The image of Egyptian Islamist thinker Sayyid Qutb at a protest rally in Kozhikode, Kerala, may appear a trifle during political discord. But in reality, it holds great and troubling importance that deserves closer examination—especially in a country like India, where democratic values and peaceful coexistence are continuously under challenge.

The rally was meant to be a protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill. Most of the Muslim groups in India interpret this bill as the central government meddling in Muslim religious and charity funds. But when an image of Sayyid Qutb was flashed—carried aloft by protesters—the protest meant something different and was something more than what it was intended to be.

To understand why this was a big issue, you need to know who Qutb was, what he thought, and how his thoughts influenced some of the most violent factions in recent history.

Sayyid Qutb: The Radical Intellectual

Sayyid Qutb was an Egyptian writer, intellectual, and influential member of the Muslim Brotherhood of the 1950s and 60s. He began as a literary critic and secular nationalist, but Qutb changed his religion after he went to the United States and later to an Egyptian prison under Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime.

While in prison, he wrote prolifically—his best-known works are Fi Zilal al-Qur’an (In the Shade of the Qur’an) and Ma’alim fi al-Tariq (Milestones). In Milestones, Qutb declared that modern Muslim societies had fallen into Jahiliyyah, a Qur’anic term that was originally used to describe a time of ignorance before Islam existed in Arabia. Qutb believed that governments and societies of the present day that did not conform to Shari’ah were in this state of ignorance and were therefore illegitimate.

He argued that only a few believers—the vanguard—should arise and topple these regimes in order to establish Islamic rule. While Qutb never directly promoted suicide bombing or attacks on civilians, his model of viewing modern secular states as illegitimate has been widely adopted by militant and terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Even Qutb’s brother, Muhammad Qutb, travelled to Saudi Arabia with his thoughts and assisted in spreading them through schools and mosques. Osama bin Laden is said to have been influenced by these ideas.

Why Qutb’s Ideas Will Not Fit for India

India is not an Islamic state. India is a secular democracy and multicultural. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and others live in India. The Indian Constitution provides individuals the right to practice their religion, personal laws, and safeguards for minority rights.

Qutb sees the world very differently from this world. He does not think that you should co-exist or bargain with a secular democratic order; he desires to combat and re-shape it through revolutionary means.

Using his face in an Indian protest sends a chilling message: that to be Muslim in India is to be identified with a global Islamist idea and not with the Indian Constitution. This symbolism can be (and already has been) used by right-wing political elements to claim that Indian Muslims are shaped by foreign, extremist ideas.

It must be remembered that this is not just an optics issue. In the volatile communal environment of India, even a symbol can be inflammatory. The picture of Qutb was not just misread—it was fundamentally in conflict with the very message that the protest was attempting to convey: that Indian Muslims wish to defend their religious buildings within the framework of Indian democracy.

A Self-Defeating Symbol for a Legitimate Cause

Protests against Waqf Amendment Bill are political and legal. Muslim communities are within their rights to protest against government intervention in religious trusts. Waqf boards have been a feature of India’s legal landscape since British times and play significant religious and charitable roles.

When demonstrators hold the image of the man who was demonstrating against non-religious government, they weaken their case. The message changes from “defend our rights in the Indian system” to “reject the Indian system altogether.”

This causes confusion among allies, inspires enemies, and feeds into current Islamophobic discourses. It provides political fuel for those who blame the Muslim community for being separatist, even when the community is calling for constitutional rights.

Alienating the Broader Public One of the most significant tasks of a protest in a democracy is not merely to be heard by those who already agree with it, but to convince the undecided and to touch the emotions of the wider public. This requires a clear message and well-considered symbols.

By mentioning Qutb, even as an aside, the protest drove away non-Muslim Indians who otherwise could have lent their support. The average Indian citizen will not differentiate between Qutb’s political ideology and the legitimate call for religious freedom. What they will listen to is a protest which seems to identify itself with figures known worldwide for Islamist extremism.

Indian Muslims do not accept most of these beliefs. Indian Islamic history has overall been one of moderation, acceptance, and coexistence with other faiths—either through Sufi tradition, reform efforts, or efforts to interact with the constitution. Qutb does not represent the real life of Indian Muslims.

The Danger of Misplaced Solidarity

In a world where Muslims are being treated unfairly and exposed to war, it is no wonder that some protest movements draw inspiration from international Islamic leaders. Many are driven to mobilize in favour of Muslim causes worldwide, from Egypt to Palestine. But such acts of solidarity must be well-considered.

There exists a tremendous difference between displaying a Palestinian flag and displaying a photo of Sayyid Qutb. The flag represents the resistance of a nation against occupation; the photo represents an idea that has been used to justify brutal domination and violence.

India’s Muslim citizens need to recognize this difference. Solidarity does not equal symbols. Borrowing other people’s symbols, particularly those of nations with complicated histories, is a potential issue in India’s unique democratic and plural environment.

A Lesson in Political Messaging

What we witness from the Kozhikode protest is that messaging is important. Symbols are important. And context is most important of all.

The photo of Qutb was probably employed by some or a limited number of protesters and not the key protest organizers. But in today’s world of rapidly spreading images and political openings, a single image can represent an entire movement.

In Kerala, it served to divert the national discussion from the significant issues regarding the Waqf Bill to the sensational allegations of Islamist support. This is not a victory for the protesters. It is a distraction—and a destructive one.

Moving Forward: Responsible Protest and Clear Vision

 Indian Muslims are confronted with serious challenges: increasing marginalization, communal violence, and increasing state surveillance of their institutions. Their political action and protests have to be strategic, disciplined, and Constitution-based. Individuals such as B.R. Ambedkar, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan are better role models for demonstrations than Sayyid Qutb. These leaders were of the opinion that they should speak, learn, reform, and cooperate with the Indian state—instead of boycotting it.

There is power in moderation, and strength in clarity. As one Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ says:

خَيْرُ الْأُمُورِ أَوْسَطُهَا

“The best of affairs are those that are moderate.”

(Musnad Ahmad)

If Indian Muslim activists want their demands to be heard and respected, they must also speak a language that resonates with India’s constitutional and pluralistic values—not imported ideologies that sow division.

Courtesy: New Age Islam 

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1. The Constitution of Pakistan forbids its citizens from taking part in the religious occasions of others.

2.19 per cent of children, mainly girls, remain out of schools.

3. Single National Curriculum promotes intolerance and religious extremism.

4. Clerics are authorised to censor educational content.

5. Recitation of the Quran was mandated during school assembly.

Dr. Willy Fautré, Director of Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), a non-governmental organisation in special status with ECOSOC, criticised the national education policy of Pakistan and pointed out its flaws, which resulted in intolerance, religious extremism and creating an atmosphere of hatred against other religions.

In a written statement submitted to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, and read out at a side event, the organisation also pointed out the provisions of the Pakistan’s Constitution and its much-disputed Single National Curriculum launched in 2021 responsible for religious intolerance and religious extremism as government schools are not secular and inclusive. The side event was held on 26 March, room 25 Palaise the Nations. Titled Human Rights in Pakistan:  Education under siege, ideology, intolerance, and the erosion of Human Rights in Pakistan, its organisers were major NGOs like CAP and HRWF.

The statement by The Coordination des Association et des Particuliers pour la Liberte de Conscience, says:

“Constitution of Pakistan states in Article 22 that ‘No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony, or worship relates to a religion other than its own.’

Therefore, Article 22 of the Constitution of Pakistan promotes non-respect of religions among the students. Human rights organisations have criticised this policy.

Citing the statistics of the Pakistan Institution of Education, the organisation said that 73 per cent of educational institutions in Pakistan are government schools, while 14 per cent are religious schools or madrasas. Such a large number of madrasas presenting an exclusivist interpretation of Islam and non-respect for other religions have contributed to an atmosphere of religious extremism and intolerance in the country.

The organisation also points out the flaws in the SNC launched by the Pakistan government. It says:

“In August 2021, the Pakistan government launched the much-disputed Single National Curriculum (SNC) for government schools, claiming that this initiative would reduce educational disparities. However, the human rights defenders criticised the SNC for its lack of inclusivity and its over-emphasis on Islamic religious content at the expense of religious minorities. In fact, school curricula and textbooks promote intolerance towards minorities and depict women in a way that is non-inclusive and is not compatible with international human rights standards.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed deep concerns about the government perpetuating a singular view of religion in educational institutions through SN, depriving young students of the right to a secular education.”

The Coordination des Association et des Particuliers pour la Liberte se Conscience feels that the SNC is an attempt to Islamise the entire Pakistani society, putting the religious minorities in jeopardy. It says:

“The SNC has also been criticised as an Islamisation program under which all facets of Pakistan’s core educational curriculum were infused with religious content, aligning with the ideological bent of the existing Sunni Muslim orthodoxy. (Source: Wasim Hameed, “Minorities in Single National Curriculum”. 4, The Nation, 9 July 2021.)

According to a 73-page Report of the Salluv ECPM Foundation 5, “Pakistan, Education System, Curriculum and EU Funding” financed by the European Parliament and published in 2024, “a study by The Current revealed that Muslim religious ideas or texts were present in 7.7 per cent of the SNC’s mathematics, social studies, science, general knowledge, English, and Urdu books. Additionally, 7.47 per cent of books have references to Islam, while 0.27 per cent mention other religions in all non-religious books.”

The organisation also pointed out an act of the Punjab Assembly passed in 2022, which authorised the clerics to censor educational content and its resolution mandating the recitation of the Quran during the school assembly. Such acts and resolutions were not compatible with international human rights standards.

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution VS Creationism

One major drawback of Pakistan’s education system is that it is influenced by conservative clerics who lack a scientific spirit and therefore oppose scientific theories and ideas. For example, clerics have opposed the teaching of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in Pakistan because they think that the theory is against Islamic law. In October 2023, clerics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa forced a college professor named Sher Ali to publicly renounce teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.

Earlier in May 2022, his car was attacked with a magnetic bomb, leaving him in his wheelchair for months. The professor was also made to make the statement that “According to Shariah, the woman’s intelligence is inferior to that of a man. I consider this the final word on this issue and believe that women should be covered from head to toe while venturing out. Women can only go out if it is needed or necessary”.

The organisation, therefore, feels that the education system of Pakistan not only promotes hatred against minorities but also is a hindrance in the development of scientific temperament among the students.

Controversial and Inequitable Image and Girls in the Curriculum of Public Schools

The organisation also found that the SNC textbooks are full of content that presents women as inferior to men as approximately 60 per cent of SNC books included images of males, whereas females accounted for only 39 per cent.

Moreover, portrayal of female characters is one-dimensional in terms of their appearances, character traits and hobbies. They are mostly portrayed as wearing hijab or headscarf, while most men are depicted wearing western attire, with only 20 percent wearing traditional Islamic clothing. With regard to occupations, male textbook characters are often portrayed as doctors, lawyers and soldiers, while female textbook characters are mostly portrayed as domestic help, housewives or caregivers.

The European Union Funding in the Dock: Misuse of Taxpayers ‘ money of the 27 EU member states

The NGO further says that the EU funds for Pakistan’s education projects have been misused. According to the 2024 Report of Sallux/ ECPM “Pakistan, Education System, Curriculum and EU Funding”, the EU directly invested 94 million euros in education projects in Pakistan between 2016-2024.

The report contains over 40 pages of excerpts and pictures from textbooks showing that the views expressed in the official curriculum in Pakistan are not compatible with EU values as expressed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Such an amount of concrete evidence cannot be ignored.

The NGO, therefore, draws the conclusion that beyond the incompatibility of the SNC and the UN standards, the pressure of many extremist clerics and fanaticized crowds can easily kill any reform attempt as long as perpetrators of intellectual terrorism, violence and hate crimes remain unpunished and can continue terrorising 2.1 million teachers in Pakistan.

In view of the present scenario of education and its consequent fallout on the human rights situation in the country, the Co-ordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour le Liberte de Conscience has made the following recommendations to the United Nations:

1. The United Nations should urge the authorities of Pakistan to make the SNC compatible with the UN international human rights standards.

2. The UN should effectively protect its 2.1 million teachers against threats and aggression perpetrated by Islamic extremists and prosecute the latter ones.

Article was first published on newageislam.com

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1. Pakistan has already declared them a non-Muslim community.
2. In 1953 and 1974, anti-Ahmadi riots resulted in the death of thousands of Ahmadis and destruction of more than fifty mosques.
3. Maulana Arshad Madani defended Andhra Pradesh Wakf Board resolution against Ahmadis.
4. Allama Iqbal was the first to demand that Ahmadis should be declared a non-Muslim community.
5. Maulana Maududi followed by writing a booklet on the Qadiani issue.

The Ahmadi community which calls themselves Muslims has been one of the most persecuted religious communities in the sub-continent. They have been declared a non-Muslim minority community by the Pakistani constitution in 1974. In Pakistan, laws have further enacted that forbid them from calling themselves Muslims, their places of worship as mosques and their prayers as namaz. This is because their imam Ghulam Ahmad Qadyani claimed to be the promised messiah and a prophet. Since the Quran has declared that Muhammad pbuh is the seal of the prophet, Muslims believe that no prophet will be sent after him. Therefore, the belief by the Ahmadis that Ghulam Ahmad Qadyani was a prophet is considered heresy by the Muslims.

However, until 1935, the Ahmadis were not considered outside the fold of Islam. They were considered a sect within Islam like many other sects. The judgements of the Patna High, Madras High Court and Punjab High Court said that Ahmadis were a sect within Islam.

On 24 July 1926, a petition for annulling the nikah of Ghulam Ayesha Bibi with Abdur Razzaq Qadiyani was filed in Ahmadpur Sharqia court. Abdur Razzaq had converted to Qadyaniat before the Rukhsati of Ayesha Bibi. Therefore, her father refused to send her daughter to her in-laws. The court adjudged on the basis of the judgements of Patna, Punjab, Madras and Bahawalpur courts that Ahmadis were not out of the fold of Islam but were a sect within Islam.

However, after 9 long years of campaigning by some ulema, the district court of Bahawalpur gave the judgement that whoever accepts Qadiyaniyat goes out of the fold of Islam on the basis of Islamic shariah and therefore, his nikah stands null and void.

During this period, poet and philosopher Md Iqbal had started his campaign against the Ahmadis through his poetry and articles. In his article in the Statesman dated 14 May 1935, he wrote:

“The Muslims are more sensitive to movements which are a threat to their unity. Therefore, a religious organisation that is associated with Isla historically but lays its foundation on a new prophethood and considers Muslims not having faith in their self-proclaimed prophecy kafir will be considered by the Muslims a threat to the Islamic unity

because the Islamic unity is only strengthened by the belief in the finality of prophethood.”

On June 1936, he wrote to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru:

“I do not find any doubt in my mind about the fact that the Ahmadis are traitors against the Muslims and India.”

In fact, Mr Iqbal succeeded in getting a resolution passed in the Muslim League Council in 1936 in which the Ahmadis were declared non-Muslims. He got written undertaking from the Muslim League candidates that after their election, they would run a campaign for declaring the Ahmadis a non-Muslim minority.

The campaign for declaring Ahmadis non-Muslims started by Iqbal gained momentum after Independence. In January1953, the movement for declaring Ahmadis non-Muslim and Kafir

spread in Pakistan. In February, Maulana Maududi published a booklet called Qadyani Masla in which he presented arguments against the Ahmadis. The booklet intensified the movement and 33 leading Muslim clerics presented the demand before the government with the threat that if the demand was not met, it will lead to a greater movement.

The demand was not met and in February 1953, anti-Ahmadiyya riots erupted in Lahore which spread in other parts of Pakistan. From 200 to 2000 Ahmadis were killed and Martial Law was imposed in Pakistan for three months.

In 1974, again anti-Ahmadiyya riots erupted and this time the Pakistan government succumbed to the pressure from the clerics and the Constitution was amended to declare Ahmadis non-Muslim Kafirs.

They were further barred from calling themselves Muslims and their places of worship mosques. This year, they were also barred from sacrificing animals on Eid al Adha. The minarets of their mosques are destroyed by the municipal authorities because they look like mosques.

However, in India and other non-Muslim countries, the Ahmadis are considered a sect within Muslims though religious organisations occasionally raise the issue. In February this year, the Andhra Pradesh Wakf Board passed a resolution which declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims and Kafirs. They knocked the High Court and the Andhra Pradesh High Court issued an order for interim suspension of operation of the resolution.

But India’s leading Muslim organisations, on came out in support of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board regarding the Qadianis, or Ahmadiyya Muslims, by passing a resolution that the community was non-Muslim. The Jamiat has issued a statement saying that the AP Waqf Board’s stance “reflects the unanimous position of the entire Muslims’’ and has taken a position in direct opposition to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs that had recently intervened on the matter on behalf of the Ahmadiyyas.

On July 21st, the ministry had sent a strongly worded letter to the Andhra Pradesh government, calling the Waqf Board’s resolution a hate campaign which “could have ramifications across the country’’.

“A representation dated 20.7.2023 has been received from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, vide which it has been stated that certain Waqf Boards have been opposing the Ahmadiyya community and passing illegal resolutions declaring the community to be outside the fold of Islam.

The ministry said that this constitutes hate campaign against the Ahmadiyya community at large and that the Waqf Board neither has the jurisdiction nor authority to determine religious identity of any community, including Ahmadiyyas.”

In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board passed a resolution declaring the entire Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslims. This resolution was challenged in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Despite the HC’s orders, the Waqf Board issued a second proclamation in February this year stating that “In consequent to the Fatwa of Jamaat ul Ulema, Andhra Pradesh dated May 26th, 2009.

Therefore, the campaign against the Ahmadis started by poet Iqbal and given theological foundation by Maulana Maududi seems to be gaining ground now also in India where they have been living peacefully and enjoying their religious rights in the democratic set up of the country. The statement of Jamiat Ulema Hind President Maulana Arshad Madan will only give a shot in the arm of anti-Ahmadi groups in India.

Article first published in newageislam.com

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