Maulana Mahmood Madani

Maulana Mahmood Madani

Maulana Mahmood Madani comes from a family of Islamic scholars. In his final year at Darul Uloom Deoband in 1992, the demolition of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya affected him very deeply. Mahmood came out to aid the victims of the communal riots that followed. With supporters he surrounded the local police and administration offices, demanding immediate justice. After graduation from Darul Uloom Deoband, he took to business but still devoted time to social and political activities. His political career started with the Samajwadi Party and he became its National Secretary and central Council member. Subsequently, he joined the Congress. In 2004, he joined the RLD and is now a member of the Rajya Sabha from UP.

During the Gujarat earthquake, his relief and rehabilitation work brought him national recognition and he was elected as General Secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind from 2001 to 2008. He is now an executive member and regarded as its leader. His far-reaching recent achievement is in launching the countrywide anti-[...] campaign and in getting the Deoband Clergy to pass a fatwa against terrorists. He organised 40 anti-[...] conferences all over the country. The massive public gatherings in May 2008 at the Ramlila Grounds of Delhi and in November 2008 in Hyderabad have helped in mobilising the Muslim masses and Ulema against [...].

He came into further prominence following his pointed remarks to Pakistan's ex-president, Parvez Musharraf, during a meet organised in India.