Tablighi Jamaat (TJ), which is an antechamber of jihadist terrorism is seen by the counterterrorism experts as – wolf in sheep’s clothing. On December 10, 2021, Saudi authorities banned activities of Tablighi Jamaat, also known as Al Ahbab, calling it a ‘danger to society’.
According to media reports, the Saudi government official statement called Jamaat a danger to society and one of the gates of terrorism. In a tweet on December 6, the country’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs said, “His Excellency the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Abdullatif Al Alsheikh, directed the mosques preachers and the mosques that held Friday prayer temporary to allocate the next Friday sermon to warn against the Tablighi and Da’wah group”.
The statement issued by the Ministry mentioned that the Minister has directed that the sermon delivered in the mosques should cover topics including the declaration of misguidance, deviation and that it is one of the gates of terrorism, even if they claim otherwise. And to mention their major mistakes and how they are dangerous to society.
The Islamic scholars delivering the religious sermons were instructed to mention that affiliation with partisan groups, including the Tablighi Jamaat, is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is not the only country to ban TIJ. In 2013, Kazakhstan banned the Tablighi Jamaat and designated it as an extremist group. The movement is also prohibited in Iran, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Unfortunately, this dangerous entity, which in addition to jihadist recruitment also runs religious conversion projects, while several members of TJ are accused of participating in love jihad notoriety.
It may be recalled here that following Saudi Arabia’s ban on TJ, Punjab assembly in Pakistan where PM Imran Khan’s ultra-Islamist and pro-jihadist party – Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI was in majority unanimously adopted a resolution calling the Tablighi Jamaat a force for good and a non-political peaceful........