New Delhi, 01 Feb 2014: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), on Saturday asked Indian Muslims to play an active role in the next parliamentary elections of 2014 so that they may be able to defeat the communal and fascist forces and strengthen democracy. With the elections around the corner, the Jamaat is trying to get the Muslim community to take active participation so that the Muslims can make sure honest, democratic-minded and human friendly persons are sent to the parliament.

In its monthly press conference on 01 Feb the JIH invited several journalists from the media to showcase their current policies. They touched on topics about the Parliamentary Elections in 2014; the rehabilitation of the riot victims of Muzaffarnagar; the passing of the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence bill; and the disturbing situations in Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh and many other Muslim countries.

The press conference was addressed by Ameer-e-Jamaat, Maulana Jalaluddin Umri who was accompanied by General Secretary, Nusrat Ali and National Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Aslam.

As the horrifying situation in Muzaffarnagar has been worsening, the Jamaat has been pursuing the task of helping and rehabilitating the victims. It says that the need of the hour is stringent action against the wrongdoers so that such shameful incidents are no repeated in future and speedy efforts to facilitate the return of the victims to their houses.

“Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demands that the state and the central governments, administration, political and social organizations must do their best, with full honesty and dedication, to improve the situation, get the culprits arrested, and ensure rehabilitation of victims and their return to their homes.”

Keeping in light the recent communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, the Jamaat demands that the Central government present the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence bill in the next session and get it passed so that communal violence is effectively dealt with and eliminated.

“Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demands that the Central government must present the bill in the next session and get it passed so that communal violence is effectively dealt with and eliminated,” said the Jamaat.

“The importance of this bill to contain communal violence is evident and needs no further elaboration. The recent statement of UPA’s chairperson Sonia Gandhi has raised the hope that this bill would be presented in and passed by the next session of the parliament. It is further expected that the act would be made more effective in the light of the suggestions forwarded by legal experts and different organisations,” the Jamaat continued.

The Jamaat had much to say about the status of the many Muslim countries and what was going on internationally with them. Its main focus was on Bangladesh where the ruling party had banned the largest Islamic party in the country, the Bangladeshi Jamaat Islami, and its leader had been given the death sentence. It had always condemned the government’s actions and said that the elections were organized in spite of the boycott by opposition parties and this confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties has badly affected the social and economic set up of the country.

“The largest Islamic party Bangladesh Jamaat Islami has been subjected to ban and restriction. Its leaders and workers have been dragged to law courts. They are being tried by so called tribunals under false charges. They are being subjected to long jail terms and even death sentences. A series of such false trials and sentences has been started,” said the Jamaat.

The Jamaat also spoke on the situation of Egypt, saying that the military government set up by Gen. Sisi has made preparations for a permanent imposition of a system which is worse and more atrocious than that of Hosni Mubarak.

“Egypt’s first democratic government has been overthrown through military force and military dictatorship has been imposed. The largest and most organised party Muslim Brotherhood has been declared to be a terrorist organisation and banned. It is being subjected to all sorts of atrocities. The number of its adherents who have been killed runs in thousands,” said the Jamaat.

It also touched on the problems in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Algeria and Tunisia, and as an effort to help with the problem within these countries, it has asked the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to organize the Muslim countries and take concrete measures to stop the bloodshed and restore peace in the middle-east.