Date: March 20, 2016 (Sunday)
Jamaat e Islami Hind, Kurla’s 10-day campaign against Drugs came to its conclusion through a Mega Event at the LIG 3rd Ground Compound, Kurla West. Ulema from different School of Thought along with NGOs working in Drug Awareness sector came together for this event.
The program started with recitation of the Holy Quran which was followed by the speech by Janab Abdul Haseeb Bhatkar sb, Ameer JIH Kurla who presented the close to 8-month long working of the Kurla unit to the audience and the guests. Also, details of the 10-day campaign were shared which highlighted the extent of Drug menace penetration in the local area. A total of approx. 5000 households were visited by the delegation teams and awareness about Drugs, rehab options, JIH support in such cases, and association with local and Mumbai-level NGOs for this campaign was shared. Statistically speaking, he said close to 70-80% of the Kurla youth is involved in some kind of Drugs and no less than 15% youth in Kurla are considered to be high drug addicts. He appealed all sections of the society to come and join hands with JIH Kurla in order to eradicate this menace from the face of the area.
Following this, Maulana Afroz Alam Aleemi sb (Imam Sirajiya masjid, Brahmanwadi) urged all sects to come together to rid the Muslim society from this menace. He appealed to all the present Ulema to dedicate at least one Friday sermon to this topic to increase awareness and give the Islamic standpoint to the masses. He himself assured he will speak at least one Friday every month on this.
Secretary of Nasha Bandi Mandal Maharashtra, Mr. Amol Mandale put forward the point that unless Drugs and its Social Impact on Society becomes a political issue in the country, it is extremely difficult for all sections of society to work cohesively towards its eradication.
Maulana Fayyaz Baqar Husain, Imam Juma Shia Jama Masjid Andheri, pointed out in the light of verses from Surah Juma of the Holy Quran that our current Education system lack Purification of the Self (Tazkiya Nafs) and this is leading our homes and societies to be baseless. This is a universal issue and needs to be tackled by understanding its expanse.
Mehboob, previously a drug addict, was invited on stage to narrate his rendezvous with Drugs. He explained how his life had been when he was addicted and how with the help of Narcotics Anonymous he has been able to come clean of it now and has even joined the mainstream of the society as a contributing citizen.
This was followed by a very practical lecture on the topic by Dr. Sajid Khan sb, a well-known psychiatrist of the area. He has been involved in this campaign from the very beginning and has been very supportive of the JIH cadre in their endeavors. He explained to the audience different types of substances used as drugs and their harmful effects on the body, both physical and mental. Also he shared the signs that one should look out for in young children and adults who indulge in drugs and gave tips to the audience including mothers and sisters how to deal with them at their home. To tap the bustling energy in young children and youth, he envisaged a society with libraries, gyms, reading rooms established by the elders and seniors; otherwise, this energy takes the youth towards wrong habits.
Janab Shahid Latif sb, Editor Inquilab Daily, gave a mesmerizing speech where he made a strong pitch that of all religions on the face of earth, Islam is the only one which has rulings and guidance against all types of harmful substances yet it is a dilemma that Muslim society is the so deeply drenched in this menace. He appealed to all present that they should not get up from their seats unless they make a promise that they will fight for this cause, and only if individually each one takes the resolve to involve in this fight can there be a society free of this evil.
During the 10-day campaign, the penultimate day involved an open-ground exhibition open to all residents and school children, where 10 models had been kept which were made by Schools and Local Communities. Each model had a different theme and helped illustrate how Drugs pollute our society, our minds, our youth and our health. The ten models were judged basis the creativity and idea presented and the top 3 were given Appreciation Certificates during the Mega Event. The first prize went to Ayesha School of Quresh Nagar, Kurla East. The 3 prizes were handed over to the winning teams by the three Ulema present on the stage.
Maulana Mustaqeem Azmi sb, President Jamiat Ulema Hind, Maharashtra had accepted the invitation despite his frail health. In his short speech, he gave the audience two extremely practical pieces of advice. First we need to be extra cautious now as a Muslim Ummah as evil forces from all sides have joined hands to crush us and secondly all elders in the households and families need to be aware of the youth of their homes so as to rein them in time.
Janab Taufiq Aslam Khan sb, Ameer Halqa JIH Maharashtra, in his presidential address advised the audience to increase their relation and attraction with the Holy Quran and daily recitation with Tarjuma is a way of understanding the Holy guidance. Man is the vicegerent of the Lord on this Earth and it is not acceptable if he decides to lead life in his own way. He cannot decide to ruin his precious life in drugs and other wrong habits. Aslam sb re-emphasized the responsibility of the elders in training the youth for their future.
With the short dua made by Maulana Mustaqeem, the program came to an end. May Allah accept the efforts of all who supported us and made the 10-day campaign a huge success.
