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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 Syria’s 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.      Akhtar Husain Akhtar Gen. Secretary, All India Momin Conference, Kanpur

8.      Amir Rizvi, Communication Designer, Mumbai

9.      Amjad Ali Dr., Assistant Professor, Jaunpur

10.  Arshad Ajmal, Social Activist, Patna

11.  Asad Ashraf, Social Activist, Delhi

12.  Asad Zaidi, Writer and Publisher, Delhi

13.  Asif Iqbal, Director, Dhanak, Delhi

14.  Asif Naqvi   Professor, Aligarh

15.  Bader Sayeed, Advocate & Former Member Legislative Assembly Tamil Nadu

16.  Faizur Rehman, Islamic Forum for Promotion of Moderate Thought, Chennai

17.  Farhat Amin, BIRD Trust, Cuttack

18.  Farrukh Warris Dr., Educationist, Mumbai.

19.  Fazlur Rahman Dr, Principal, Govt Degree College, Moradabad

20.  Feroze Mithiborwala, Muslim Intellectual Forum, Mumbai.

21.  Hanif Lakdawala, Executive Director, Sanchetna, Ahmedabad

22.  Hasina Khan, Women Activist, Bombay

23.  Imanul Haque, Prof, Kolkata

24.  Iqbal Ahmad Niazi, Retired Professor Emeritus of Zoology, University of Rajasthan

25.  Irfan Engineer, Director, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai

26.  Ishaq Dr, Social Activist, Azamgarh

27.  Jameela Nishat, Shaheen Women’s Resource Centre, Hyderabad.

28.  Javed Anand, Muslims for Secular Democracy, Mumbai

29.  Javed Malick Dr, Retired Academic, Delhi University, Delhi

30.  Juzar Bandukwala Dr., Retired Professor, Vadodara

31.  K.K. Mohammad, Senior Archaeologist, Hyderabad

32.  Kamal Faruqi, Former Chairman, Delhi Minority Commission

33.  Kamal Siddiqui, Businessman, Khushinagar, UP

34.  Kasim Sait, Businessman & Social Activist, Chennai

35.  Mairajuddin Ahmed Dr. , Former Cabinet Minister, UP

36.  Mazher Hassain, Social Activist, COVA, Hyderabad

37.  Md. Aftab Alam Dr., Assistant Professor, Delhi

38.  Mike Ghouse, President, World Muslim Congress, Dallas, Texas

39.  Mohd Aamir, Human Rights Activist,  ANHAD., Delhi

40.  Mohammad Arif Dr,, Chairman, Centre for Harmony and Peace, Varanasi

41.  Mujataba Farooque, President, Welfare Party of India

42.  Mujib Kidwai, Marketing Management, Jeddah

43.  Mushirul Hasan, Prof. , Former Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi

44.  Nasiruddin Haider Khan, Journalist, Delhi

45.  Navaid Hamid, Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians (MOEMIN), Delhi

46.  Noorjehan Safia Niaz, Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Mumbai

47.  Ovais Sultan Khan, Social Work Professional, Delhi

48.  Qurban Ali, Journalist, Delhi

49.  R Jeibunnisa, Manitham Trust, Tamil Nadu

50.  Rahima Khatun, NSKK, Kolkata

51.  Rubina Parveen, Social Activist, Varanasi

52.  S. Akhtar Ehtisham Dr, Academic, Delhi

53.  SM Hilal, Social Activist, Kanpur

54.  S Irfan Habib, Prof, Maulana Azad Chair, National University of Educational Planning and Administration, Delhi

55.  Safdar Khan, Former Chairman, Delhi State Minorities Commission, Delhi

56.  Sahir Raza, Independent Cinematographer, Mumbai

57.  Salar M.Khan, Lawyer, New Delhi

58.  Sania Hashmi, Director, Anhad Films, Delhi

59.  Sarah Hashmi, Actor, Mumbai

60.  Semeen Ali, PhD student, University of Delhi, New Delhi

61.  Shabana Azmi, Actor, Mumbai

62.  Shabnam Hashmi, Social Activist, ANHAD, Delhi

63.  Shahin Ansari, Social Activist, Saharanpur

64.  SMS Firdausi, Advocate, High Court, Allahabad

65.  Sohail Hashmi, Filmmaker, Delhi

66.  Syed Shahid Mahdi, Former Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi

67.  Syeda Hameed, Former Member, Planning Commission, Delhi

68.  Tanweer Fazal, Academic, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi

69.  Tanveer Nasreen Prof, Academic, Bardman, WB

70.  Tariq Ashraf Dr, Academic, Delhi

71.  Wahad Ahmad, Social Activist, Bijnaur

72.  Waris Mazhari Dr., Department of Islamic Studies, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad

73.  Wizarat Rizvi, Academic, Delhi

74.  Zafarul-Islam Khan Dr., Delhi

75.  Zaheer Ahmad, Social Activist, Varanasi

76.  Zaheer Ahmed Sayeed Dr., Neurologist, Chennai

77.  Zaheeruddin Ali Khan, Editor, Siasat, Hyderabad

78.  Zahid S Kamal, Retired Govt Officer, Delhi

79.  Zakia Soman, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Gujarat

80.  Zamser Ali, Journalist, Gauhati, Assam, President, BTAD Citizen Rights Forum, General Secretary, Centre for Minority Studies, Research and Development, Assam

81.  Zeenat Shaukat Ali Dr. , Director General, The Wisdom Foundation (World Institute of Islamic Studies for Dialogue, Mediation, Gender-Justice and Peace), Mumbai

82.  Zoya Hasan Prof. , Former Member, National Minorities Commission, Delhi

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