Investigators think that both of the accused, who were detained after posting videos online confessing to the crime, is affiliated with the Pakistani Islamic outfit Dawat-e-Islami.
Digital Desk: On Tuesday in Udaipur, Rajasthan, two men carrying machetes killed a tailor named Kanhaiya Lal. The gruesome murder has heightened inter-communal tensions in the desert state, where prohibitory orders have been imposed for a month to maintain peace.
The victim is accused of posting on social media in support of Nupur Sharma, the BJP spokesperson who was suspended for her comments on Prophet Muhammad. The two offenders, named Mohammad Riaz and Ghouse Mohammad, were seeking retribution for an insult to Islam.
Investigators think that both of the accused, who were detained after posting videos online confessing to the crime, are affiliated with the Pakistani Islamic outfit Dawat-e-Islami.
Dawat-e-Islami is a Sunni Muslim group that describes itself as a non-profit organisation that spreads the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. It also operates a television channel and provides online courses in Islamic studies.
Maulana Ilyas Attari established Dawat-e-Islami in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1981. Since then, it has expanded to around 194 other nations. Those connected to the organisation add "Attari" to their names in honour of the founder.
The journey of Dawat-E-Islami to India
A group of Pakistani ulema (scholars) visited India in 1989. Dawat-e-Islami was also founded here after negotiations, with its headquarters in Delhi and Mumbai. A key official, Sayed Arif Ali Attari, is working to grow the organization's presence in India.
Dawat-e-Islami operates a TV channel named Madani to propagate its ideology. Along with Urdu, programmes are also broadcast in English and Bengali. Members of the organisation usually wear green amama (turbans); some members wear white amama as well.
The two most important activities of the Dawat-e-Islami are the Madani convoy and Nek Amal. Like the Tablighi Jamaat, the members of Dawat-e-Islami travel on specific days to disseminate the message of Islam and the Prophet. On the occasion of Barawafat (the Prophet's birthday), the organisation takes out processions in Muslim-dominated areas.
Allegations of Religious Conversion
The Dawat-e-Islami has faced accusations of religious conversion during its three-decade history in India. The organisation provides 32 online Islamic courses because spreading Sharia is its main goal.
Through online classes, Dawat-e-Islami also offers specialised training to spread radicalization, convert, and deliver Daawa (invitation to Islam). The sources claim that authorities are looking into whether the organisation indoctrinated the two accused with radical Islamism.
According to police sources, the two suspects travelled to Ajmer Sharif shortly after the murder. They are currently being investigated by the SIT of the Rajasthan Police and the National Investigation Agency to see if they were associated with an extremist network.
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