2409:4063:6C03:610E:A8BF:6EF0:4342:6E3F at 15:37, 16 August 2021

2021-08-16T15:37:39Z

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{{EngvarB|date=January 2015}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Muslim Rashtriya Manch
| native_name =
| image =
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| alt =
| caption =
| predecessor =
| merged =
| successor =
| formation = {{start date and age|df=yes|p=y|2002|12|24}}
| extinction = 
| headquarters =
| location =
| region =
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title2 = National convenor
| leader_name2 =
| key_people = [[Indresh Kumar]]
| main_organ =
| staff =
| volunteers = 10,000<ref name="Hindustan Times"/>
| mission =
| website = {{url|http://www.muslimrashtriyamanch.org}}
}}
The '''Muslim Rashtriya Manch''' ('''MRM'''; [[translation]]: ''Muslim National Forum'') is a Muslim organisation in [[India]], inspired by [[Hindutva|Hindu nationalist]] [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS). It was formed in 2002 in the presence of the then RSS chief [[K.S. Sudarshan]] to grow dialogue with Muslim community.<ref name="Hindustan Times">{{cite news|last1=Raza|first1=Danish|title=The saffron Muslim|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/the-saffron-muslim/article1-1174455.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119025311/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/the-saffron-muslim/article1-1174455.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 January 2014|accessdate=4 October 2014|work=Hindustan Times|date=18 January 2014}}</ref>

==Ideology and activism==
The MRM was founded with the stated aim of bringing Muslim communities close to Hindus in India. It states that Muslim suspicions of the RSS and its affiliates are misplaced, and that the [[Indian National Congress]] is responsible for leadership within the Muslim community.<ref name="Hindustan Times"/> The MRM has also expressed support for many of the causes espoused by the RSS, including the banning of cow-slaughter.<ref name="Hindustan Times"/> Its national convener, Mohammed Afzal, stated that the organisation faced significant resistance in the days following the [[Godhra train burning]] and the [[2002 Gujarat riots]].<ref name="Hindu March 2014">{{cite news|last1=Dahat|first1=Pavan|title=Follow your conscience: RSS to appeal to Muslims|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/follow-your-conscience-rss-to-appeal-to-muslims/article5743803.ece|accessdate=5 October 2014|work=The Hindu|date=3 March 2014}}</ref>

In November 2009 the [[Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind]], one of the largest Islamic organisations in India, passed a resolution describing ''[[Vande Mataram]]'' as an un-Islamic song. The MRM expressed opposition to the resolution. Afzal stated "Our Muslim brothers should not follow the [[fatwa]] as Vande Mataram is the national song of the country and every Indian citizen should respect and recite it." The MRM stated further that Muslims who refused to sing it were opponents of both Islam and India.<ref name="Sharma2012">{{cite book|author=Sat D. Sharma|title=India Marching: Reflections from a Nationalistic Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IYNRtwvYSi8C|date=1 May 2012|publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-1-4759-1423-8|pages=199}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Muslim organisation slams Vande Mataram fatwa|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/muslim-organisation-slams-vande-mataram-fatwa/539079/|accessdate=16 April 2014|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=Nov 9, 2009}}</ref> In August 2008, MRM organised a ''Paigham-e-Aman'' (message of peace) ''yatra'' from the [[Red Fort]] in [[Delhi]] to Kashmir in support of land allocation for the [[Amarnath Temple|Amarnath]] pilgrimage. Led by the Jharkhand Shahee-Imam Moulana Hizb Rehman Merthi, the 50 activists of the yatra were initially stopped at the border of Jammu & Kashmir. They were later allowed to go to Jammu where they held meetings with the ''Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti''.
<ref>{{cite web|title=Welcome to MRM|url=http://www.muslimrashtriyamanch.org/campaigns.html|accessdate=5 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219062248/http://muslimrashtriyamanch.org/campaigns.html|archive-date=19 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Curfew lifted in Poonch, Kathua, relaxed in 4 districts |newspaper=Outlook |date=10 August 2008 |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/Curfew-lifted-in-Poonch--Kathua--relaxed-in-4-districts/597738 |accessdate=2014-10-05}}</ref><ref name=anti-terror>{{cite news |title=Pro-RSS Muslims take anti-terror vow |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/pro-rss-muslims-take-anti-terror-vow/article1-478267.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006100746/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/pro-rss-muslims-take-anti-terror-vow/article1-478267.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 October 2014 |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=19 November 2009 |accessdate=2014-10-05}}</ref> In November 2009, the MRM organised a ''tiranga yatra'' (march in honour of the national flag) leading to the [[Gateway of India]] in Mumbai, protesting against terrorism. One thousand volunteers took a pledge against terror and vowed to campaign against it in their home districts.<ref name=anti-terror/> In September 2012, the MRM organised a signature campaign to revoke [[Article 370]] of the [[Constitution of India|Indian Constitution]], which grants limited autonomy to the state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], and claimed to have collected 700,000 signatures.<ref>{{cite news |title=7 lakh Muslims have signed up for revoking Art 370: RSS outfit |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/7-lakh-muslims-have-signed-up-for-revoking-art-370-rss-outfit/1051675/ |newspaper=Indian Express |date=29 December 2012 |accessdate=2014-10-05}}</ref>

In the [[2014 Indian general election|2014 general election]], the MRM campaigned for [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] candidate [[Narendra Modi]]. Afzal stated that the MRM would attempt to reach out to 50 million Muslims before the election.<ref name="Hindu March 2014"/> When questioned about Modi's involvement in the Gujarat riots, Afzal stated:
{{cquote|"Had Mr. Modi been involved in the riots, his police would not have fired 1,200 rounds and killed over 200 rioters. Every court has acquitted him. And there is not a single incident of communal violence in Gujarat in the past 12 years.”<ref name="Hindu March 2014"/>}}

In 2015, the Muslim Rashtriya Manch published a book title "Yoga and Islam" on universal appeal and acceptance of Yoga. On pages 29 and 30 of this book, they mentioned the meaning of Alif Laam Meem ( الۤـمّۤ ) as Om (ॐ), which is against the Qur'an and the Hadith, the Qur'an and the Hadith has not mentioned the meaning of these words.

The Manch expressed its views that 'Yoga' does not have anything to do with religion, further stating that "Namaaz is one sort of Yoga asana". The move was supported by the Union [[Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy]] (AYUSH) but Hindu groups expressed reservations.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/govt-pushes-yogas-universal-appeal-ministry-releases-book/article7326995.ece Govt. pushes yoga’s universal appeal, Ministry releases book], The Hindu, 18 June 2015.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Bharatiya Janata Party]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation|last1=Andersen|first1=Walter|last2=Damle|first2=Shridhar D.|chapter=Muslim Rashtriya Manch|title=Messengers of Hindu Nationalism: How the RSS Reshaped India|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BDqdDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA336|year=2019|publisher=Hurst|isbn=978-1-78738-289-3|pages=92–}}

{{Sangh Parivar}}

[[Category:2002 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Islamic organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Delhi]]
[[Category:Sangh Parivar]]
[[Category:Islamic organizations established in 2002]]

Muslim Rashtriya Manch - Revision history

2409:4063:6C03:610E:A8BF:6EF0:4342:6E3F at 15:37, 16 August 2021