Misleading religious teaching impacts Assamese culture, says AMDB Chairman Muminul Aowal

Burqa isn’t an attire of Assamese Muslim women: Minority Board chief

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam Minority Development Board (AMDB) Chairman Muminul Aowal has said that ‘misleading religious teaching by a section of politically inclined clerics of doubtful credentials’ has its impact on the Assamese culture. He has appealed to the Islamic scholars of the State with impeccable credentials like Maulanas, Muftis and Alims to guide the Muslims of the State with right religious teachings so as not to let them to deviate them from their age-old Assamese culture.

Talking to The Sentinel, Aowal said, “Tablighi Jamaat and Jamiat Ulama don’t lead the Muslims of Assam in the right direction. Assam has two factions of Jamiat Ulama, and each of the factions is politically inclined. It doesn’t augur well for the Assamese Muslims who, along with their Islamic practices, have wholeheartedly embraced the Assamese culture.”

Delving deep into the issue, Aowal said, “Burqa isn’t an attire of Assamese Muslim women. The introduction of burqa into the Assamese culture continues to wound the culture vultures of the State, silently. There have been similar changes in the attire of male Assamese Muslims these days. These are the direct impact of the teachings by clerics of doubtful credentials.”

On the Tablighi Jamaat, Aowal said, “After the Nizamuddin incident, a question has been raised over the activities of the Tablighi Jamaat. Now jehad doesn’t mean exactly what Islamic vocabulary suggests. Now its meaning has been deviated to mean terror activities. Tablighi Jamaat comprises a bunch of clerics who are infamous for creating troubles in society. If Tablighi Jamaat is a religious institution, what makes the chief of Nizamuddin Markaz Maulana Muhammed Saad flee after the Nizamuddin incident? If the Jamaatis are a religiously disciplined lot why have they gone on hiding defying the government’s fervent appeal to them to come forward for COVID-19 test on their own?

“Assam has around 8,500 masjids. After the Nizamuddin incident many of the Masjid committees have banned the entry of Tablighis in their masjids. The masjid committees have also prohibited their members from maintaining links with Tablighis.

“Many Maulanas, Muftis and Alims have contacted me and had detailed discussions on banning Tablighis. This issue needs a thorough discussion with all Islamic clerics. If any masjid committee wants to hold talks on this issue, they should contact me.”

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