Letter on Cultural Genocide of Islam in Saudi Arabia

Mr. Manmohan Singh, Hon. Prime Minister, Government of India, New Delhi

Mr. Salman Khursheed, Hon. Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi

Mr. K. Rahman Khan, Hon. Minister of Minority Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi

Mr. Saud bin Mohammad Al-Saty, H.E. Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to India

Mr. Hamid Ali Rao, H.E. Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoğlu, Secretary General, Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Dr. Halit Eren, Director General of Research Centre For Islamic History, Art & Culture, Organization for Islamic Cooperation (IRCICA)

H.E. Dr. AbdulAziz Othman Altwarijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)

Anger Among Indian Muslims Against Cultural Genocide of Islam by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Respected Sirs,

As a leadership body representing more than 80 percent of Indian Muslims that profess spiritually and practice Sunni Sufi belief, the All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board [AIUMB], through a peace march in the coming month of January 2013 will record its silent protest against the anti-Muslim crimes of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is set to demolish the remaining memorials of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and other monuments of Islam.

Information is pouring in, showing that the regime of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is senselessly injuring the sentiments of Muslims all over the world, by the mindless demolition of the sacred and revered Islamic historical places, carried out for many decades in the disguise of expansion and modernization.

As the self-professed custodian of the Haramain Sharifain [Two Holy Mosques] the King of Saudi Arabia is supposed to protect Islamic heritage, but under a well-defined and designed agenda by anti-Muslim forces, the rulers are trying their best to convert the Islamic truth into a myth for generations to come. Rauza-e-Mubarak, the tomb of the Prophet, is now a prime target of the Saudi regime, which has sought to do away with it in the name of expansion of the mosque [Al-Masjid-al-Nabawī] and development of a five-star tourism culture in the city of Medina Sharif, which is forcefully resisted by the Muslims of the Sunni Sufi school all over the world, making up a very large majority of up to 80 percent of the world's Muslim population.

This will go down the history as one the most heinous crimes ever committed against any religion by the hands of the so-called protector of holy places.

Though during the last century, the Saudi regime has committed these kinds of crimes at regular intervals, and has succeeded in razing to the ground up to 90 percent of the sacred places, at this time it is eyeing Rauza-e-Sarkar (Tomb of the Prophet), the birthplace of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and Al-Masjid-al-Nabawī, besides other sacred mosques dedicated to Caliph Hazrat Abu-Bakr (R.A.) and Hazrat Umar (R.A.) as well as the Masjid-e-Ghamama built to mark the spot where Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) had given his first prayers for an Eid festival. Do we need mention that none of these holy places are in any way the personal property of any dynasty of rulers, but a focus of significance for Muslims globally?

Yes, the AIUMB does accept that Medina is in need of expansion, but demolishing the Islamic cultural heritage and memorial antiquities related to Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), his family and companions is cultural genocide against the Islamic heritage.

In an ideal situation the government of Saudi Arabia would have preserved, protected and developed those places, with a sense of pride for the landmarks in the history of Islam, but true to your un-Islamic beliefs the regime is planning and executing a total devastation.

Can it then be asked what the real purpose of Hajj is? The answer is enough to restrain the Saudi dictators to stop this campaign forever.

Hence AIUMB has pledged to carry on this protest until the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia inscribes its signature on a treaty reassuring the whole world that not only these decisions to demolish historical landmarks will be withdrawn, but all the destroyed sacred places will be restored in their original form at their original locations.

We, the Muslims of India, are very disturbed by this senseless move to destroy the history and historical places of Islam.

Saudi officials may be kind enough to clear the air about a specific question: is it really true that as a policy the Saudi regime has defined the Dome over the Prophet's Mosque in Medina as an example of illicit innovation in Islam, and that as a government policy it has been decided to level the tomb?

Here we must mention that where there is no living history of the past, certain nations are excavating the evidence of ancient times and establishing the authenticity of religion and religious figures, but the Saudi government is removing monuments from the ground and doing so with contempt for religion.

We want to know what the Saudi authorities have to say about this sensitive issue, regarding the sentiments of more than a billion Muslims around the world. Because the Muslims in India are organizing themselves, in each and every part of India, to put up a very strong protest against this move of Saudi-Wahhabi dynasty, we would be glad to receive your rejoinder on this matter as soon as possible, so that AIUMB will be able to chart out its further program.

Regards

Maulana Syed Mohammad Ashraf Kichowchhwi

General Secretary

Maulana Syed Mohammad Ashraf Kichowchhwi.

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