Muslim Students Organisation
The Muslim Students Organisation of India or MSO is a students and youth wing of Sunni Muslims, notably of Barelvi movement, who are associated with Sufism in India. It is working all over India. MSO is one of the strongest youth movement of Aligarh Muslim University and has strong presence in Muslim population and institutions of the country.It was formed to counter the influence of SIMI at Aligarh Muslim University.
Mission
Formation and ideology
Formed in 1977 at Aligarh Muslim University by students and academicians. MSO of India follows Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'ah ideology of Islam which is also known as traditional Islam. MSO is of the view that Sufi Islamic teachings based on peace, mutual cooperation, love, brotherhood and communal harmony are the only alternative left before the world in order to establish peace.Patrons
MSO is patronized by following leading Islamic scholars of the country who are among the 500 most influential Muslims of the world.- Prof Syed Muhammad Ameen Mian Quadri Barkaati
Gaddi Nasheen of Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Former Professor in the department of History of Aligarh Muslim University
Aims and objective
As per its website MSO has following aims and objectives- To do Islamic missionary work among the youths
- To spread education among various sections of the society with the active help of youths
- To prepare students as active contributors to the community and country
- To build the society based on the Islamic morality and spirituality
- To build the Intellectual leadership for the Muslims of India
Expansion
- In August 2018, MSO made its organisational roots in South India by forming units in Karnataka State.
- In February 2017, MSO organised protest meeting in Rajasthan against the disappearance of Najeeb from JNU campus and controversial suicide of Dalit activist Rohith Vemula.
- In January 2013, the national executive of MSO conducted a special meeting at Calicut Islamic centre in Kerala state. The office bearers of the two organisations from 20 states attended the meeting.
- The National Executive camp was held on 8 June’13 Saturday at Hotel Le-Meridian, Ahmadabad, Gujarat state. National executive members from 20 states of the country participated. The camp put forward a whole year plan including formation of MSO state committees, district committees, local and campus committees, membership campaigns and establishing hostels. Formation of MSO planning board was also announced in the meeting R.P. Hussain from Kerala was declared as new General Secretary of the organisation with Syed Muhammad Qadri continuing his post of President.
- In June 2013 MSO North Zone elected its leaders for Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan state in a meeting organised in Bareilly City.
- In July 2013 MSO conducted a workshop for the state leaders of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands at Khykha auditorium, Ulsoor in Bangalore. Karnataka State Waqf Board director Shafi Saadi inaugurated the workshop. State committees of all these states were formed and annual plan was chalked out to work on the national agenda of MSO.
- National Students' Conference was held in south India at Ernakulam, Kerala from 26 to 28 April 2012 which was attended by at least 50 national delegates from 20 states of India.
- In 2010 a national meet was organised in MP’s club New Delhi in the presence of Vice Chancellor of Sunni Markaz Dr. Hussain Saqafi, Director Dr. Abdul Hakeem Azhari and which was also attended by Kamal Farooqi chairman Delhi Minority Commission and it was presided by leading Sunni cleric from Delhi Dr.Mufti Mukarram Ahmad. Hundreds of Volunteers participated.
Programmes and functions
- Weekly Dars-e-Quran or Towards Understanding Quran Program.
- Career and Job guidance events.
- Annual Azmate-e-Rasool SAW Conferences and Mawlid Conferences.
- Summer Islamic Conferences.
- Meritorious students award ceremonies.
- Raising all Important community issues at national and state level.
- Organises protests and press conferences to express its views.
- Distribution of literature and books among students and youths.
- Establishing Madarsas and coaching and guidance centres.
- Encouraging Muslim Youth towards serving India.
Stance on international issues
;Against ISIL
According to Shantanu Mukheji, MSO is considered very active in the radicalization programme as well as to contain the rise of Wahhabism in India.
;Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine
- Global March to Jerusalem. M.S.O has always undertaken Palestine issue near to its heart and has raised awareness about the atrocities committed upon poor Palestinians in India. MSO national president Syed Muhammed Qadri is in the Asian team of the Asian People's solidarity Forum and was part of the delegation along with its national secretary Shujaat Ali Quadri in Global March to Jerusalem in the year 2012. The March was quite Successful in its aim and thousands of people from different nations protested at Israel Border along with Lebanon on 30 March 2012 on the occasion of Land Day.
;Protest against Dove World Outreach Center Quran-burning controversy
;Letter to Indian P.M against Myanmar Killing of Minorities
;Massive protest against Talibani Wahabi Terrorism
Stance on national issues
Demand to stop lynching and assurance of life and libertyMSO protested at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi and in western U.P against continuous lynchings of Muslim by right wing Hindu organisations.
- MSO demanded immediate halt to this problem of law and order.
- Demand to strengthen Sufism from Indian Government
- In 2014, Muslim Students Organisation of India, in a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, asked that the government should strengthen and promote Sufism by introducing chapters on Sufi scholars and by setting up Sufi centres in various cities of the country.
;Meeting with Assam state Chief Minister over Assam Minorities killing
;Demand for Jobs and Education for Muslim Students
;Protest against legalisation of homosexuality in country
;On harassment of Kashmiri Muslim students in North India
;Gopalgarh riots
;Call to release innocent Muslim youths
;Protest against Religious discrimination
;Peace Conferences
;Rudrapur communal riots
Religious activities
MSO annually organises several events in different parts of the country on the occasion of Mawlid. Members of MSO celebrates the day with enthusiasm and took out processions. MSO Aligarh Muslim University unit regularly organises Azmat-e-Rasool Conference in Kennedy auditorium which is attended by more than three thousand students of the University. The Speakers who have attended includes former and present Vice Chancellors, specially Dr. P. K. Abdul Aziz, Lt Zameerud-din Shah, Dr.Faizan Mustafa, popular Sunni leaders like Mufti Mukarram Ahmad, Saeed Noori of Raza Academy, Allama Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi and former member of parliament Obaidullah Khan Azmi and World Islamic Mission General Secretary Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi. The gatherings are regularly presided by Prof. Syed Ameen Mian Qaudri.Educational activities
- Dr. Umar Abdullah Kamel, Director of Foreign Students Affairs at Al-Azhar Islamic University, Cairo, Egypt participated in MSO conference in New Delhi which was organised to help Islamic Madarsa students to get their degrees recognized at international level specially by Al-Azhar University.
- National Seminar on freedom fighter Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi
List of Office Bearers
No. | Office | President | General Secretary |
1 | 2005-07 | Abdul Jaleel Nizami | Abdul Azeez |
2 | 2008-11 | Abdul Hakim Azhari | Shahnawaz Warsi |
3 | 2011-13 | Syed Muhammed Quadri | RP Hussain |
4 | 2013-15 | Syed Muhammed Quadri | Shujaat Ali Quadri |
5 | 2015-17 | Mufti Khalid Ayyub Misbahi | Shujaat Ali Quadri |
6 | 2017-20 | Shujaat Ali Quadri | Abdul Qadir Hamdani |