PM Narendra Modi creating divide by patronising Sufis: Jamiat-e-Ahle-Hadith

SRINAGAR: Jamiat-e-Ahle-Hadith Jammu and Kashmir has said that there is no religious extremism or ISIS footprint in the state while blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for trying to create a divide by expressing “love” for certain section of Muslims (Sufis) and labelling others as “extremists”.

“There is no religious fundamentalism, extremism or sectarianism in J&K. Some people are trying to exploit the situation to defame Islam,” JAH president Professor Ghulam Muhammad Bhat Al-Madni told media persons on Tuesday.

The socio-religious organisation, which claims to have several lakh followers across the state, also condemned ISIS violence, terming it “anti-Islam” and said that countries such as the United States and Russia are arming some groups to maintain their own political and economic hegemony.

Jamiat-e-Ahle-Hadith, as per its official records, has a network of around 6,300 offices and 1,000 mosques across the state. The group is running schools, religious seminaries and medical facilities in different parts of J&K and its plan to establish a university has been awaiting approval from the J&K government for several years.

Madni said the promotion of ‘Sufism’ by Prime Minister Modi is “aimed to create a divide among Muslims and cannot achieve any purpose”.

“Youngsters hoist the ISIS flags, as per the admission of police, to irritate the security apparatus and get media attention,” Madni said.

JAH is organising a two-day conference titled ‘Islam: Religion of Morality’ in Srinagar that will see participation of religious scholars from India and abroad.

“Conspiracies are being hatched to promote moral degradation among youth in Kashmir. Drug addiction is increasing at an alarming rate in Kashmir,” said Abdul Lateef Al Kindi, a senior JAH member.

According to Kindi, there is no such thing as ‘Wahabiyat’ or ‘Wahabi Islam’ and the term and many other terms like these have been imposed on Muslims by the western political powers.

“Every injustice triggers a reaction and US and other countries want to control such reactions by arming and creating violent groups,” Kindi said.

He said JAH believes that J&K’s political issue has to be resolved through negotiations between Pakistan, India and people of the state, and no external force or group can be imported to settle this.