Dawoodi Bohra Forum

Documentary on Dawoodi Bohras of Udaipur

A brief documentary that guide you about the Dawoodi Bohras in Udaipur and the revolution lead by them against their religious leaders Sayedna for social boycott, basic human rights and corruption in the society. The people of Udaipur never submitted to the so called spiritual leaders and passed through intolerable sufferings since 1970 because of cruelty of Syedna and their leaders. More than 250 families suffered with partitions and divorce. More than 400 people were attacked with attempt to murder and injured heavily, people lived in fear for more than a decade & had a terrifying life. Because of the sufferings and bloodshed of their forefathers, the community have evolved and provided a free and social environment to their siblings living in Udaipur and spread across the world.
We salute them all!. Bohra Youth Zindabad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwr-BsjKueY

From the Archives of PDB website :-

Kothar's Atrocities.

Beat them up, spit on them

Extracts from the Nathwani Commission Report● January 02, 2008


Various methods are used to harass and persecute the socially boycotted persons. One of the most commonly used is attack on residence, shops or other work establishments, physical attack on persons concerned as also the close members of their families if they have not broken away from them. Beating and spitting are two such methods.

Amongst others are forcible expulsion from attendance and prayers at Masjids, graveyards, religious ceremonies associated with birth, marriages, deaths, harassing sick members of the family of the person under Baraat, removal from employment if the employer is a Bohra are commonly resorted to.

Another very obnoxious method is separation of wife from husband, brother from brother, sister and all close relatives. We have received several instances of forced break up of marriages. Mental torture and cruelty inflicted can only be imagined when sons and daughters have been prevented from meeting their parents on their death bed or from performing ceremonies associated with burial.

Such examples are common and found in Bombay, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Godhra to mention only a few in India from various towns also of East African countries and Pakistan. Some of the respondents have stated that private armies of men and of women are maintained by the priestly class for harassment, assault and persecution of the reformers and also for the purposes of spying on their activities.

Medical practitioners are boycotted if in the course of their duties they render service or treat any reformers. Dr. Cutlerywala has suffered much for helping the sick. Children also have not been spared. Bohra students are organised to beat them up, spit on them and do everything to make life miserable for little children in school.

Mohmedali Hasanali aged 77 years, states from Nairobi that in 1968 he was thrown out of Masjid during the presence of Sayedna. He was not allowed to participate in the burial of his wife who died on 6-4-1973 in Mombasa. He was prevented from attending the marriage of his daughter and his son in Mombasa. When his sons visited Africa, they were forcibly prevented from meeting the father. As if all this is not enough, he was actually assaulted by the orthodox.

When he visited India in 1976 after 23 years, the social boycott followed him because Sayedna's agent in Nairobi sent a telegram. During his absence, shop in Mombasa was taken away from his son and he is not allowed the use of his property which is being sought to be taken away as Sayedna is said to be the owner.

(There were mass assaults in Galiakot and Moidpura Masjid in Udaipur, Women and Children were also assaulted. This created strong resentment and Udaipur has become a very good stronghold of reformists. Their relatives in Bombay and other places are made to suffer for their relationships).

The best illustration of persecution inflicted and suffered is of Mohmedhussain Gulamabbas Udaipurwala, an active worker of Bombay youth association. His son aged 8 years was expelled from Saifi High School and when readmitted because of government order was so badly treated by other children of the school under instructions from their elders that with great difficulty he had to be admitted to another school. His wife was removed from the Masjid during Mohrum Vaez.

As if this was not enough, he was asked to vacate the residential flat where he lives. On his continuing there, deliberate damage is caused to the residence. Life really became dangerous for him. Besides abusing and spitting on him and his family members, on 23-8-1978 his neighbours seriously injured him by beating him with an iron rod on his head.

A.A. Udaipuri, an advocate who had taken the oath of allegiance (misaaq) again in Bombay in 1973 purchased a flat in Bombay constructed by the orthodox supporters of Sayedna but the religious hierarchy were Leasors of the plot. He and some others were not given their title deeds. So they lodged a criminal complaint in the additional chief metropolitan magistrate court in Bombay. Only then they learnt that the original documents of the title deeds were false and fabricated. Thereafter persecution followed and he and his family were under Baraat and the social boycott is very intense against him.

Nomanbhai Contractor, a Bombay reformist leader, visited Godhra, his native place with his family on 12-6-1977. He visited a fellow reformist Pawagadhwala and a large crowd of Bohras surrounded the latter's house. Zainuddin was in a cinema house when he received a phone call from his house and he informed the police to protect the reformist leader and his host. Sayedna's men knew it and his house was surrounded and stoned. Contractor's motor car was totally burnt. Pawagadhwala of Godhra has also been subjected to personal humiliation and assault. His sister in law was attacked and she suffered injury because she was in his house.

We can multiply instances but those given above would do. Among those who had suffered most are Abidali Jafarbhai Gulguliwala of Dahod, Alihussain Tayyebbhai Cyclewala, Hussain Kurbanhussain Sanchawala. Sanchawala had an additional tale of persecution to tell which in its enormity exceeds anything said here.

His father had started in 1935 Anjumane Mohmedi in cooperation with seven other reformists of Dahod in Gujarat. He was conducting night classes for old and young and tailoring class for giving employment to the poor. All these were forced to be closed down because of social boycott and persecution. Even the school which they started in Surat could not run. One serious allegation by Sanchawala is that from 47th Dai upto 50th Dai the priestly class was in debt because it used to spend for the welfare of the community and the community used to pay their debt. After 51st Dai, Dai's family has become one of the richest families in the world by exploiting the community ruthlessly.

Mohmedbhai Shamshuddin Cutpiecewala of Surat had given oral evidence in the criminal court at Surat 50 years ago against forcible signatures for exemption for the operation of the Wakf Act 1923. He was beaten up and he has been socially boycotted since then. Tayyabbhai M. Bolbol, Zakiruddin Kadarbhai Roker and Taherbhai Abdul Gafur Kinkhabwala aged 82 years, have been under Baraat since the Chandabhai Galla case. Besides ruining their business they had the other horrible experience of having dirt and human excreta thrown on their person.

Teherali Abdulali Kapadia of Dhoraji Gujrat has been suffering the boycott for a number of years. The entire family with the aged father and women members is put to great harassment. When his infant daughter died, he was refused burial in the Bohra graveyard. But the police and other Muslim and non-Muslim friends helped him.

Moiz Salebhai Mediwala of Jamnagar Taiyabi Zamindar of Ahmedabad and several others have recounted horrible tales of persecution of men, women and innocent children.

Sheikh Ahmedali Qurban Hussain Rajnagarwala suffered most because of the forced divorces of his two daughters Shahre Banu and Nafisa. One of his daughters was divorced when she was pregnant and the shock of divorce made her lose her child. Mehfuza Taj of Udaipur had her marriage broken up in 1975 and brother's wife deserted him because they both are reformists. The Udaipur Youth Association also presented a memorandum listing 39 couples who were forced to divorce. Udaipur Jamat has also given such a list. From other places in India and abroad we have received many complaints of forced divorces.

Mrs. Fatimabai Saddiqali Tinwala aged 50 years from Udaipur states that because her family was with the reformist group, her son's wife from orthodox family deserted him and sent to them their six year old crippled girl. She was continuously crying for her mother. When they informed them their reply was "let her die"( bala jaye) and ultimately despite medical treatment she died. Before her death they informed her to visit their daughter. When she came with her brother she had already expired. They assaulted them and false complaint was made that they had poisoned the girl. After post-mortem they were declared innocent.

Mulla Saleh Mohamad Abdul Hussain Salam from Baroda states that he was under social boycott. His younger son's wife went to her father at Indore. Her father was threatened with social boycott and was asked not to send her daughter back to Baroda. Hid elder son's wife has expired. No one is ready to marry him due to threat of social boycott.

From Archives of the PDB website :-

These are just a few incidents of attacks on the supporters of the reform movement in India.
By S.Insaf

1) On 22 August 1922 in the afternoon at 2 pm the goons of Sayedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb physically assaulted Ibrahim Adamji Peerbhoy with knives on Esplanade Road in the Fort area of Bombay. It was to eliminate him as he was perhaps the first Dawoodi Bohra who courageously challenged a Dai and served notice on him for rendering the account of Chandabhoy Galla.

2) More than 15000 prominent Bohras had signed the memorandum regarding misuse of funds of Chandabhoy Galla submitted to the Advocate General (officer-in-charge of public charity then). T. Saifuddin Saheb was naturally perturbed because of this mass disobedience and so he started training his guns against the dissidents. He called a meeting of Amils and some musclemen on 28 July 1917 at Badri Mahal (his resident and office then). He for the first time in Bohra history declared “Salam bandh” against the supporters of Ibrahim Adamji and incited the participants to punish them.
A week after this meeting the Amil of Ujjain, Abdul Taiyeb Husainbhai made a very provocative speech in Navapura masjid and declared “Salam bandh” against 90-year Shaikh Ali Mohammad Ghodiwala. He then led a mob of 500 charged Bohras and attacked the Ghodiwalas. The Bohras after beating him, his son and daughter-in-law cut off his nose and left him dying.

3) The editor of Gujarati daily “Bombay Samachar” wrote an editorial “Yugdharam ne pichano vada Mullaji !” supporting the cause of Bohra reform. He was attacked by Taher Saifuddin Saheb’s incited mob headed by one Turab bhai Mala on 8 January 1960 at 6:30 in the evening. This 82-year old editor was so severely beaten that he died in the hospital.

4) Mulla Abbas Aurangabadi was excommunicated by Taher Saifuddin Saheb as he had kept four poor Bohra students in his house at Madanpura Bombay and was giving them religious education. This activity was labelled as “sin” as he was doing it without the Sayedna’s raza. Mulla Abbas was a knowledgeble writer and orator. He used to expose the un-Islamic activities of Sayedna through his writing in Urdu newspapers. After two acid attacks made on him at Bombay in which he lost one eye, he went to Karach where on 24 June 1966 Sayedna Burhanuddin’s men burnt him alive in broad day light by pouring petrol on him.

5) Murderous attack was made on the women of Udaipur in Galiakot’s mazar in the presence of Sayedna Burhanuddin Saheb on first March 1973.

6) Galiakot incident made Surat’s Jamiah Saifia a hotbed of discussion. In order to frighten the teachers and students, the Jamias rector and Sayedna Saheb’s brother Yusuf Najmuddin rushed to Surat and incited a mob which attacked the houses of four senior teachers of Jamiah on 23 November 1974. The attack resulted in the death of Shaikh Sajjad Husain Sarangpoorwala.

7) On 25 November 1974 the Bombay police Special branch, during their search seized a placard demanding the execution of four reformist leaders, Noman Contractor, Asghar Ali Engineer, Yahya Lokhandwala and Ismail Attarwala by 5 pm on 27th November.

On 18th January 1975 on 5th of Moharram a fanatic mob of 150 armed with knives and daggers attacked the reformists who were busy listening the vaiz in Udaipur’s Moiyadpura mosque which turned in to battlefield within no time with blood all over. 200 reformists were seriously injured while one 14 year old girl died.

9) Mr. Noman Contractor along with his daughter Yasmin and his son-in-law Rahim visited Saifee Pawaghadwala on 12 June 1977. With prior planning a mob of 3000 Bohras surrounded the house of Pawaghadwala in no time with kerosene, petrol and rags to set fire to the house. They broke open the door and attacked Contractor‘s and Pawagadhwala’s families with lathis and then set the house and Contractor’s car standing outside on fire. Bohras from adjoining houses informed the police and arrested 52 Bohras who were later let off on bail and awarded by local Amil. Curfew in Godhara city was imposed for 3 days. Citing this incident and various others Shri Jai Prakash Narayan wrote a personal open letter to Sayedna Burhanuddin Saheb. As there was no reply from Sayedna Saheb he recommended appointing an inquiry commission.

10) Several murderous attacks were made on the life of Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer at Calcutta, Hyderabad, Cairo and Bombay.

Where is saif53 to defend the lies of the reformists? Is there a blog named believetheudaipurireformist.com.
Has anybody from Jameea or kothar ever refuted any of these allegations?

Perhaps saif53 could recruit someone with expertise on attackiing the reformists. Can't wait to see that debate. After all isn't this the forum the kothar is relying on to disperse the truth.
Maybe this debate has happened before and I'm just the new kid on the block

after reading the attrocities committed by the kotahar , I would run as far and as fast as I can away from these kothar crooks. One never knows when some little imp may feel he does not like some body and then this little two timer with his mufli given power can cause havoc in your life.
Run as fast as you can and join the progressive group. At least you would be respected whether rich or poor and you would be able to maintain your cultural ties with the bohra traditions.

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after reading the attrocities committed by the kotahar , I would run as far and as fast as I can away from these kothar crooks. One never knows when some little imp may feel he does not like some body and then this little two timer with his mufli given power can cause havoc in your life.
Run as fast as you can and join the progressive group. At least you would be respected whether rich or poor and you would be able to maintain your cultural ties with the bohra traditions.
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'think' is totally misguided that Progressives are a some sort of refuge from the atrocities of Kothar. To run away from Kothar and its atrocities is a sign of 'busdili' - cowardice of the first order. People who exit under pressure from Kothar is just what it wants. Years ago in Nairobi, Kenya when disgruntled Abdes joined Progressives there they were welcomed with open arms. These people turned out to be opportunists. As soon as their 'under the counter' negotiations with Kothar were successful they abandoned Progressives. From then on the Progressives stopped admitting anyone.

Shaayar Raza Hamdani wrote this beautiful Sher just for people like you:

Bhanwar se lado, tund lehren se uljho
Kahan tak tum chaloge kinare kinare.

Transalation:
Fight against the whirlpool, engage the tidal war
How long will you seek the safety of the shore

I salute the Fallen heros

I was just born when these incidences occurred, if my parents betrayed the reformists and did not speak or defend the oppressed my apology and regret. I wow to avenge their suffrings and cause their zalimeen immense regret. Those who know me know I will right the wrong.

Where was SKQ when these atrocities were unleashed. Can his son show any sign of regret to these history and acknowledge the freedom fighters?

SMS I have no words his father SMB is fully responsible and sms legitimacy is already void no point any dialog with sms.

Extracted from the Archives of PDB website for the benefit of new members on the forum :-

THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE ATROCITIES ON THE 4 USTADS OF JAMIA, SURAT:-


The news of the outrageous assault on the innocent women of Udaipur at Galiakot in front of the Daiz-Zaman, Sayedna Mohammad Burhanuddin was most shocking for the faithfuls who till then believed that whatever is happening in the community the Dai has no hand in it. The Bohras in Udaipur who had refrained from direct involvement in the Reformist Movement now thought it fit to join the movement as they were faced with the monstrous power of a cruel and crude religious establishment. The Jamiya Saifia Surat had especially became a hot-bed of discussion as many senior teachers there doubted the legitimacy of Dais after 46th Dai.

On 22 November, 1974 in a meeting organized by the Bohra Youth at Nagpada-Bombay, one Congress MP Mr. Shashi Bhushan in his address assured the audience that he would certainly raise the issue of enacting an Act for the Bohra Community’s properties which is valued at several Crores. He also said that those who renounce worldly temptations and work for the welfare of the common men we Indians worship them like Gods. Whereas those who run after power and self are denounced as devils. I wish Sayedna Saheb be a good human being and the spiritual guide for his community.


The cunning Bohra establishment twisted the whole thing and made full use of this opportunity to launch a nation-wide and world-wide offensive against the Bohra Reform Movement by falsely alleging that Shashi Bhushan called Sayedna ‘Shaitan’.

Next day Mr. Shashi Bhushan visited Surat to address a party meeting where the Bohras were instigated not to allow him to enter the city. A large crowd went on a rampage and the situation became so tense that the police imposed section 144 to control it. Yusuf Najmuddin the rector of Jamia Saifia rushed to Surat and instigated a large crowd of Jamia’s students to teach a lesson to their “munafik” (hypocrite) teachers. Thereafter four senior ustads (eminent scholars), Shaikh Sajjad Husain, Shaikh Hasan Ali, Shaikh Ali Ahmed and Shaikh Ahmed Ali Raj were haunted and assaulted mercilessly by their own students under pressure from the rector.

The first target of brutal attack was Shaikh Hasan Ali. The agitated crowd of 400 men first went to his Noorpura residence in Surat, where he was staying with his son Moiz. They immediately locked the door from inside and went out from the back door and hid in the house of a nearby Hindu tailor.

Shaikh Ahmed Ali left for Udaipur and the reformists gave him protection.

About Shaheed Shaikh Sajjad Husain, the Justice Nathwani Commission Report says as follows:-

“One Sarangpurawala Mohamed Sheikh, son of Sajjad Hussain, of Surat appeared before us and narrated the story of persecution of himself and his father.

His late father has taken religious education in a religious college in Surat controlled by the then Mullaji. He studied religious literature in Arabic and he was a scholar of Urdu, Arabic and Farsi. He had also written religious songs. Thereafter he was appointed as a teacher in the religious college by the then Mullaji i.e. 51st Dai Taher Saifuddin. The present Sayedna took religious instruction from him (Sajjad Hussain). He served the institution for about 50 years faithfully on a pittance of Rs.275 per month. He was dismissed from the college by the brother of the present Sayedna. The cause of his dismissal makes a very interesting reading and throws a flood of light on the totalitarian character of the Dai’s regime.


Sajjad Hussain and three of his colleagues believed that the 45th Dai died suddenly from poisoning without making an appointment of his successor. He had not expressed his belief in public and kept it to himself. But in 1969 when one of his colleagues Sheikh Hasanali had gone to Mecca for Haj, he expressed his said view before an Arab friend and had requested him to keep it a secret. Somehow this matter leaked out and the brother of the present Sayedna, Dr. Yusuf Najmuddin came to know that Sajjad Hussain and his three colleagues were holding this belief. Soon after that serious steps commenced to be taken.


The Mullaji Saheb first declared Baraat against Sajjad Hussain and his three colleagues. The Sayedna started the practice of presenting them as “Maloon” (hated being or Satan) and informed the followers accordingly in all places by a circular. He thereafter called the family members of the four teachers to his Devdi (Surat headquarter) and told them either to expel the four persons from their family or to leave them collectively and to curse (utter Laanat against) them. When they refused to do so, they were manhandled by the followers of Mullaji and Baraat was declared against the family members also. This resulted in the severance of relations of the community with them and made their lives miserable.


Before the dismissal of these four teachers from the college, they were called by the Sayedna on 1-1-1971. They kept them standing, surrounded by teachers and pupils of the college. The pupils as well as the teachers were then asked to utter ‘Laanat’ against them and to spit on them and also abuse them. After this they were pushed out and dismissed. On same day at night, a mob of 300 persons went to their houses and looted household property and religious books. At that time Sheikh Hasanali was called and severely beaten by the pupils. During religious occasions and especially during Moharram and Ramazan, the priestly class used to provoke the orthodox followers by falsely alleging that these four teachers were drinking alcohol and eating tobacco and that they will be murdered or their house will be looted and burnt if they did not apologize.


The witness further said that his father Sajjad Hussain was very old and weak and suffered the most. Even in the mosque and Dargah very rough treatment was given to him by throwing stones at him and taking away his cap. The family members complained to the Mullaji about such behaviour. But the harassment went on increasing. Even if any one of the female members was seen from a window or verandah of their house, the orthodox followers used to abuse her indecently and it became practically impossible to move out of the house with any self respect. Not only Bohras but even others like milkmen, washerman and domestic servants also boycotted the families of Sheikhs (the teachers referred to earlier).


The witness’s wife was forced to divorce him. His 4 month old daughter Nasrin was considered “Haram” i.e. bastard. Similarly the son-in-law of Sheikh Hasanali was forced to divorce his wife as he was serving in Mullaji’s establishment and had, therefore, to carry out their order even though he was deeply attached to his wife. The second son-in-law of Sheikh Ahmedali (one of the four teachers) was not forced to divorce his wife because he and his wife in the presence of Sayedna abused and uttered “Laanat” against all the four teachers including Sheikh Ahmedali.


In 1972, the wife of Sheikh Ali Ahmed expired after much humiliating treatment. Permission was granted for her burial. But all Bohras were asked not to participate in the burial. A condition was imposed that if any of the four boycotted teachers participated in the burial ceremony, the dead body would be thrown out from the graveyard. Consequently six young members of the family had to carry the dead body for about one and half miles in Ramazan when they were observing fast and were hungry as well as thirsty. The grave digger was sent away and the witness had to arrange for another grave digger. Even though the death took place at 10.00 a.m. the burial took place at 5.00 p.m. The same thing happened when the witness’s aunt late Fatima Sheikh Hasanali expired.


The priestly class kept on telling the orthodox followers that this rubbish (meaning 4 teachers) must be removed from Surat. Sheikh Ahmed Ali one of the four teachers had already left Surat for good and he was invited by reformist Bohras of Udaipur as they needed a learned man.


On 22-11-1974 at night the teachers and pupils and other miscreants held a meeting at the school and after planning the assault they divided themselves into three groups and attacked the witness’ family ‘i.e. the family of his father Sajjad Hussain at about 10.00 p.m. The house of the witness’s uncle was raided but he and others were able to save their lives by closing the front door and escaping through the back door. They were saved by Hindus. All household furniture, utensils were looted and stones were thrown and food was destroyed and costly articles and glass-ware were broken. Sheikh Ali Ahmed and his family members also were protected by neighbouring Hindu families.


The witness and his father were surrounded by Bohras and the neighbouring families could not help them. Some of the raiders broke into the house and started beating the witness and his father, The witness tried to protect his father and so they concentrated on the witness. He was dragged out. The witness was beaten and asked to leave his father and utter Laanat against him. His clothes were torn and his body was bleeding. He lost consciousness. With great difficulty when he went to his house he saw that his father was in a semiconscious condition. Serious injuries were inflicted on him by the mob and his ribs were injured. His furniture, radio and sewing machine etc. were destroyed including food and water. Costly things were taken away. His 4 month old daughter was not spared. The wounded father of the witness expired on 25-11-1974 at the residence of a staunch reformist Sheth Taherbhai Abdul Gafoor Kinkhabwala. When the father died the priestly class celebrated his death and their victory by a show of fireworks from 2.00 to 10.00 p.m. and sweets were distributed.


Prosecution was filed against a number of persons for conspiracy to cause death. The accused persons were acquitted by the Surat Court because it could not be established that those who were put up for trial were guilty. We are however not concerned with the question as to which particular persons were the assailants. We are only concerned with the fact that the boycotted persons became victims of mob violence, whoever may have engineered it.”