From Mazhar Ali Azhar to Jawad Naqvi – by Hamza Ibrahim

When a community is subjected to persecution and genocide, there are always some members ready to collaborate with the oppressors. This happened in 1930’s and 1940’s when a self proclaimed Shia cleric Mazhar Ali Azhar joined the anti-Shia organization Majlis-e-Ahrar, to bring about an Islamic revolution under the name of hakoomat-e-ilahiya.

This totalitarian ideology, like all other forms of political Islamism, had no space for dissent and thus it attacked the Shia rallies of Muharram in 1930’s onwards. The 1980’s Sipah-e-Sahaba was born out of this mother setup.

Jawad naqvi is the new Mazhar Ali Azhar.

Mazhar ali azhar allied with the mentor of Zahid ur Rashidi’s father, Hussain Ahmad Madani. Jawad Naqvi is simply following Mazhar Ali Azhar, who claimed to be Shia till the end, while playing active role in anti-Shia hate mongering and praising the “muqadasat” of Deoband. Jawad Naqvi has also allied with the new Molana Madani, i.e. Zahid ur Rashidi.

Some of the couplets written by Mazhar Ali Azhar:

ولیوں کےسرکا تاج ہےمعاویہ

چبھتاہےرافضی کو نظام معاویہ

حسنین جس کو دیں دستارخلافت

لازم ہےکہ پھرسب ہوں غلام معاویہ

اک کافرہ کی خاطر اسلام کو چھوڑا

یہ قائد اعظم ہے کہ کافر اعظم

Justice Munir writes in his report:

“Madha-i-Sahaba with him (Mazhar Ali Azhar) is dearer than life. And during the Shia-Sunni riots in Lucknow both he and his son adopted the slogan which rouses the ire of every Shia and went from Lahore to Lucknow to fan the Shia-Sunni fire. Speaking outside the Bhati Gate at a public meeting ofthe Ahrar, he said that he had, for the preceding two or three months, been asking the League whether the names of Sahaba-i-Karam would be revered in Pakistan but had received no reply. He alleged that in the Congress governed provinces, where the League had no power, the League were not permitting the Sahaba to be named with reverence and asked whether if power passed to the League, the state of affairs would bethe same as in Lucknow, and other provinces where Muslims were in a majority, and Madha-i-Sahaba would be an offence. Proceeding he inquired if words of praise for Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Usman could not be uttered in Lucknow and Mahmoodabad what would be the condition in League’s Pakistan and what interest the Musalmans could have in such Pakistan?

(‘Shahbaz` magazine of 20th November, 1945)”

Ref: Justice Munir’s Report, (1954)

Of course, Molvi Mazhar Ali Azhar Deobandi as much represented his previous sect (Shia) as did Molvi Ismail Deobandi (Shia cleric) represent his previous sect (Deobandi) or as did Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (founder of Ahmadiyya sect) represent his previous sect (Sunni Hanafi). None of these gentlemen can be seen or treated as a representative of his previous sect. 

Not surprisingly, the shia community denounced him as a Wahhabi, similar to what is happening in the case of Molana Jawad Naqvi. He too is considered Wahhabi by mainstream Shias, and he too advocates for religio-fascist revolution. Hates women rights, science and modernity too.

Relevant Link: Madhe Sahaba Agitation and Muslim League

https://worldshiaforum.org/2020/10/madhe-sahaba-agitation-and-muslim-league-by-venkat-dhulipala/