Muslim Students Organisation of India
The Muslim Students Organisation of India () or MSO is a students and youth wing of Hanafi Sunni Muslims (i.e. Barelvi) who are associated with Sufism in India. It is working all over India with an alliance of Sunni Students Federation in South India. Syed Muhammad Quadri is current national president of the organization. MSO is one of the strongest youth movement of Aligarh Muslim University and has strong presence in Muslim population and institutions of the country.
Formation and ideology
Formed in 1977 at Aligarh Muslim University by students and academicians. MSO of India follows Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'ah ideology of Islam which is also known as traditional Islam i.e. Sunni Sufi ideology. MSO is of the view that Sufi Islamic teachings based on peace, mutual cooperation, love, brotherhood and communal harmony are only alternative left before the world in order to establish peace.
Patrons
MSO is patronized by following leading Islamic scholars of the country who are among the 500 most influential Muslims of the world.
- Sunni scholar Prof Syed Muhammad Ameen Mian Qaudri Barkaati-
Professor in the Department Of Urdu at Aligarh Muslim University, Sajjada nashin of Sufi Dargah and Khanqah-e-Barkaatiya, Marehra Shareef & President of Jamia Al Barkaat Aligarh Uttar Pradesh
- Sheikh Abu Baker Ahmed Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musalyar -
Vice Chancellor of Markazu Saqafathi Sunniya, Secretary General of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, Calicut Kerala
Aims and objective
As per its website MSO has following aims and objectives
- To do Islamic missionary work among the youths
- To spread education among various sections of the society with the ACTIVE help of youths
- To prepare students as active contributors to the community and country
- To build the society based on the Islamic morality and spirituality
- To build the Intellectual leadership for the Muslims of India
Expansion
- In January 2013, the national executive of MSO and Sunni Students Federation (SSF) conducted a special meeting at Calicut Islamic center in Kerala state. The office bearers of The Two organizations from 20 states attended the meeting.
- The National Executive camp was held on 8 June’13 Saturday at Hotel Le-Meridian, Ahmedabad Gujarat state. National executive members from 20 states of the country participated. The camp put forward a whole year plan including formation of MSO state committees, district committees, local and campus committees, membership campaigns and establishing hostels. Formation of MSO planning board was also announced in the meeting R.P Hussain from Kerala was declared as new General Secretary of the organization with Syed Muhammad Qadri continuing his post of President.
- In June 2013 MSO North Zone elected its leaders for Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan state in a meeting organized in Bareilly City.
- In July 2013 MSO conducted a workshop for the state leaders of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands at Khykha auditorium, Ulsoor in Bangalore. Karnataka State Waqf Board director Shafi Saadi inaugurated the workshop. State committees of all these states were formed and annual plan was chalked out to work on the national agenda of MSO.
- National Students' Conference was held in south India at Ernakulam, Kerala from 26 to 28 April 2012 which was attended by at least 50 national delegates from 20 states of India.
- In 2010 a national meet was organized in MP’s club New Delhi in the presence of Vice Chancellor of Sunni Markaz Dr. Hussain Saqafi, Director Dr. Abdul Hakeem Azhari and which was also attended by Kamal Farooqi chairman Delhi Minority Commission and it was presided by leading Sunni cleric from Delhi Dr.Mufti Mukarram Ahmad. Hundreds of Volunteers participated.
Programmes and functions
Prominently, MSO organizes following programmes through its various units across the country
- Weekly Dars-e-Quran or Towards Understanding Quran Program.
- Career and Job guidance events.
- Annual Azmate-e-Rasool SAW Conferences and Mawlid Conferences.
- Summer Islamic Conferences.
- Meritorious students award ceremonies.
- Raising all Important community issues at national and state level.
- Organizes protests and press conferences to express its views.
- Distribution of literature and books among students and youths.
- Establishing Madarsas and coaching and guidance centers.
Stance on international issues
- Against Extremism and [...]
Against ISIL - Muslim Students Organization (MSO) has organized several protests and conferences against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant ISIL, a [...] group. MSO is of the view that ISIL does not represent Islam and Muslims and its caliphate is illegal as its basic aim is to serve the interest of west and to capture territories while misusing Islam.
- Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine
- Global March to Jerusalem. M.S.O has always undertaken Palestine issue near to its heart and has raised awareness about the atrocities committed upon poor Palestinians in India. MSO national president Syed Muhammed Qadri is in the Asian team of the Asian People's solidarity Forum and was part of the delegation along with its national secretary Shujaat Ali Quadri in Global March to Jerusalem in the year 2012. The March was quite Successful in its aim and thousands of people from different nations protested at Israel Border along with Lebanon on 30 March 2012 on the occasion of Land Day.
- Freedom of Palestine and Al Aqsa Mosque Conference 2012
- MSO of India Rajasthan state committee on 14 July 2012, organized 'Freedom of Palestine and Al Aqsa Mosque' conference in the city of Jaipur in which Zuhair Hamdallah, Second Consul at the Palestinian Embassy in India participated as chief guest to the convention – said the Indian activists were consistently supporting all global movements for freedom of Palestine. He noted that the "global march to Jerusalem" earlier this year had a significant presence of Indians.
- Protest against Dove World Outreach Center Quran-burning controversy
- In 2010, MSO delegation met Mr. SM Krishna, then Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, to tell him about feelings of Indian Muslims on Dove World Outreach Center Quran-burning controversy and demanded from Indian government to intervene into the matter. Later MSO Protested at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
- Letter to Indian P.M against Myanmar [...] of Minorities
- In July 2012,some Muslims and Buddhist organizations wrote to then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention to stop killings of Muslims in Myanmar. The central government was also urged to protect the rights of Burmese refugees who are living in pathetic conditions in New Delhi
- Massive protest against Talibani Wahabi [...]
- On 17 June 2009, MSO along with several Muslim organizations protested the "Wahabi Talibani [...] in Pakistan. It was the first visible protest and open condemnation against Wahabi [...]. MSO was successful in raising this issue in main stream media of the country.
Stance on national issues
- Demand to strengthen Sufism from Indian Government
- In 2014, Muslim Students Organisation (MSO) of India, in a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, asked that the government should strengthen and promote Sufism by introducing chapters on Sufi scholars and by setting up Sufi centers in various cities of the country.
- Condemnation of extremism
- In MSO seminar, former Union minister Arif Mohammad Khan said that Islam propagates peace, harmony and brotherhood. He pointed out that the word 'Jehad' does not mean bloodshed and one who does so is not 'Jihadi' but 'fasadi' (rioter). India’s prime Sufi Center Ajmer witnessed MSO’s Conference in which SSF and MSO leaders participated from across the country to counter extremism and [...]. The Meet was inaugurated by Dr. Wahid Hussain Chishti, Secretary of Ajmer Shrine Committee. Mohammad Habeeb Khan Member of Rajasthan Public Service Commission also encouraged the youths to work hard in their education.
- Meeting with Assam state Chief Minister over Assam Minorities [...]
- MSO delegation led by Dr.Abdul Hakeem Azhari met Mr. Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam to demand from him the protection of life and liberty of minorities living in his state.
- Demand for Jobs and Education for Muslim Students
- In 2015, MSO organized ′National Muslim Youth Summit' at Ajmer Shareef Rajasthan. Demand of Memorandum was addressed to Indian PM Shri Narendra Modi asking for Jobs, education and a clear policy to check extremism in the country
- Protest against legalization of homosexuality in country
- MSO organized a seminar at the press club of Jaipur on the topic 'Homosexuality is Danger to Society and Humanity'. Each and every action of the West can't be imitated as our social and moral norms are totally different from them and in many studies it has been found that disease of AIDS spread more faster through this unnatural act, said Shujaat Ali Qadri, Gen Secretary of Muslim Students Organization of India (MSO) Rajasthan State.
- On harassment of Kashmiri Muslim students in North India
- MSO protested against attacks on Kashmiri students and asked the government to provide safety and security to students
- Gopalgarh (Rajasthan) riots
- In 2011, MSO delegation visited riot affected Gopalgarh city of Rajasthan state where several Muslims were killed in Police firing. The delegation met district Police chief to demand safety and security for Muslims of the area. Later, MSO leaders met Chief Minister of Rajasthan Mr. Ashok Gehlot, they apprised him of situation and feelings of Muslim community and demanded stern action against culprits.
- Call to release innocent Muslim youths
- In January, 17th '2011, MSO delegation met powerful Indian leader Mr. Ahmed Patel, adviser of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and submitted a memorandum of demand to him, asking for the release of innocent Muslim youths from prison.
- Protest against Religious discrimination
- MSO of India lodged a complaint with the chairman of National Commission for Minorities, seeking his intervention into the various cases of religious discrimination with Muslim Students."
- Peace Conferences
- West Bengal committee of MSO organized a peace conference in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, where student from all over West Bengal gathered to listen to Sufi leaders who asked them to stay from extremist Wahabism and Salafism.
- Rudrapur (Uttarakhand) communal riots
- MSO leaders met Indian Home Minister Mr. P. Chidambaram at his North Block office on 8 October '2011 in New Delhi. The leaders demanded immediate halt to the communal violence in Rudrapur and other towns of various states and establishment of peace. They also demanded compensation for the victim families and legal action against the culprits.
Religious activities
MSO annually organizes several events in different parts of the country on the occasion of Mawlid. Members of MSO celebrates the day with enthusiasm and took out processions. MSO Aligarh Muslim University unit regularly organizes Azmat-e-Rasool Conference in Kennedy auditorium which is attended by more than three thousand students of the University. The Speakers who have attended includes former and present Vice Chancellors, specially Dr. P. K. Abdul Aziz, Lt Zameerud-din Shah, Dr.Faizan Mustafa, popular Sunni leaders like Mufti Mukarram Ahmad, Saeed Noori of Raza Academy, Allama Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi and former member of parliament Obaidullah Khan Azmi and World Islamic Mission General Secretary Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi. The gatherings are regularly presided by Prof. Syed Ameen Mian Qaudri.
Educational activities
- Dr. Umar Abdullah Kamel, Director of Foreign Students Affairs at Al-Azhar Islamic University, Cairo, Egypt participated in MSO conference in New Delhi which was organized to help Islamic Madarsa students to get their degrees recognized at international level specially by Al Azhar University.
- National Seminar on freedom fighter Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi
In South India, MSO Maharashtra state unit organized a national seminar on great freedom fighter Allama Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi(R.A) on 29 January 2012 at Ghulam Momin College Auditorium at Bhiwandi city of Maharashtra. The seminar was presided over by Dr. Saheb Ali, Dept. of Urdu, Mumbai University.
See also
- Sunni Students' Federation
- Anjuman Talaba-e-Islam
- World Islamic Mission
- Raza Academy