The Nizamuddin story

It is estimated that from January 1 this year, approximately 2,100 foreigners visited India for preaching purposes

It can easily be called the Nizamuddin story: a new chapter in the coronavirus crisis that is unfolding the world over and has hit India too.
It was in Nizamuddin in the heart of India’s capital city Delhi that disaster struck. This was at a time when the virus-spread in India seemed to be getting in control with hopes of the curve flattening sooner than later.

As people were counting days for the lockdown to be over, news came that a prayer gathering attended by thousands was the villain or a “super spreader” to put it simply.
It  began as early as March this year when people started assembling at the Nizamuddin premises of the Tablighi Jamaat: - a global Islamic evangelical movement of Indian origin which has a global spread.
Started in 1927 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlavi in Mewat region of India, the Jamaat has nearly 250 million members primarily in South Asia. The Maulana, a Deobandi Islamic scholar, started the Tablighi Jamaat  as an outreach-attempt to spread faith.
Aimed at propagating the basic tenets of Islam, the Jamaat members work among Muslims, their main task being  to bring back to the faith those gone astray, so to say.
Currently the Jamaat is headed by Maulana Saad who is in the eye of a storm following violations during the lockdown. Gone into hiding after the Police crackdown, the Maulana  has over 100 crore followers in 214 countries. This easily makes the Tablighi Jamaat the largest Muslim movement in the world. The majority of the followers of the Tablighi Jamaat live in South Asia.
In March, this year there was a surge of believers in the Nizamuddin venue which is a six-storey building in South Delhi. More importantly it is  stone’s throw from the area police station.

Reportedly, there was a scheduled congregation at the Markaz between March 8 and 13. Several thousand  from  different countries gathered  in Nizamuddin beginning with  preachers and followers who were later  sent to villages and towns in India  to propagate the message among the Muslim population. Foreign nationals from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan were among those who had attended the event.

The Markaz is a  transit point for the India-bound Islamic missionaries, from where they branch out  in groups to other states.  

It is estimated that from January 1 this year, approximately 2,100 foreigners visited India for preaching purposes. While a few hundreds  were dispersed in different parts of the country, many continued to stay at the Nizamuddin Markaz. Even though some had symptoms of the virus, no one thought of the danger it would pose. Consequently, many infected persons left for different states unmindful of the risks to themselves and to others. The trail of infection is  now being traced from Kashmir to Andamans.

According to the government,  of the 2,000 plus foreigners who arrived in India since January this year 1 to participate in Jamaat activities, over a thousand  were stuck at Nizamuddin due to the lockdown. It was the death of an  Indonesian citizen which made everyone sit up. He had attended  the congregation and was travelling in Telangana. He was found COVID-19 positive on March 18.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against Maulana Saad  for violating government orders even while the Jamaat claims that its members were stuck at the Markaz due to the sudden lock-down announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi even while a thousand plus had left.

Fingers are being pointed at the Jamaat for what is being condemned as its “completely irresponsible and criminal behaviour”. There are videos that have surfaced wherein Maulana Saad is heard instructing its followers not to abide by the  government’s guidelines on grounds that it is a conspiracy to distance one Muslim from another. He is heard instigating Muslims to defy the lockdown order stating that this is the time to go to mosques against the government directive of staying away from religious places.

In the video, Saad is heard saying: “Those who have no faith in Allah, through these schemes and excuses of trying to save Muslims from the disease are trying to keep us away. They have found an excuse to keep Muslims away from coming here. They want to put this fear in the Muslims that those who gather in huge numbers can get infected. The disease will pass but the fear will not. This is a tactic to create fear amongst the Muslims and to end the love and brotherhood Muslims have amongst each other… This is a program created…They think this is a good excuse to do this. There is no problem in staying away from those who have caught the infection. But Muslims should not meet Muslims? This is ‘jihalat…. This is the time to gather Muslims and come. Try and bring the followers of Allah closer to Allah… This is not the time to stay away and be afraid,” Saad is heard saying.

As against this, Markaz claims that they informed the Police about people staying inside their premises. Even while Jamaat cannot be forgiven for being super-spreaders, the role of the Police and administration too is under the scanner. The Police swung into action but it did only days after the Delhi government had banned  gatherings of more than 200 people in the Capital. It was  on March 29 that Delhi government and Union Health Ministry combed the area and evacuated people and subsequently they were quarantined.

But this did not stop here. Those quarantined are on a war path. Some of them reportedly misbehaved with the doctors and healthcare workers and even spat at them.  

 This is not about who is right or who is wrong. This is also not about administration accountability; nor it is about it turning a blind eye to the fire that was being ignited in the name of religion. It is about national responsibility: it is about a sect   holding the entire country to ransom. Worse still it is about defiance and an attack on the care givers to prevent them from carrying out their work of stopping the coronavirus spread. Questions are now being asked on whether these are  attempts to sabotage India and its efforts to win the battle against coronavirus post lock down? Even while Maulana’s call to defy the lock down and spitting at care givers are indicators, one can only hope this can be nipped in the bud.

The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist

of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])

SH

The Nizamuddin story

It is estimated that from January 1 this year, approximately 2,100 foreigners visited India for preaching purposes

It can easily be called the Nizamuddin story: a new chapter in the coronavirus crisis that is unfolding the world over and has hit India too. It was in Nizamuddin in the heart of Indias capital city Delhi that disaster struck. This was at a time when the virus-spread in India seemed to be getting in control with hopes of the curve flattening sooner than later. As people were counting days for the lockdown to be over, news came that a prayer gathering attended by thousands was the villain or a super spreader to put it simply. It began as early as March this year when people started assembling at the Nizamuddin premises of the Tablighi Jamaat: - a global Islamic evangelical movement of Indian origin which has a global spread. Started in 1927 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlavi in Mewat region of India, the Jamaat has nearly 250 million members primarily in South Asia. The Maulana, a Deobandi Islamic scholar, started the Tablighi Jamaat as an outreach-attempt to spread faith. Aimed at propagating the basic tenets of Islam, the Jamaat members work among Muslims, their main task being to bring back to the faith those gone astray, so to say. Currently the Jamaat is headed by Maulana Saad who is in the eye of a storm following violations during the lockdown. Gone into hiding after the Police crackdown, the Maulana has over 100 crore followers in 214 countries. This easily makes the Tablighi Jamaat the largest Muslim movement in the world. The majority of the followers of the Tablighi Jamaat live in South Asia. In March, this year there was a surge of believers in the Nizamuddin venue which is a six-storey building in South Delhi. More importantly it is stones throw from the area police station. Reportedly, there was a scheduled congregation at the Markaz between March 8 and 13. Several thousand from different countries gathered in Nizamuddin beginning with preachers and followers who were later sent to villages and towns in India to propagate the message among the Muslim population. Foreign nationals from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan were among those who had attended the event. The Markaz is a transit point for the India-bound Islamic missionaries, from where they branch out in groups to other states. It is estimated that from January 1 this year, approximately 2,100 foreigners visited India for preaching purposes. While a few hundreds were dispersed in different parts of the country, many continued to stay at the Nizamuddin Markaz. Even though some had symptoms of the virus, no one thought of the danger it would pose. Consequently, many infected persons left for different states unmindful of the risks to themselves and to others. The trail of infection is now being traced from Kashmir to Andamans. According to the government, of the 2,000 plus foreigners who arrived in India since January this year 1 to participate in Jamaat activities, over a thousand were stuck at Nizamuddin due to the lockdown. It was the death of an Indonesian citizen which made everyone sit up. He had attended the congregation and was travelling in Telangana. He was found COVID-19 positive on March 18. The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against Maulana Saad for violating government orders even while the Jamaat claims that its members were stuck at the Markaz due to the sudden lock-down announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi even while a thousand plus had left. Fingers are being pointed at the Jamaat for what is being condemned as its completely irresponsible and criminal behaviour. There are videos that have surfaced wherein Maulana Saad is heard instructing its followers not to abide by the governments guidelines on grounds that it is a conspiracy to distance one Muslim from another. He is heard instigating Muslims to defy the lockdown order stating that this is the time to go to mosques against the government directive of staying away from religious places. In the video, Saad is heard saying: Those who have no faith in Allah, through these schemes and excuses of trying to save Muslims from the disease are trying to keep us away. They have found an excuse to keep Muslims away from coming here. They want to put this fear in the Muslims that those who gather in huge numbers can get infected. The disease will pass but the fear will not. This is a tactic to create fear amongst the Muslims and to end the love and brotherhood Muslims have amongst each other This is a program createdThey think this is a good excuse to do this. There is no problem in staying away from those who have caught the infection. But Muslims should not meet Muslims? This is jihalat. This is the time to gather Muslims and come. Try and bring the followers of Allah closer to Allah This is not the time to stay away and be afraid, Saad is heard saying. As against this, Markaz claims that they informed the Police about people staying inside their premises. Even while Jamaat cannot be forgiven for being super-spreaders, the role of the Police and administration too is under the scanner. The Police swung into action but it did only days after the Delhi government had banned gatherings of more than 200 people in the Capital. It was on March 29 that Delhi government and Union Health Ministry combed the area and evacuated people and subsequently they were quarantined. But this did not stop here. Those quarantined are on a war path. Some of them reportedly misbehaved with the doctors and healthcare workers and even spat at them. This is not about who is right or who is wrong. This is also not about administration accountability; nor it is about it turning a blind eye to the fire that was being ignited in the name of religion. It is about national responsibility: it is about a sect holding the entire country to ransom. Worse still it is about defiance and an attack on the care givers to prevent them from carrying out their work of stopping the coronavirus spread. Questions are now being asked on whether these are attempts to sabotage India and its efforts to win the battle against coronavirus post lock down? Even while Maulanas call to defy the lock down and spitting at care givers are indicators, one can only hope this can be nipped in the bud. The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected]) SH