Deoband condemns al-Qaeda move

A day after al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri announced the terror outfit’s plans to put the Indian subcontinent on its radar, Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband on Friday condemned the move, asserting that Indian Muslims would never be convinced by un-Islamic and false arguments of organisations such as the al-Qaeda.

Muslim groups such as the All-India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, an apex body of over 12 Muslim groups representing different sects, too condemned al-Qaeda.

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said the country was ready to tackle such threats.

“The nation is prepared for it,” he told presspersons on the sidelines of a seminar.

The Darul Uloom Deoband, which has substantial influence in South Asia, was among the first seminaries to have issued a fatwa against terrorism. Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani, director of the seminary, said, “Indian Muslims are non-violent and they love their country. They will never be persuaded by a terrorist group.”Reacting to the video message on social media outlets from the al-Qaeda announcing the creation of its branch in the Indian subcontinent, Mufti Nomani said, “Islam is a non-violent religion which talks about propagating peace across the world. Followers of this peaceful religion would never buy arguments of the terrorist groups.”

AIMMM president Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan said the al-Qaeda must keep off Indian Muslims as the community was fully capable of handling its own affairs.

Union Home Ministry had sounded a nation-wide alert and asked States like Gujarat, Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir to put their security machinery on high-alert. After a high-level security review, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Source http://thehindu.com/news/national/darul-uloom-deoband-condemns-alqaeda-move/article6384559.ece/