Indian Ulemas express solidarity with Turkey

The All India Ulema Council (AIUC) on Thursday expressed full solidarity with Turkey and lauded the people and government of that country for foiling the recent coup attempt, an official said here.

A delegation of AIUC called on the Turkish Consul-General in Mumbai, E. Sabri Ergen and handed over a representation addressed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the letter, the AIUC expressed solidarity with democracy, secularism and values of freedom and said they stood by the people of Turkey and their elected government at this critical juncture in its history.

The delegation included Maulana Mahmood A. Khan Daryabadi, Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, Mauland Ejaz Kashmiri and Mohammed Aslam Ghazi.

"Turkey, not only in India but also in the whole Muslim world has been looked upon with trust and enduring love. Some jaundiced eyes have been jealous for a long time because of your good governing policies, development of Turkey and your persona as a whole," said the letter to President Erdogan.

The AIUC pointed out that way back in 1924, when seditious elements participated in a rebellion against the Islamic Caliphate, at that time Indian Muslims along with their secular Hindu brethren launched a movement to save the Caliphate in Turkey.

That movement is recorded till date in modern history as the 'Khilafat Movement', and after the fall of the Caliphate, any changes in Turkey have been a matter of concern for all, the letter said.

The AIUC requested the envoy to convey the letter and sentiments of the Indian Muslims to President Erdogan whose government came out unscathed in last week's attempted coup by a section of the country's military.

--IANS

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