Young Indian Muslims Distribute Qurans to Promote True Islam
“Terrorism is taking root in the world because of fear and misinterpretation of a religion. I share the verses of Quran with young Muslim boys to clear their misgivings,” says Mehboob Honnutagi who is part of the group which interacts with Muslim youth.
Honnatugi, who owns Xerox shop in Kalyan, also tries to leverage the popularity that Bollywood personalities have on society and takes their appointment to make them understand the true meaning of religion. Honnatugi claims that he approaches Bollywood personalities because they have ‘greater influence’ on the youth.
Another volunteer, Sajid Anwar, an engineer with a glass company, uses Facebook and few other social networking sites to post videos and “literature on peace”. “Our approach to people is through literature. I give them ayats (verses) from Quran that deal with the notion of peace,” he said.
The group uses social media sites such as WhatsApp and Facebook to spread their message, besides visiting colleges and cultural events. The group includes mostly working professionals as well as students. Following the news of four Kalyan youths who had joined the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in May last year, after reportedly getting influenced through Internet, the volunteers feel the only way to kill their misplaced ideology is by replacing it with another ideology, that of peace and non-violence. While they have been visiting people of all age groups in the last few years, the “shocking radicalization” has forced them to turn their attention towards young Muslim boys, said Honnutagi.
“We stand at stations to talk to people, irrespective of their religion, or we go to book fairs or college events to attract their attention. Youngsters have a lot of doubts and it is necessary to clear them,” said Thane-based Dr Junaid Shaikh, who volunteers in his free time.
Source: Indian Express
