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30 Dec, 2014

Muslim scholars drop out of Oriental meet after threats from ‘Hindutva’ group – The Hindu

At least seven participants of the All India Oriental Conference (AIOC) to be held in Guwahati next month, have dropped out after receiving threatening letters.

The letters, received only by Muslim scholars say, “If you will come at Gauwhati, Assam, our people will kill you” (sic). They are under the letter head of “Rashtriya Hindu Sena” with the address of Bhartiya Vichar Sadhna publications, “Sangh Karyalaya, Nagpore”. A letter received by Jawaharlal Nehru University Arabic professor Rizwanur Rehman by speed post was sent from Vadodara, Gujarat.

Following the threat, at least seven teachers of Aligarh Muslim University have dropped out. In a letter to the organisers, Islamic Studies scholar Abdul Majid Khan has written, “Assam has witnessed another wave of killings. It is desirable that Islamic Studies section conference is held either in Delhi or in Aligarh where participants can make their presentation.”

Read the rest: Muslim scholars drop out of Oriental meet after threats from ‘Hindutva’ group – The Hindu.