Maharashtra has been in the grips of communal violence since the 12th of November when protests against the alleged targeting of Muslims in Tripura turned violent. In Nanded, the Raza Academy, an Islamist outfit responsible for 2012 Azad Maidan riots, had called for a sit-in protest. The youth associated with the Islamist outfit made an attempt to enter mixed-residential areas. Their plan was thwarted by the police, following which they resorted to stone-pelting.
As per reports, the riot control police reached the spot to quell the mob, which in turn started targeting the police officers by throwing stones at them. In retaliation, the police resorted to a mild lathi charge. “We are registering offences that took place, currently, the situation is peaceful in Nanded. I request people to not believe in rumours. 7-8 police officials have been injured,” informed SP (Nanded) Pramod Kumar Shewale.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane took cognisance of the matter and dubbed Raza academy as a ‘terrorist organisation.’ He said, “This terrorist organisation Raza academy is behind all the violence and riots in different parts of Maharashtra! Every time they disrupt and break all the rules and the government sits and watches. Either the government bans them or we have to finish them in the interest of Maharashtra!”
I’m lodging formal complaint at SP @NandedPolice against CM’s man @miarjunkhotkar n #RazaAcademy for provoking riots n looting of Hindu shop owners. If SP of @DGPMaharashtra ignores the same, I’ll approach Bombay HC n @AmitShah ji for @NIA_India inquiry n compensation @LegalLro
— nitesh rane (@NiteshNRane) November 14, 2021
The origins of Raza Academy
As per an article in The Times of India, Raza Academy was founded in 1978. Its office is located on Mohammed Ali Road in Mumbai. The Islamist outfit was established to publish and propagate the work of Sunni leader Ahmed Raza Khan, who lived in the 20th century. In 2012, it came to light that the organisation did not have any registration. The most surprising aspect about Raza Academy is that its founder and President Saeed Noori did not even receive a formal Islamic education. He was into the sewing thread business when he decided to become a leader of Sunni Islam.
TOI reported that Raza Academy under the leadership of Noori shifted direction from publishing literature to leading Islamist protests. It had led several protests, which often led to violence, injuries and deaths. Despite its activities, Raza Academy has not been banned or subjected to police scrutiny. The Times of India reported that the outfit had the support of a former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader R R Patil. Noori had conceded, “We go to Patil because he is accessible to us.” In his defence, the founder of Raza Academy had claimed to provide a platform to Muslims to express their anger in a democratic setup.
Vandalism of Amar Jawan Jyothi memorial at Azad Madian
On 11 August 2012, Raza academy had staged a morcha at Azad Maidan ground to protest against the alleged atrocities on Muslims in Assam and Myanmar. However, the protest turned violent after the notorious group attacked the policemen. This led to police firing, resulting in 2 deaths and 63 injuries. Raza Academy had earlier assured the Mumbai Police that only 1500 people would turn up for the protest.
However, more than 15000 people assembled at the Azad Maidan, which later increased to 40000. The most shocking incident of the Azad Maidan Riots was the desecration of the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial by the Muslim mobs.
Later, it came to light that the police waited for one week until Eid to arrest the 35-40 Muslim youths, who were involved in rioting. The riots had caused approximately Rs 2.72 crores worth of damages to various public properties.
Raza Academy and its crusade against ‘blasphemy’
In July last year, the Islamist outfit forced the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to write to the Centre, seeking a ban on the online streaming of the Iranian movie ‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God.‘ The film was originally released in Iran in 2015 and was selected as the Iranian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards. Raza Academy had said that Prophet Muhammad could not be picturised and that the makers of the film had committed blasphemy. “A Muslim will die in honour than to see or hear even the slightest insult on his Holy Prophet,” it had threatened.
In October 2020, the Islamist outfit had demanded that Muslim countries issue a fatwa against French President Emmanuel Macron after cartoons on Prophet Mohammed by Charlie Hebdo were projected onto government buildings. It demanded that all French embassies and consulates in Muslim countries be shut down and all ambassadors to France be recalled. It also urged people on social media to exercise their freedom of expression against the ‘Satanic minded president’ using the hashtag ‘Macron the Devil’.
Raza Academy had hailed the actions of Muslim protestors in Mumbai, who had put up images of the French President on the streets of the city, walked and drove on those posters as a mark of protest against Macron. The protests had come after Macron had condemned the Islamic terror attack on a French teacher who was beheaded by his student for showing Charlie Hebdo caricatures.
In February this year, an organisation named Tahaffuz Namoos-e-Risalat Board (Protection of the Honour of Prophet), backed by Raza Academy had filed a complaint against BBC Hindi for displaying a portrait of Prophet Mohammed in one of their shows. BBC, which champions the cause of free speech, gave in to the threats and issued an apology immediately.
In September, Raza Academy ran a campaign on social media platforms, urging King Salman of Saudi Arabia to impose a ban on cinema halls in Madina Shareef. The Islamist outfit also held a protest march outside Minara Masjid in Mumbai. The protestors were heard raising slogans of “Saudi Hukumat Murdabad” and holding placards that read, “Saudi Government Must Stop Desecration of The Holy City of Madina Munawwarah.” The development came at the backdrop of the Kingdom’s decision to open 10 cinema halls in the country.
