Kaleem Siddiqui (born 23 September 1957) is an Indian Islamic scholar, preacher, educationist and a member of Tablighi Jamaat. He was detained by ATS of Uttar Pradesh police with accusations of mass conversion which nationalist Hindu considered a threat to their religion,[1] he had been providing both financial and legal assistance to those who faced difficulty to adopt Islam as their consent religion. He is a disciple of Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhlawi and Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi.
He has been the administrator of Jamia Imam Waliullah Islamia, Phulat, Muzaffarnagar, since the 1980s. He is also the president of the Global Peace Center and the Jamia Waliullah Trust.[6][10][11]
Political views
In November 2014, Siddiqui remarked that "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had faced accusations related to the 2002 Gujarat riots, appeared to be a more mellowed and responsible figure. He noted that Modi's recent statements reflect a change from the earlier controversies of 2002."[12]
Arrest and conviction
In September 2021, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Kaleem Siddiqui on charges of being involved in a large-scale religious conversion network. He was accused of illegally forcing people to convert to Islam, and it was alleged that his operations were being conducted through an organized network. The police claimed that this network was receiving funding from abroad, particularly from Gulf countries and the United Kingdom, and that approximately 500,000 people had already been converted to Islam under this scheme.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
Siddiqui's arrest received backlash from various sections of the Muslim community. Zafarul Islam Khan described it as a conspiracy, comparing it to the arrest of a major Hindu figure like Shankaracharya.[21] Several Muslim organizations and leaders argued that Siddiqui was being deliberately targeted and that the charges against him were baseless.[6][22][23][24] Students from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) staged protests against the arrest, while several Muslim organizations demanded his immediate release.[25] Meanwhile, his arrest was praised by Hindu nationalist organizations, which claimed it was an essential step in preventing forced religious conversions.[26] The Uttar Pradesh ATS also conducted raids at multiple locations, including Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, as part of their investigation.[27]
In early April 2023, after having spent over 18 months in police custody, the Allahabad High Court granted him bail.[28][29][30] On September 10, 2024, a special NIA court convicted 15/16 individuals, including him and Umar Gautam, for their involvement in a pan-India illegal religious conversion racket. The trial was led by Special Judge Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi.[31][32][33] Afterwards, on September 11, 2024, the NIA-Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) court in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, issued life sentences to 12 people, including Siddiqui and Gautam.[34][35][36][37][38][39][40]
Books
His most popular book is Aapki Amanat Aapki Sewa Mein.[41] His other books include:[42]
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