india

Updated: Feb 08, 2016 21:58 IST

A body representing Sufi-Sunni Muslims on Monday claimed that the Islamic State group is “active” in the country under “different names” and sought a ban on fronts representing such groups to prevent threats to national security.

The comments by the All India Tanzeem Ulema-E-Islam (AITUI) came against the backdrop of remarks by home minister Rajnath Singh on December 27 that ISIS has not been able to “establish its roots” in the country due to family values of the Indian culture.

At its day-long ‘anti-terrorism’ conference held in New Delhi, the AITUI also made a strong pitch for “critical examination” of Islamic studies imparted across varsities in the country and sought to promote Sufi content to remove “extremist influence” on youth.

“Terror activities are on rise in the world. We condemn it and assert the Sufi-Sunni Muslims are in no way engaged in such activities. But we want to highlight, the ISIS is active in India under different names.

“The ISIS front outfits are holding conferences and receiving funds from Saudi Arabia and Qatar for it. We want Centre to ban all such outfits in view of national security,” AITUI president Mufti Mohammed Ashfaq Hussain Qadri told reporters.

Appealing to Sufi-Sunni Muslim youth in India against “falling prey” to extremist elements, clerics participating in the conference insisted that the government promote Sufi content in syllabus taught as part of higher Islamic studies.

The clerics, who had gathered from different parts of the country, urged Centre to give up efforts to change minority status of educational institutions--an apparent reference to government’s stand on AMU and Jamia Milia Islamia varsities--and instead take efforts to gain confidence of community youths.

The clerics also favoured enacting a law that will provide for capital punishment to those who insult prophets and Gods worshipped by people of any religion.