Waseem Rizvi launched a political party named ‘Indian Shia Awami League’

Controversial chairman of UP Shia Central Waqf Board Waseem Rizvi announced the launch of political party ‘Indian Shia Awami League’. The move is in an attempt to carve a separate political identity for the minority Shia within the Muslim community ahead of the 2019 general elections. The idea is to assert Shia identity separate from Sunni Muslims.

“Traditionally, the vote-bank politics has only catered to Sunnis in India, since we are in minority. But when there are riots in the country because of Sunni extremism, we also get targeted due to our Muslim identity,” said Waseem Rizvi on Monday. Rizvi, however, asserted that it would not be a sectarian party and give representation to people irrespective of caste and religion. 

“Shia is an Arabic word which stands for  ‘dost’ (friend) and all Indians are friends,” said Waseem Rizvi, adding “soon Hindus from different communities, including SCs and OBCs, will be given representation in the party,” said Waseem Rizvi. He said his party would also contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Shia Muslims constitute little over 10 per cent of the Muslim population in India.

“The Shia-Sunni conflict is irreconcilable. They (Sunnis) don’t even consider us Muslims, but because of them our identity is under threat,” Rizvi said, adding that the party cadre was already in place across 16-17 states. “If everything goes well, we will fight the 2019 elections. We have spoken to all Shia leaders across the country,” he added.

Asked who Rizvi sees as his new party’s natural ally, Rizvi said: “Whichever party looks after the interest of the Shia community. While Shias have always shared a cordial relationship with the BJP, in recent times, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has increasingly shown keen interest in cultivating the minority group within Muslims. Allying with Shias does not harm the BJP’s Hindutva agenda. If any Muslim group rallies behind them, it is only a bonus for them,” Rizvi said. However, Rizvi cannot claim to be the undisputed leader of the Shia community. His relations with some of the most influential leaders of the community, including influential leader and Imam-e-Juma of Lucknow Kalbe Jawwad have been rather bitter. Kalbe Jawwad had filed an FIR against Rizvi earlier. However, Rizvi, who remains unfazed by constant criticism from religious clerics within the community, said it was not his intention to ally with religious groups anyway. “Our venture is purely political,” he said. In recent months, Rizvi, who was earlier known to be close to senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, has frequently stirred controversy by making statements that some see as anti-Muslim. He has maintained that the Ram temple in Ayodhya, for example, must be constructed on the disputed site, and a mosque be built elsewhere in the city “away from the religious territory of the Hindus”. Meanwhile, Shia and Sunni clerics have criticised Waseem Rizvi for floating a political party. Saif Abbas Naqvi, head of Shia Moon committee, said  religion-based political parties had always hurt the interest of the country and Shia community lacked the number to sustain a political party. Imam of Idgah Khalid Rashid said: “India is a secular state and such parties can never succeed in the country.”