of religion.

Further, the fatwa says, “Saeed is a promoter of terrorism and brings bad name to Islam and Muslims across the world. It is a sin for the common public to listen to his speeches and the community should not trust him. People should not consider him a Muslim and they should keep others away from Saeed and his ideology.” Saeed’s role in the Mumbai blasts and more recent attempts to destabilize the Indian authority in Kashmir Valley is well known.

The JuD chief reportedly asked the Pakistan military to send its troops into Kashmir to teach India a lesson. At a rally in Lahore on Tuesday, Saeed said, “This time the people in Kashmir are on the streets. This protest has become a mass movement. All groups in Kashmir have united. All the wings of the Hurriyat have become one. The Muttahida Jihad Council and all other groups have come on to the same platform. Those who have died in Kashmir, their deaths will not be in vain.” Remember, these comments came not long after many lives ended as Kashmir Muslims and Indian forces attacked each other post the encounter of terrorist Burhan Wani.

But Hafiz Saeed is only the symptom of the larger problem: The problem represented by the narrow minded, fundamentally flawed school of thought of Islam that propagate and practice terror and have followers across geographies, including in India. By discarding Saeed in the way of Islam (the same excuse Saeed uses to pursue violence), the Indian Muslims have replied him in a befitting manner.

In the larger context, this fatwa is also a warning to the likes of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who have been allegedly inspiring young minds to take up arms allegedly justifying war and suicide bombing in the war against the ‘enemies of Islam’ and cause confusion between the ideas of one’s religious beliefs and the feelings of patriotism.

In fact, there have already been protests from the Indian Muslim community against Naik, some of which have already demanded a ban on him. Investigative agencies, including the National Investigative Agency (NIA) too have reportedly found evidence that Naik has allegedly inspired over 50 terror suspects. Naik may or may not have links with terrorists. But, observations of investigative agencies show that speakers like him indeed pose a threat to the country’s secular atmosphere.

The bottomline is this: One of the connotations of the word ‘jihad’ is ‘spiritual struggle within oneself against sin’. Indian Muslims’ undying spirit is the biggest weapon in their ‘jihad’ against terrorists and hate preachers. The fatwa against Hafiz Saeed is yet another proof of that fact.