STRONGLY CONDEMN ISIS. Statement Indian Muslims Condemn the Brutal Atrocities by ISIS against Minorities in Iraq and Syria; denounce religious intolerance, persecution and violence in the name of Islam Indian Muslims are shocked and pained by the brutality and atrocities being perpetrated by the ISIS (Islamic State of Syria and Iraq) against Christians, Shias, Kurds, Yazidis and other minorities in the regions now under their control. We strongly condemn such barbarism which is against the teachings of Islam. We express our heart-felt sympathies and solidarity with the survivors of those whose near and dear ones have been mercilessly butchered, and the tens of thousands of Iraq’s minorities who have been dispossessed, forced to flee their homes and are now living in extremely difficult circumstances. The barbaric conduct of the ISIS is all the more reprehensible because its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, proclaims to be the ‘Caliph’ of the entire Muslim world and his armed group are supposedly acting in the name of Islam. We welcome the fact that most religious leaders and Islamic scholars from across the world, including India, have debunked al-Baghdadi’s claim of being a Caliph. Alongside the ongoing tormenting of common citizens and persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in areas under their control, the ISIS has been enforcing its own intolerant, extremist, violent, distorted interpretation of Islam on Muslims who are also Sunnis. This too deserves to be condemned in the strongest possible words. We call upon Muslim religious leaders in India and elsewhere to add their voice to that of Muslim organisations and individuals who have already denounced al-Baghdadi and his ISIS for distorting Islam’s message for peace and for their barbaric conduct. The unspeakable atrocities and mass crimes against Iraq’s minorities are nothing short of ‘crimes against humanity’, ‘religious/ethnic cleansing’. We appeal to the United Nations to urgently intervene, create the circumstances where those forced to flee feel secure enough to return to their homes and cities with full honour and dignity, and hold the ISIS accountable for its heinous acts. While the ISIS must be held fully responsible for its unconscionable acts, the United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait etc. cannot escape their share of the blame in fuelling the flames. The worsening plight of Iraq’s Christians is but a legacy of America’s illegal, unwarranted and criminal invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its subsequent engineering of sectarian strife to divide the Iraqi resistance to the occupation. Dictator Saddam Hussain was no angel but under him the country’s 1.4 million Christians were free to practice their faith. Many occupied high government posts. It is ironic that the US is now bombing the very ISIS to which it had earlier provided training, arms and ammunition in an attempt to dislodge Syrias authoritarian President, Bashar al-Assad. For their own myopic ends, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait etc have been backing an array of radical Islamist outfits of which the ISIS -- a monster now seemingly out of control -- was an integral part. We urge a global condemnation of the ISIS and all its allies, overt or covert. Endorsed by: 1. A.J. Jawad, Advocate, Chennai 2. Aamir Edresy, President, Association of Muslim Professionals, Mumbai 3. Abbas Shamael Rizvi, Cinematographer & Photographer, Delhi 4. Abdul Mannan Prof, Gauhati University, Assam 5. Abdul Salam Prof, President , Justice and Equity Demand Samiti, Assam 6. Abusaleh Shariff Dr., Executive Director, US-India Policy Institute, Washington DC 7. Amir Rizvi, Communication Designer, Mumbai 8. Amjad Ali Dr., Assistant Professor, Jaunpur 9. Arshad Ajmal, Social Activist, Patna 10. Asad Ashraf, Social Activist, Delhi 11. Asad Zaidi, Writer and Publisher, Delhi 12. Asif Iqbal, Director, Dhanak, Delhi 13. Asif Naqvi Professor, Aligarh 14. Bader Sayeed, Advocate & Former Member Legislative Assembly Tamil Nadu 15. Faizur Rehman, Islamic Forum for Promotion of Moderate Thought, Chennai 16. Farhat Amin, BIRD Trust, Cuttack 17. Farrukh Warris Dr., Educationist, Mumbai. 18. Fazlur Rahman Dr, Principal, Govt Degree College, Moradabad 19. Feroze Mithiborwala, Muslim Intellectual Forum, Mumbai. 20. Hanif Lakdawala, Executive Director, Sanchetna, Ahmedabad 21. Hasina Khan, Women Activist, Bombay 22. Iqbal Ahmad Niazi, Retired Professor Emeritus of Zoology, University of Rajasthan 23. Irfan Engineer, Director, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai 24. Ishaq Dr, Social Activist, Azamgarh 25. Jameela Nishat, Shaheen Womens Resource Centre, Hyderabad. 26. Javed Anand, Muslims for Secular Democracy, Mumbai 27. Javed Malick Dr, Retired Academic, Delhi University, Delhi 28. Juzar Bandukwala Dr., Retired Professor, Vadodara 29. K.K. Mohammad, Senior Archaeologist, Hyderabad 30. Kamal Siddiqui, Businessman, Khushinagar, UP 31. Kasim Sait, Businessman & Social Activist, Chennai 32. Mairajuddin Ahmed Dr. , Former Cabinet Minister, UP 33. Mazher Hassain, Social Activist, COVA, Hyderabad 34. Md. Aftab Alam Dr., Assistant Professor, Delhi 35. Mike Ghouse, President, World Muslim Congress, Dallas, Texas 36. Mohd Aamir, Human Rights Activist, ANHAD., Delhi 37. Mohammad Arif Dr,, Chairman, Centre for Harmony and Peace, Varanasi 38. Mujataba Farooque, President, Welfare Party of India 39. Mujib Kidwai, Marketing Management, Jeddah 40. Mushirul Hasan, Prof. , Former Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi 41. Nasiruddin Haider Khan, Journalist, Delhi 42. Navaid Hamid, Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians (MOEMIN), Delhi 43. Noorjehan Safia Niaz, Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Mumbai 44. Ovais Sultan Khan, Social Work Professional, Delhi 45. Qurban Ali, Journalist, Delhi 46. R Jeibunnisa, Manitham Trust, Tamil Nadu 47. Rahima Khatun, NSKK, Kolkata 48. Rubina Parveen, Social Activist, Varanasi 49. SM Hilal, Social Activist, Kanpur 50. S Irfan Habib, Prof, Maulana Azad Chair, National University of Educational Planning and Administration, Delhi 51. Safdar Khan, Former Chairman, Delhi State Minorities Commission, Delhi 52. Sahir Raza, Independent Cinematographer, Mumbai 53. Salar M.Khan, Lawyer, New Delhi 54. Sania Hashmi, Director, Anhad Films, Delhi 55. Sarah Hashmi, Actor, Mumbai 56. Shabana Azmi, Actor, Mumbai 57. Shabnam Hashmi, Social Activist, ANHAD, Delhi 58. Shahin Ansari, Social Activist, Saharanpur 59. SMS Firdausi, Advocate, High Court, Allahabad 60. Sohail Hashmi, Filmmaker, Delhi 61. Syed Shahid Mahdi, Former Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi 62. Syeda Hameed, Former Member, Planning Commission, Delhi 63. Tanweer Fazal, Academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi 64. Tariq Ashraf Dr, Academic, Delhi 65. Wahad Ahmad, Social Activist, Bijnaur 66. Waris Mazhari Dr., Department of Islamic Studies, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad 67. Zafarul-Islam Khan Dr., Delhi 68. Zaheer Ahmad, Social Activist, Varanasi 69. Zaheer Ahmed Sayeed Dr., Neurologist, Chennai 70. Zaheeruddin Ali Khan, Editor, Siasat, Hyderabad 71. Zahid S Kamal, Retired Govt Officer, Delhi 72. Zakia Soman, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Gujarat 73. Zamser Ali, Journalist, Gauhati, Assam, President, BTAD Citizen Rights Forum, General Secretary, Centre for Minority Studies, Research and Development, Assam 74. Zeenat Shaukat Ali Dr. , Director General, The Wisdom Foundation (World Institute of Islamic Studies for Dialogue, Mediation, Gender-Justice and Peace), Mumbai Zoya Hasan Prof. , Former Member, National Minorities Commission
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:23:30 +0000