After Saudi Arabia warned its citizens against affiliation with Tablighi Jamaat and called it ‘one of the gates that lead to terrorism’, the Islamic nations and leaders have expressed shock, especially in the Indian Subcontinent. According to the European Foundation for South Asian Studies, it has also directed the media attention towards the organization’s presence and functioning.
The EFSAS stated the Saudi religious leaders had seen Tablighi Jamaat as deviants for long mainly because of the fact that the organization “does not see eye to eye with the kingdom’s own established revivalist movement, popularly referred to as Wahhabism”.
Reaction from Islamic nations and leaders
The Islamic nations like Pakistan and Muslim religious bodies fear that the ban imposed by the Saudi government would have an adverse impact on the sizeable presence and activities of the organization in the Indian Subcontinent. There is a possibility that other nations in the region may follow the lead of Saudi Arabia as it is considered to be an important leader of the Islamic world.
Initially, Pakistan tried to stem a confusion following the ban that Saudi did not ban Tablighi Jamaat but a Nigerian terrorist group called Al Ahbab. However, it did not work as Pakistan would have anticipated. Later, Pakistan reacted to the ban with a confrontational tone and called out Saudi leaders. The assembly of Pakistan’s Punjab province unanimously adopted a resolution and termed the organization ‘a force for good’.
The resolution read, “Tablighi Jamaat is a global organization. It has nothing to do with terrorism. History has shown that these people have never been involved in such activities. They are earning goodwill for Pakistan with the preaching of Islam all over the world”. It is noteworthy that the same Punjab assembly had banned Tablighi Jamaat from universities and mosques around universities in 2016 as it was sympathetic towards extremist outfits.
Islamic leaders in Bangladesh and India reacted sharply to the ban as well. Mahmudul Hasan, chairman of Al-Hayatul Ulaya Lil-Jami’atil Qawmia and president of Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh, claimed the decision would benefit those who oppose Islam. Mufti Yusuf Asad, a prominent Islamic scholar from Mumbai and founder of the online Islamic University Al Ilm Acad, alleged that the decision proved Saudi Arabia was a slave of the West.
Sameeruddin Qasmi, spokesperson of the Tablighi Jamaat of Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz, claimed the organization has no connections to terrorists. He said, “It is a big allegation on the Tablighi Jamaat. It has no connection with terrorism. Tablighi Jamaat is the group that stops terrorism, condemn terrorism and disowns terrorism. We don’t allow anyone to speak against any religion, community or country. We talk only for five pillars of Islam, none of our men has ever been found involved in any terrorist activities. The Saudi government might have been misled.”
Saudi Arabia’s ban on Tablighi Jamaat
On December 6, the Saudi Arabia government warned its citizens about Tablighi Jamaat and declared that affiliation with religious partisan groups of Tablighi and Da’wah is prohibited in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In a tweet, the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs said, “His Excellency the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdullatif Al Alsheikh directed the mosques’ preachers and the mosques that held Friday prayer temporary to allocate the next Friday sermon 5/6/1443 H to warn against (the Tablighi and Da’wah group) which is called (Al Ahbab)”. Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs further stated that the Friday sermon must declare the misguidance given by such Tablighi groups and call them threats to society and one of the gates that lead to terrorism. It is notable that TJ was banned by Saudi Arabia long ago. The December 6 orders were to warn people against having affiliations with this group.
Tablighi Jamaat’s links to radicals
Notably, while the Islamic nations and religious leaders claim Tablighi Jamaat has no connections to terrorism, Pew Research Center has drawn attention to the fact that its followers have been accused of having ties with radical organizations.
Formation of Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat, a Sunni Islamic missionary movement, was founded in 1926 in Mewat by Maulana Mohammed Ilyas Khandelwi. Its roots can be traced to the Deobandi tradition that originated from Darul Uloom madrassa in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh. Since its formation, the organization has expanded its presence across the globe. It claims to have over 400 million followers in 150 countries. Pakistan alone is said to have over 20 million Tablighi Jamaat followers.
Nations that have banned Tablighi Jammat
Saudi Arabia is not the first nation to ban the organization. The movement has been banned in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. In 2013, Kazakhastan designated it as an extremist organization and imposed a ban on its activities in the country.
