Barelvi and Deoband sects should work together: Scholar

A leading scholar of the Barelvi Muslims has claimed that the youth of the community are being "framed" in terror cases and RSS has an "agenda", to counter which he has mooted the idea of bringing his sect and that of Deobandis on one platform.
Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan recently visited Deoband to moot the idea of chalking out common minimum agenda between the two sects, which are said to be traditionally opposed to each other, to work for the community without deviating from their own beliefs.
"My visit to Deoband was not a political one but to discuss the challenges faced by the community so that a common minimum agenda be chalked out by these two sects to work together for the betterment of the comunity," Khan said.

"We have recently come to know of an agenda by the RSS which is aimed at pitting Muslims against each other...Muslim youth are being framed in terror cases," he claimed.
Stressing the need for Barelvis and Deobandis to work together, Khan said, "as we love the country and have the responsibility of defending our democracy, all Muslims need to set aside their differences related to sects."
Khan said he got the assurance of senior scholars of the Deoband in this regard and hoped that leaders of both the sects will sit together before the onset of the holy month of Ramzam next month to chalk out the common minimum agenda.

Rector of Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana Abdul Kasim Nomani, when contacted, said Khan had made a proposal to bring Muslims of all the sects on one platform for solving the problems of the community and the response of Deoband was positive.

However, the proposal has been placed before Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, the social organisation of Deobandis, which will take a decision on it.
At the same time, Nomani said it would have been better if the entire Barelvi sect had made a move in this direction instead of an individual.
"Deoband has always favoured working along with Barelvi sect and had been inviting their scholars in all programmes but have not got a favourable response from their side," he said.