Who's Zafarul-Islam Khan?

New Delhi: The Chairman of Delhi Minority Commission, Zafarul-Islam Khan, has been on and off the news for his controversial social media posts for the past few weeks.

But this time he has raked up a big controversy with his latest Facebook post, where he threatened "Hindutva bigots" of complaining to "Arab countries and the Muslim world" about the "hate campaigns and lynchings and riots in India", saying "bigots will face an avalanche".

The DMC Chairman did not stop here. In another post, he wrote, "Govt happy to take plasma of Tablighis but lock them inside flats like hardcore criminals."

He also termed quarantining Tablighi Jamaat workers as "illegal detention". Tablighi Jamaat members have drawn flak for the alleged spread of coronavirus to different parts of the country after the religious sect organised a congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month.

On Monday, Khan wrote in on of his social media posts: "Tablighi inmates and many others have completed 28 days in corona isolation, rather detention centre, which is twice the mandatory 14 days quarantine period for corona suspects as per US and WHO guidelines. Keeping people in isolation, who tested negative and spent twice the mandatory period in corona isolation centres, is tantamount to illegal detention."

Punya Salial Srivastava, Joint Secretary at the Union Home Ministry had said earlier, "At this stage, there is no question of deportation. We are taking legal action against foreign Tablighi Jamaat workers under the Foreigners Act and Disaster Management Act, 2005. As and when the process of deportation is initiated, standard health protocols will be followed."

In his recent social media post on Tuesday, Khan said, "Thank you Kuwait for standing with the Indian Muslims! The Hindutva bigots calculated that given the huge economic stakes involved, the Muslim and Arab world will not care about the persecution of Muslims in India."

He also said that "bigots forgot that Indian Muslims enjoy huge goodwill in the eyes of the Arab and Muslim world for their services over centuries to Islamic causes, excellence in Islamic and Arabic scholarship, cultural and civilisational gifts to world heritage."

When IANS spoke to Khan, he confirmed that the social media posts were his, but his account was being operated by his office staff whom he had handed over the phone for greater clarity. The concerned person also confirmed that the posts were made on Khan's behalf.

The DMC Chairman also mentioned names like "Shah Waliullah Dehlavi, Iqbal, Abul Hasan Nadwi, Wahiduddin Khan, Zakir Naik", and said they are "respected household names in the Arab and Muslim world."

One of the names he mentioned, Zakir Naik, is the founder of Islamic Research Foundation and Peace TV. In 2017, Naik's TV channel was banned in Bangladesh after it was found that one of the gunmen involved in the deadly attack in a cafe in Dhaka that killed 20 persons was allegedly inspired by Naik.

In India, Naik has been accused of economic crimes and promoting communal hatred. He has been barred by countries like the UK and Canada, among others, from giving public lectures due to his controversial and radical views. Khan also warned "Hindutva bigots" in his post. "Mind you, bigots, Indian Muslims have opted until now not to complain to the Arab and Muslim world about your hate campaigns and lynchings and riots. The day they are pushed to do that, bigots will face an avalanche."

In the past, the DMC Chairman had termed the Triple Talaq Bill as "wrong" and a "great injustice" to the Muslim community in India, especially on the Muslim male population. (IANS)

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