Bareilly clerics to make anti-terror campaign global

Bareilly: Clerics at Dargah Aala Hazrat seminary, who have been running a campaign against terrorism for over a year now, have now decided to make a common platform of all Sunni Barelvi clerics across the world for this mission. They said they have contacted their counterparts in nearly 25 countries for organising conferences and seminars to make people aware about the true teachings of Islam.


The clerics said Islam has always preached peace, and through conferences, they will make people, especially youngsters, aware on how terror organisations are trying to mislead them. "We had gone to Mauritius for a month-long stay during Ramzan and in a meeting with clerics of that country, it was decided that a common platform would be formed to create awareness about the true message on peace and humanity that Islam preaches. We have contacted clerics in 25 countries, including in the UK, Dubai, Paris, Holland, Suriname and Durban, and they have given their approval for it," said shrine chairperson Hazrat Subhan Raza Khan, alias Subhani Miyan.


Subhani Miyan and a few other clerics from Bareilly are also planning to visit these countries next year to take part in various conferences condemning terrorism. "Terrorism has become a global problem and terror organisations are radicalising youngsters by misleading them. We have decided to come forward together and to create awareness among people, including youths, on how terrorists lure them by giving wrong information. We want to tell everyone that Islam is against killing of innocent persons and that Islam preaches peace and brotherhood," said Mufti Mohammed Saleem Noori, spokesperson of Dargah Aala Hazrat.


In January this year, the clerics here passed a fatwa saying that reading literature of ISIS or any other terrorist organisations on social media and other such platforms or promoting is against Islam as Islam does not support the ideology of terrorist organisations.


It may be mentioned that clerics at Bareilly's Jamia Razviya Manazar-E-Islam madrassa, which is run by this shrine, had last year introduced a specialisation within the Hadith course titled 'Islam and terrorism'. The course offers students a chance to compare the original text from the Quran, with translations offered by terrorist groups in a bid to show how religious texts are being misused. Clerics are also conducting regular workshops at the madrassa for other students to make them aware on how religion is abused to spread terrorism and influence young and impressionable minds.