Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Organizes World Peace Conference in Deoband

Deoband 13,15 Dec 2013 (Fri, Sat)

Leading Indian Islamic organization Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind initiated the World Peace Conference on 13 December 2013 at Deoband. The event marked the centenary celebrations of the Sheikh-Ul Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan’s Silk Letter Movement. Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind celebrated the 100th year of Silk Letter Movement by organizing functions and seminars around the country.

The 2-day Conference at Deoband was organized by the Sheikhul-Hind Educational Charitable Trust, a satellite organization of Jamiat led by Maulana Qari Muhammad Usman and Maulana Mahmood Madani.

The World Peace Conference is an initiative to establish a positive dialogue through mutual understanding of Islam. The conference was attended by prominent Ulama and Muslim delegations from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Maldives and some other countries.

The first session of the Conference was presided over by Maulana Mohammad Salim Qasmi, Mohtamim Darul Uloom (Wakf) Deoband. Mufti Abdul Rahman from Bangladesh and Mufti Mohammad Rizwee from Sri Lanka were the guests of honor.

Facilitated by Maulana Mohammad Salman Bijnori, Darul Uloom Deoband, the first session addressed the 'Role of Ulema in the freedom of India and other Countries', and the 'Duties and role of Ulama to establish peace'. Maulana Riyasat Ali Bijnori, Darul Uloom Deoband delivered the Keynote Address.

The Second Session was Presided by Hazrat Mufti Abul Qasim Noumani Sb. (Mohtamim Darul Uloom Deoband), and featured Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Maulana Abdul Razzaq Sikander from Pakistan and Mufti Noor Mohammad from Burma as guests of honor. The session addressed 'Intra community bonding in the light of Islamic values and rights of neighbors propounded by Islam', with an emphasis on terrorism, communalism and violent conflict among Muslim groups groups and denominations. Mufti Mohammad Salman Mansoorpuri, Madrasa Shahi Moradabad and Maulana Khalilur Rahman Sajjad Noumani delivered the session's Keynote address.

The World Peace Conference seeks to highlight the role and duties of the Ulama, in the larger context of establishing national peace and harmonious relations with the community, with an Islamic perspective to address issues like communal conflict between religions and various Muslim theological groups, and social evils like sexual exploitation, alcoholism, and drugs. 

The conference concluded on deliberating a strong stance against terrorism across the world. International scholars unanimously gave their support to a fatwa against terrorism in conclusion to the World Peace Conference. The fatwa issued by Darul Uloom Deoband declares Islam's vision to end terrorism with a message of global peace, and is a significant step towards promoting Islam's belief that terrorism should be eradicated.

After receiving international consensus for disassociating the image of terror from the peaceful identity of Islam, over 200 Ulama from the UK, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, The Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have added their support to the fatwa. The conference therefore marked an international declaration to establish and maintain peace and harmony.

The resolutions made after extensive deliberation at the two day event will be announced as “Aman Ka Paigaam” (Message of Peace), at Ramlila Maidan (New Delhi) on 15 December 2013 Sunday. The event is expected to be attended by more than 1,00,000 Muslims from all walks of life and will witness them to take a pledge of peace.

---