India bans Islamic group PFI for five years after detentions, raids

[MenInG]

Sept 28 (Reuters) - Indian authorities declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates an "unlawful association" with immediate effect on Wednesday, banning it for five years.

The order comes after the authorities detained scores of members of the Islamic group on Tuesday and earlier in the month, accusing them of violence and anti-national activities. PFI has denied the charges and condemned the detentions and related raids as harassment and held street protests. read more

A government notification on Wednesday said that PFI authorities are raising funds in India and overseas as part of a "criminal conspiracy" and then transferring it through multiple accounts to show them as legitimate.

These funds are then used to carry out "various criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in the country," it added.

Earlier on Tuesday, police in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh said they detained 57 persons linked to the PFI because of "violent acts conducted by them and their rising anti-national activities across the country".

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-bans-islamic-organisation-pfi-five-years-2022-09-28/

 

[Hitman]

Why for 5 years, why not permanently?

 

[sweep_shot]

Why for 5 years, why not permanently?

What have they done to warrant a permanent ban?

 

[Hitman]

What have they done to warrant a permanent ban?

They are nothing but a nuisance and a potential threat to my country. All you need to do is do a Google search on their history.

 

[sweep_shot]

They are nothing but a nuisance and a potential threat to my country. All you need to do is do a Google search on their history.

Nuisance?

So, you are banning a party for being nuisance?

Some may argue BJP causes the maximum amount of nuisance.

 

[cricketjoshila]

They are nothing but a nuisance and a potential threat to my country. All you need to do is do a Google search on their history.

They are SIMI with a different name.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Nuisance?

So, you are banning a party for being nuisance?

Some may argue BJP causes the maximum amount of nuisance.

Who may argue that BJP causes maximum nuisance?

 

[sweep_shot]

Who may argue that BJP causes maximum nuisance?

[MENTION=147527]MP2011[/MENTION], for example.

 

[Bewal Express]

They are nothing but a nuisance and a potential threat to my country. All you need to do is do a Google search on their history.

So parties are bring banned for being a nuisance

 

[cricketjoshila]

So parties are bring banned for being a nuisance

Or for being a front of a banned terrorist organisation.

 

[sweep_shot]

Or for being a front of a banned terrorist organisation.

BJP is a front for RSS too. Isn't RSS a terror group too?

Found this about RSS:

The RSS was banned once during British rule,[18] and then thrice by the post-independence Indian government, first in 1948 when Nathuram Godse,[23] an erstwhile member of RSS,[24] assassinated Mahatma Gandhi;[18][25][26] then during The Emergency (1975–1977); and for a third time after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashtriya_Swayamsevak_Sangh.

 

[rhony]

BJP is a front for RSS too. Isn't RSS a terror group too?

Found this about RSS:



Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashtriya_Swayamsevak_Sangh.

RSS runs India. Why will they ban themselves?

 

[rhony]

BJP is a front for RSS too. Isn't RSS a terror group too?

Found this about RSS:



Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashtriya_Swayamsevak_Sangh.

When you think of RSS, never compare them to SIMI, or lashqar e toiba or ISIS etc. Most Muslims do that and they are incorrect. RSS is more comparable to CCP of China. They are a Hindu supremacist, nationalists. Terror orgs want to destroy everything. RSS wants India to be a super power one day with a Hindu identity. They want all the modern tech and good paying jobs. The reason being, most RSS workers have primary jobs elsewhere. Being part of RSS is their passion and not livelihood. Precisely the reason why they can never be mercenaries for hire which is not the case of terror orgs.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

RSS runs India. Why will they ban themselves?

Exactly. At least they are only banning an organisation, another term in power and they will be demolishing mosques again.

 

[MenInG]

Or for being a front of a banned terrorist organisation.

So what's the deal with 5 year ban? Are they expected to reform themself? Surely if they are terrorist then they should be banned for good?

 

[Bewal Express]

Or for being a front of a banned terrorist organisation.

But he didn't say that. But have they killed more than Modi did in Gujarat? Or is that Kosher?

 

[Champ_Pal]

What have they done to warrant a permanent ban?

Recruiting gullible youth to do Jihad both in India and around the world. They are very active in Kerala and Hyderabad.

 

[Pakpak]

I have said it before, Pakistan went down Zia's path and chickens came to roost 2 decades later at the hands of terrorist ****.

India has brutalised its Muslim minorities the last few years from lynchings to killings. Some nutters won't need more cause to kill and maim innocents. India will ofcourse blame that on Pakistan, instead of their racist and vile treatment of Muslims.

No where I am justifying it but I can't help see the irony of a terrorist RSS party banning other scummy parties.

 

[Champ_Pal]

I have said it before, Pakistan went down Zia's path and chickens came to roost 2 decades later at the hands of terrorist ****.

India has brutalised its Muslim minorities the last few years from lynchings to killings. Some nutters won't need more cause to kill and maim innocents. India will ofcourse blame that on Pakistan, instead of their racist and vile treatment of Muslims.

No where I am justifying it but I can't help see the irony of a terrorist RSS party banning other scummy parties.

Indian Muslims are same race as Hindu and Christian Indians. You are getting upset over an organization that recruits innocent youth to do Jihad even in places like Syria. There were many youth from Kerala who went and fought for ISIS.

 

[cricketjoshila]

BJP is a front for RSS too. Isn't RSS a terror group too?

Found this about RSS:



Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashtriya_Swayamsevak_Sangh.

RSS is not a terror group.

In 1949 Sardar Patel was forced to overturn the ban as he could find no evidence against RSS. Morarji Desai confirmed in his speech in Mumbai that the ban was overturned unconditionally.

In 1992 the court overturned the ban.

 

[cricketjoshila]

So what's the deal with 5 year ban? Are they expected to reform themself? Surely if they are terrorist then they should be banned for good?

The max tenure of ban under UAPA is 5 years. It can be extended unlimited times.

 

[cricketjoshila]

But he didn't say that. But have they killed more than Modi did in Gujarat? Or is that Kosher?

Who said what? I am telling you what the official reason is.

Modi killed no one.If any court has convicted him. Please post the relevant judgement.

 

[MenInG]

Who said what? I am telling you what the official reason is.

Modi killed no one.If any court has convicted him. Please post the relevant judgement.

As we know, just because someone gets away with it, does not make him less guilty.

Courts in India - yes of course.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Indian Muslims are same race as Hindu and Christian Indians. You are getting upset over an organization that recruits innocent youth to do Jihad even in places like Syria. There were many youth from Kerala who went and fought for ISIS.

Guess what, most Deobandi amd Barelvi organizations seem to be supportive of this ban.

 

[cricketjoshila]

As we know, just because someone gets away with it, does not make him less guilty.

Courts in India - yes of course.

The jurisdiction in Indian territory lies with courts of India. Indian courts have punished people more powerful than Modi was in 2002 or 2012.

 

[Bewal Express]

Who said what? I am telling you what the official reason is.

Modi killed no one.If any court has convicted him. Please post the relevant judgement.

And he was banned from the UK and America because his teleprompter was too heavy. Lol

 

[IMMY69]

I have a question.
Why is a terrorist grouping being banned and not being sent to jail?
Surely if they are terrorists then they should receive a more severe punishment then just being banned for 5 years?

What am I missing?

 

[sweep_shot]

I have a question.
Why is a terrorist grouping being banned and not being sent to jail?
Surely if they are terrorists then they should receive a more severe punishment then just being banned for 5 years?

What am I missing?

Yes. That baffles me too.

It seems like they just want to ban the party due to some other reason.

 

[cricketjoshila]

And he was banned from the UK and America because his teleprompter was too heavy. Lol

He has been invited by Every US president since Obama and every UK PM since Cameroon. You are living in the past.

 

[cricketjoshila]

I have a question.
Why is a terrorist grouping being banned and not being sent to jail?
Surely if they are terrorists then they should receive a more severe punishment then just being banned for 5 years?

What am I missing?

176 members already arrested.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Yes. That baffles me too.

It seems like they just want to ban the party due to some other reason.

Because you haven't read the whole news. 176 members already arrested.

 

[rhony]

And he was banned from the UK and America because his teleprompter was too heavy. Lol

He was the CM in his first term. He belongs to RSS, a hardline hindutva camp. In his first term, karsevaks, the devotees that went to Ram mandir from Ayodhya and returning to Gujarat were burned in Godhra by a Muslim mob. The pressure was ON to teach a lesson. India would have burned. Instead it was decided to limit the damage to certain areas in Gujarat. And they succeeded. The visa ban was because of the pressure by a few Indian communists in US on US govt. They succeeded. Nobody thought he would be PM of India one day. India has been relatively peaceful ever since. But the lesson is clear. If you are a minority, do not burn the devotees belonging to the majority. If you do, the response will be disproportional. Nobody burned any trains or attacked karsevaks after that. It's a part of bloody history in India but nevertheless,an important one. The incident and the response made Modi what he is today. India changed after the incident.

So, to summarize, a group of 40 Muslim men that decided to burn the train have propelled India towards hindutva.

 

[PakLFC]

Banning them was the right thing to do if they were seen as a threat, Now do the same to radical Hindu groups then no one will say the decision was biased.

 

[daytrader]

Muslim organization announces its disbandment after being banned by Indian Home Ministry

The Popular Front of India (PFI) has announced its disbandment after the Indian Home Ministry issued a decree Wednesday to ban the political grouping a day after the arrest of more than 170 of its members for urging extremism among Muslim youth.

The PFI explained in a statement that the Ministry of Home Affairs has conveyed the ban to them in an information note, after which the movement, and the groups associated with it, have decided to cease their activity, assuring that, "as law-abiding citizens", they accept the decision.

The general secretary of the PFI in the state of Kerala, Abdul Sattar, who posted the statement on the group's Facebook profile, was subsequently arrested by the Indian authorities, as reported by the ANI news agency.

The Indian political group explained on Wednesday on its official Twitter profile that the more than 170 arrests carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in at least 15 states last September 22 were a "witch hunt" by the central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "It is quite natural and to be expected under this autocratic system," he stressed.

The PFI came into being in Kerala in 2006 after the merger of three smaller Muslim organizations. The Modi government claims the grouping has Islamist links -- especially with the Students Islamic Movement -- and funds terrorism through propaganda and training.

Clashes between Hindus and Muslims are frequent in India. In February, several institutions refused to admit students wearing hijab -- and they are part of the Muslim minority -- following an order from the Ministry of Education.

On the other hand, approximately 2 percent of the Indian population is Christian and in recent years attacks by radical Hindus have increased. Since the Hindu nationalist BJP party came to power in 2014, attacks against Christians increased by 60 percent, according to a report by Persecution Relief.

MSN

 

[Local.Dada]

Dear Pakistani friends, Not everything that has the word Islam or Muslims associated in it needs to be blindly defended. It’s like saying TTP or Isis are being unfairly treated. PFI is a terror outfit and does recruitment for isis etc. i mean what connection do sc Muslims have with isis and other such groups exactly? Can’t be for spiritual reasons. Use some common sense.

Before someone brings in the RSS card. Sorry not the same. One can reveal their online identity and say they are member of RSS and it won’t have any implications in most of the progressive world. It may have a stigma but it’s not a designated terror outfit. It doesn’t work for some of the groups I have mentioned. So till then no equivalence.

In fact if your govt does that keeping a lot of mullahs with questionable material to provoke people in check, Pakistan would also prosper a lot better. Most of you already know that so don’t show outrage for the sake of it because it only reflects on your world view.

 

[IMMY69]

176 members already arrested.

Yes I get that.
But surely that's not how it works?

Charge them, prove their guilt, jail them and shut down the organisation for life...

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Why just 5 years? Should have banned permanently. This is stupid .

Yesterday SIMI, today PFI and tomorrow they will come up with some xyz name.
Nothing will change.

 

[Local.Dada]

Yes I get that.
But surely that's not how it works?

Charge them, prove their guilt, jail them and shut down the organisation for life...

So you are saying these people were arrested randomly without intelligence, proofs etc?

The fact that this took so long was for the exact same reason.

If your intent is to prove PFI is a social organization working for the welfare and uplifment of Muslims then I will let you play the nitpicking game. I don’t think you heard what PFI is before this thread, would that be accurate enough assumption?

 

[Champ_Pal]

Why just 5 years? Should have banned permanently. This is stupid .

Yesterday SIMI, today PFI and tomorrow they will come up with some xyz name.
Nothing will change.

When SIMI was banned, their members regrouped and became PFI of today. Now PFI is banned and an year from now, they regroup once again and start another organization under a different name. They are mushrooms and they keep popping up when there is rot in the society.

 

[Local.Dada]

When SIMI was banned, their members regrouped and became PFI of today. Now PFI is banned and an year from now, they regroup once again and start another organization under a different name. They are mushrooms and they keep popping up when there is rot in the society.

There are some legal loopholes/headaches in the process of banning something permanently I believe. That’s what I heard. I am not a legal expert.

Having said that you are right. These people will regroup again and the only way to nip it is to attack their finances. Religion might be a tool these folk use but the main motivator is power which comes with money. That’s the eco system that needs to be taken down.

 

[IMMY69]

So you are saying these people were arrested randomly without intelligence, proofs etc?

The fact that this took so long was for the exact same reason.

If your intent is to prove PFI is a social organization working for the welfare and uplifment of Muslims then I will let you play the nitpicking game. I don’t think you heard what PFI is before this thread, would that be accurate enough assumption?

No I don't think they were arrested without proof.
Yes I don't know the history.

I'm trying to stay independent here and my point is that to root out extremism you need to find them guilty in a court of law and then punish them accordingly, a 5 year ban on an organisation doesn't seem like it's enough.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Its a good decision.

Quite a few Muslims from Kerala in particular were sucked in by these guys to join ISIS.

I know a few muslim friends from Kerala that are happy at the decision as they felt that this group was just rabble rousers and dangerous to the youth.

 

[ex-q-zit]

Member Of Banned Group Popular Front Arrested In Maharashtra

Nashik (Maharashtra): Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) today arrested a member of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) for alleged involvement in anti-national activities, the ATS officials said.

The police have arrested him in connection with an FIR by Nashik ATS.

The arrested person has been identified as Maulana Irfan Daulat Nadvi. Seven accused have been arrested so far in this regard.

Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier in September had made the announcement through a recently issued notification declaring "the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect".

Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier in September imposed a ban on the radical outfit and its affiliates for five years for having "terror links". Along with PFI, the ban has been imposed on Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation as an "unlawful association".

As per the inputs received by both the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as well as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), "the PFI has been raising and collecting substantial funds from abroad in a well-organized and structured manner".

It also came to the knowledge of the Central agencies that the "PFI was raising funds abroad and their transfer to India through clandestine and illegal channels".

The PFI was launched in Kerala in 2006 after merging three Muslim organizations.

NDTV

 

[ex-q-zit]

Ajit Doval's Appeal To Muslim Body 'Ulema' To Fight Terrorism, Extremism

New Delhi:

Ulema have a leading role in educating the people on the original tolerant and moderate principles of Islam and countering extremism with progressive ideas and thought, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said today.

In his opening address at dialogue on the "Role of Ulema in fostering a culture of Interfaith Peace and Social Harmony in India and Indonesia", Ajit Doval said we need to work together to develop common narratives on deradicalisation.

A delegation of Ulema and representatives of other religions has come here with Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mohammad Mahfud MD.

The Ulema held a day-long dialogue with their Indian counterparts and other religious leaders at India Islamic Cultural Centre on varied topics.

In his opening address, Ajit Doval said, "Extremism and terrorism are against the very meaning of Islam because Islam means peace and well-being (Salamati/Asalaam)."

"In a democracy, there is no place for hate speech, prejudice, propaganda, demonisation, violence, conflict and misuse of religion for narrow ends," he said.

Underlining that both India and Indonesia have been victims of terrorism and separatism, Mr Doval said while the challenges have been overcome to a considerable extent, the phenomenon of cross-border and ISIS-inspired terrorism continue to pose a threat.

"Cooperation of the civil society is essential in countering the threat from ISIS-inspired individual terror cells and returnees from theatres like Syria and Afghanistan," he said.

He said the essence lies in disseminating our positive discourse far and wide and not merely reacting to the agenda set by inimical forces.

"State institutions also need to come together in detecting and identifying potential negative influencers and share information to counter their activities. In this, Ulemas, due to their deep connect with civil society, can play a vital role," he said.

He said the Ulema have a leading role in "educating the people on the original tolerant and moderate principles of Islam and countering radicalisation and extremism with progressive ideas and thought".

"Our youth should receive special attention towards this end. They are often the primary target of radicalisation, but if their energies are nurtured in the right direction, they can emerge as harbingers of change and building blocks of progress in any society," he said.

Ajit Doval said the Ulema must also be adept in the use of technology and use it to thwart propaganda and hate.

He said against the backdrop of tectonic shifts in the global order, India and Indonesia, given their rich history, diversity, shared traditions and increasing bilateralism, have the potential to enhance prospects of peace, regional cooperation and prosperity in Asia.

India and Indonesia are home to the world's largest Islamic populations, Indonesia is the world's largest Islamic country, and India is home to the third largest Muslim population in the world, he said.

"Countries like India and Indonesia, with their experience of multi faith harmony and coexistence, can send a joint message to the world to eschew violence and conflict. This will be a powerful symbol of the determination of two large countries (together we have 1.7 Billion of the world population) to preserve and promote the true values espoused by religion," he said.

Ajit Doval said that together we should strive to propagate the moderate virtues of Islam as a beacon of hope and cooperation for the entire world.

In his keynote address, visiting minister Mahfud MD, NSA's counterpart in Indonesia, said we have many times witnessed people who use their religion as a doctrine of absolute truth and are quick to blame others.

"We have to go out of this and improve. Religion, I think, should be a source of peace, not the reason for discord, conflict, or violence. Religion should be a unifying tool, not a divisive instrument," he said.

The minister said the world is facing difficult challenges, ranging from poverty, climate change, food insecurity, pandemic, corruption, unemployment, armed conflicts, income inequality, and human rights abuses.

"Where are religions when the world fights against all these common concerns?," he said.

NDTV

 

[ex-q-zit]

Delhi High Court Denies House Arrest To Banned Group PFI Leader Abubacker

Hearing a plea by E Abubacker against a trial court order refusing to release him on medical grounds, the Delhi High Court on Monday said the jailed former chairman of the Popular Front of India will be provided medical treatment but not kept in house arrest.

"When you are asking for medical bail, why should we send you to your house? We will send you to a hospital," remarked a bench headed by Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh.

Last month, Abubacker's counsel had said that the 70-year-old had cancer and Parkinson's disease and was in "great pain", which needed urgent medical supervision.

Abubacker was arrested by the agency during a massive crackdown on the banned organisation earlier this year and is presently in judicial custody.

The bench on Monday remarked that there was no provision in law for a "house arrest" and directed that Abubacker be "escorted safely" to AIIMS in custody for an oncosurgery review on December 22 and also permitted his son to remain present at the time of consultation.

"We are not granting you house arrest. There is no provision in law for house arrest. The honourable Supreme Court has powers which this court does not," the court said.

"We don't see anything appropriate in this because no surgery has been recommended. We can't grant you house arrest, first of all. If your medical condition requires hospitalisation, we can direct hospitalisation. We may permit an attendant. We are not permitting anything else," added the court.

"He is entitled to medical treatment and that we will provide," the court said.

The court listed the case for further consideration in January next year and directed the jail medical superintendent to file a report on the consultation with the oncosurgery department of AIIMS .

Lawyer Adit Pujari, appearing for Abubacker, argued that he needed constant monitoring and treatment and even if he is sent to house arrest, there would be no "qualitative difference" for the investigating agency.

Special public prosecutor Akshai Malik, appearing for NIA, stated that the accused was being provided "best possible treatment" and he was due to meet an oncologist on December 22.

Last week, he had said that Abubacker was "absolutely fine" and receiving treatment.

Last month, the court had asserted that requisite medical treatment will be provided to the accused while rejecting the submission that he should be sent to house arrest.

"We are not inclined to do that. AIIMS is a premier hospital in the country. If you are using this as a pretext for house arrest, we are not granting that. We are only concerned with his medical condition," the court had said.

The court also said that it "was going to hear the appeal for medical treatment" and the accused could approach the trial court for seeking regular bail.

The NIA had said that the agency was not opposing medical treatment to the accused and the investigation in the case was ongoing.

A large number of alleged PFI activists were detained or arrested in several states during the massive raids preceding the nationwide ban imposed on September 28. In near-simultaneous raids across the country as part of a multi-agency operation spearheaded by the NIA, a large number of PFI activists were detained or arrested in 11 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.

The arrests were made in states and Union Territories, including Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Delhi and Rajasthan.

The government banned the PFI and several of its associate organisations on September 28 for five years under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA, accusing them of having "links" with global terror groups like the ISIS.

NDTV

 

[ex-q-zit]

Can't Allow Organisations Seeking Islamic Rule In India: Centre To Supreme Court

The central government filed a counter-affidavit in the Supreme Court justifying its eighth successive ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an 'unlawful association'.

The Centre told the Supreme Court that 'any organisation that has the objective of establishing Islamic rule in India cannot be permitted to exist.' They should not be allowed to be perpetuated in our secular society, the Centre further added.

The Centre has filed an affidavit pertaining to a petition challenging the ban on SIMI.

The affidavit was considered on Wednesday by a bench led by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, which is seized of a petition filed by a former SIMI member challenging the 2019 ban order of a tribunal constituted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The Centre, in its affidavit, submitted alleged, "SIMI objectives are contrary to the country's laws as the organisation aims to mobilize students and youth in the propagation of Islam and obtain support for 'Jehaad.'

It emphasised that despite being banned over a number of years, SIMI through various front organizations continued to indulge in unlawful activities, therefore, a new ban had been issued.

"Despite being banned since September 27, 2001, except for a brief period in between, the SIMI activists are associating, meeting, conspiring, acquiring arms and ammunitions, and indulging in activities which are disruptive in character and capable of threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India," stated the Centre in its affidavit.

Adding further, the Centre maintained that SIMI activists are in regular touch with the associates and masters of SIMI based in other countries and the actions are capable of disrupting peace and communal harmony in the country.

"Their stated objectives are contrary to the laws of our country. Especially their object of establishing Islamic rule in India can, under no circumstances, be permitted to subsist," the Centre said.

Stressing that SIMI continues to exist despite the continuous prescription since 2001, the government pointed out that the latest order of a five-year ban in 2019 was necessitated in view of the group carrying on its unlawful activities through more than three dozen front organisations, which had regrouped across several states under different names.

"There are over three dozen other front organizations through which SIMI is being continued. These front organizations help SIMI in various activities including collection of funds, circulation of literature, regrouping of cadres, etc."

The Centre urged the SC to dismiss the petition challenging the Centre's decision to ban SIMI as an "Unlawful Association."

During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel sought time to file a rejoinder on Centre's affidavit on the ground that it has examined the counter.

The counsel appearing for Centre also sought adjournment.

The court adjourned the matter on the request made by both counsels.

NDTV