By Shaik Zakeer Hussain, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: In a horrid violation of people’s right to practise and propagate their religious beliefs, the intelligence agencies in the state of Maharashtra have sent circulars to all police stations, asking them to monitor the activities of Girls Islamic Organisation (GIO), because they “motivate girls towards Islam”.
Reacting to these allegations, Muhammad Aslam Gazi, the state Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, told TwoCircles.net, "GIO is an organisation working towards promoting Islamic values and ideals among young Muslim women, and to associate it with any other activity is defamatory."
He further added that a delegation of Jamaat had met, Additional Commissioner of Police, Special Branch, Naval Bajaj, who has promised them to investigate the matter. Gazi said the Jamaat will pursue legal actions based on the investigation.
In a foreword to the book, Handbook of Muslims in India: Empirical and Policy Perspectives, Justice Rajinder Sachar writes, “In any country the faith and the confidence of the minorities in the impartial and even functioning of the state is the acid test of being a civilized state.”
If one wants to know the Muslim community’s faith in the state functioning, then any non-partisan assessment of the current situation, would only show a picture of mistrust and fear towards the ‘world’s largest democracy’.
The circular states that GIO, which is women’s students’ wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, is trying to change the character of people based on Qur'an and Hadith, it alleges that the true objective of the organisation is to “train girls for Jihad”.
But is there any case against GIO? A leading English Daily quoted Sanjay Shintre, the head of special branch's intelligence wing as saying, "No. But we are monitoring them."
GIO spokesperson was not immediately available for comments.
Mumbai police apologies for ‘defamation’ :
Meanwhile, according to a press statement by JIH, when their representatives met Naval Bajaj, additional Commissioner Special Branch Mumbai on Monday, he accepted that there might have been some ‘mistake’ and that they will hold departmental inquiry to find the Guilty and will take necessary action against the culprits.
Taufique Aslam Khan, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maharashtra said, “Our Meeting with Mr. Bajaj was to express our anguish and anger for which he apologies. He accepted that the information was for internal department and circulation and not for public. He told us that information regarding Hindu, Sikhs, Parsis and Christian organisations comes to us from many agencies that we cannot verify neither can we hold it. Our work is to collect and disseminate the information.”
Khan confirmed that JIH is consulting the legal team for the defamation suits but will take final call after the official reply from the Special Branch.
‘Defamation’ against Samna:
JIH is also contemplating a defamation suit against Marathi Newspaper Samna, Shiv Sena’s mouth-piece. Taufique Khan said, “Samna was the first to publish the news with the wrong photograph depicting Muslim women in Burqa with guns. News was not objective; they should also talk to us regarding the issue.”
In fact Samna used the photographs of Women Army of Iran. The picture was motivating that a burqa clad women can also be in the Army and fight for their nation but intentionally used by them to defame us complained Taufique Khan.
Afzal Baig, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Mumbai met the Samna Official on Monday to lodge their complaint and grievances. He said, “We contacted Mr. Sanjay Raut but he was out of Mumbai and directed us to meet an official. We met Mr. Sanjay a Senior Reporter and complained them about the exaggerated news and Photographs used by Samna.”
Sanjay said, the photographs were symbolic and it’s not of Girls Islamic Organisation, Baig added.
A delegation of JIH also met with the Chairman, Minority Commission of Maharashtra, Munaf Hakim to complain about the Issue.