When the leading Islamic school in South Asia comes out with its strongest-ever resolution against terrorism, the world takes note. On February 25, as many as 6,000 madrassa teachers travelled from across India to gather in the Uttar Pradesh town of Deoband, home of the 150-year-old Darul Uloom seminary. There they joined a congregation of tens of thousands of students and clerics who were witness to the endorsement of a declaration that used theology to describe terrorism as "an unpardonable sin". The clerics are now expected to carry this message back to their madrassas—no interpretation of the Quran or Islamic texts can be used to justify terrorism.

What's more, the Darul Uloom does not intend to limit its message to India. The Deoband maulanas are planning a gathering of clerics from SAARC countries in April this year. Maulana Mahmood Madani, general secretary of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind that runs the huge network of Deoband madrassas, told Outlook: "We hope the ulema (clerics) from Pakistan and other countries will get visas as the message is peace and the purpose to state that there is no sanction for terrorism in Islam." This initiative is important as the seminary has been accused of fomenting terrorism by western commentators ever since the Afghan Taliban came into the spotlight with their repressive interpretation of the faith and support for Osama bin Laden.

Because the Talibs (students) emerged from Pakistani madrassas that followed the curriculum set by the Deoband school, the historic seminary gained a certain notoriety.

But in India, Deoband is understood as a conservative but nationalist school. It had opposed the Partition and does not advocate a political or radical Islam as promoted by Islamist movements emanating from the Arab world.

What the Deoband school does promote is a very puritanical interpretation of the faith, where certain practices and rituals are of paramount importance. Visit a typical Deoband madrassa and one would find a group of boys learning the Quran by rote and more concerned with debating the promised life hereafter than their current condition on earth!

Yet it is the changing realities in India that have forced Deoband's hands. Madani explains the reason for the anti-terrorism declaration: "It's when the water rises to the head level that we know we are facing a crisis. The number of arrests of innocent Muslims under the guise of fighting terrorism has increased. We know terrorism is the second biggest challenge before the country after corruption but our community is getting frightened at the manner in which Muslims, especially those from madrassas, are being picked up." Clearly, Deoband felt it had to come out with a strong statement that cleared doubts about any religious sanction for terrorism as an act of jehad.

This is significant because of the strong anti-America feelings in the Muslim community, says Shahid Siddiqui, Urdu editor and Rajya Sabha MP. "There is undeniably a strong sympathy for Muslims across the world who are seen to be targeted by the US and Israel.

True, Deoband has denounced violence and the killing of innocents many times before. But with this very strong statement, a highly influential seminary has removed all doubts about terrorist acts being allowed even under severe provocation."

There is a political dimension to the activism of the madrassas that should worry the Congress. Speaker after speaker at Deoband claimed that the situation has become worse for Muslims in the past four years. That for all the lip service about improving the lot of Muslims, Congress regimes actually turned a blind eye and in some cases encouraged the harassment of Muslims. As Madani says, "It is in Congress-ruled states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka (under President's rule) that the unlawful arrests of Muslims has gone up in the last few years. This trend is now spreading to UP and Bihar."

There is a growing sense of victimhood in the community, particularly among those who get their primary education in madrassas. Mujtaba Farooq, secretary, Jamaat-e-Islami, articulates this view: "Earlier, riots were used to target Muslims. The bjp took this to heights in Gujarat. Now, terrorism is used to target us. And the Congress may talk of helping us but like all political parties they are under US pressure and have encouraged intelligence agencies to push the line that domestic terrorism is increasing." This sort of mood even among a section of the Muslim community suggests waning enthusiasm for the Congress as a political choice.

That is why sociologist Imtiaz Ahmad says there was a clear political dimension to the gathering at Deoband. "I believe the clerics were sending a message to the Congress, a warning that you can ignore us only at your on peril." He points to the growing political clout of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind: it formed a political front in Assam, joined hands with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal to fight the Communists on the Nandigram issue, and has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to bring activists on the streets at anti-US rallies.

Certainly, it has clout in the Muslim community, and Deoband cannot be ignored when it comes to religious interpretation and organised Islam in India. But it is possible to over-estimate the hold of the clerics of a particular school of Islam over the political choices of a complex and diverse community.

The February 25 declaration was also in response to the changing pattern of terrorism in India. From being Kashmir-centric, it has moved to towns of Uttar Pradesh and cities like Hyderabad and Malegaon. There appears to be no terrorist masterplan for India and incidents take place sporadically. Yet, what has changed is that today no one blames the foreign hand. The finger is immediately pointed at Indian Muslims. Deoband has taken the strategic step in speaking out against terrorism in a year when it is certain to be made an election issue.

© Outlook Publishing (India) Private Limited