Owaisi’s vain bid to use Zakir Naik to revive AIMIM in Bihar
Patna,(BiharTimes): When a handful of people, mostly youths, marched
from in front of the gate of Patna Science College to Kargil Chowk on
Friday afternoon under the banner of a little-known organization,
Popular Front of India, many watchers of Muslim politics were
surprised by the posters, placards and photos they were carrying.
Though the PFI sources denied that anyone raised the pro-Pakistan
slogan, a day later the police arrested Mohammad Taufiq, a worker of
the Indian Momin Front, who took part in the march, and sent him to
Beur Jail after the video footage of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ went viral.
The electronic media highlighted the clippings. The police have
slapped a case under different Sections of the IPC against Taufeeq
and have sent the video footage for forensic investigation.
Politically, what is more surprising is why the Popular Front of India
organized the march for televangelist Zakir Naik and the president of
All India Muslim-Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen? How can they both be
clubbed together and why were the marchers carrying the photos of
both?
After all Popular Front of India is a Kerala-based organization trying
to spread its influence in Bihar, particularly in the Seemanchal belt.
On the other hand AIMIM is the family business of Hyderabad-based
Owaisi brothers––Asaduddin and Akbaruddin. It contested election in
six Assembly seats––all in Seemanchal––last year, but drew blank.
Then why PFI joined hands with AIMIM, and that too only days after the
former Gujarat BJP MLA, Yatin Oza, claimed that younger brother,
Akbaruddin, had on September 15, 2015 met the BJP chief Amit Shah.
Oza, who was once close to Amit Shah, alleged that the BJP leader had
asked Akbaruddin to create atmosphere in favour of the saffron party
in Bihar.
That was the reason why the AIMIM decided to contest election in Bihar.
What is more strange is the way the Zakir Naik issue was dragged? How
come an organization like PFI come out in favour of both Asaduddin
Owaisi and Zakir Naik?
As Kerala has a sizeable influence of Salafism it was natural for PFI
to espouse the cause of Zakir Naik, who too is linked to this school
of thought.
That is why he is not liked by Baraelvis, Shias, even some Deobandis
and a large section of Muslims, who do not rigidly follow any
particular school of thought.
Yet in spite of this dislike for or indifference towards Zakir Naik by
a big section of Muslims there are many within the community who do
not like the media trial carried out by some television channels.
Their argument is that Zakir Naik has been running his channel for the
last 25 years, then why did not any government––even of the NDA under
Vajpayee and now under Modi––found any thing wrong in it. After all so
many terror attacks took place in India in the last so many years.
Then how come it is that after the attack in Bangladesh the media have
suddenly woken up against Zakir Naik.
The PFI and AIMIM have both disastrously failed in Bihar. So, they
thought, this was perhaps the best time
to cash in on the sentiment of a section of people.
The truth is that Zakir Naik phenomenon is not as big as it is made
out both in the media as well as his own supporters. Most of his
speeches are in English, which hardly 10 per cent of Muslims
understand. It is only in recent years that he has started addressing
in Urdu too.
Besides, his channel, Peace TV, is now not available. So Zakir is
backed by some Salafis as well as college going youths. An
overwhelming number of Muslims had never heard of him before this
controversy started.
That is why the combined strength of PFI and AIMIM––along with the
burning issue of Zakir Naik––brought just a handful of people to the
streets of Patna.
It further exposed their weakness. The proxy did not work.