Raza Academy

Raza Academy is an organization of Indian Sufi Muslims that promotes Islamic beliefs through publications and research. The organization publishes Sunni literature concerned with the thought-school of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi. The organization is located in Mumbai, and Mohammed Saeed Noori is its founding secretary; Noori does not possess any formal Islamic education, though.[1]

On 11 August 2012, Raza Academy held a protest against the riots in Assam and attacks on Muslims in Myanmar at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, with two other groups. It ended in violence, killing two and resulted in some minor injuries.[2][3][4] Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik said that the crowd turned violent and indulged in arson of state property, while sloganeering against the state and media, after some protesters showed “provocative photos” of the Assam violence thus leading to a huge scuffle.[5] Saeed Noori disowned those involved in the violence as “miscreants”, who were not associated with the academy.[6]

The organisation had earlier protested programs of Taslima Nasrin and Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri in Mumbai.[1] In 2015, Raza Academy issued a fatwa against acclaimed music composer A. R. Rahman and Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi for making a film on Muhammad.[7] In 2018, it called for the ban on the public dissemination of a viral song from Oru Adaar Love - Manikya Malaraya Poovi which allegedly insulted Prophet Mohammed and his wife.[8][9] Post the enactment of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 which declared triple talaq as a criminal offense, the organisation deemed the bill to infringe on the religious rights of Muslims in India.[10]

In 2016, Raza Academy had held protests calling for the ban of Indian Muslim preacher Zakir Naik after investigations alleged that perpetrators of the 2016 Gulshan attack were inspired by Naik.[11][12] It had also held solidarity marches and demonstrations against Pakistan post 2019 Pulwama attack and 2019 Balakot airstrike.[13][14][15] The organisation had distributed relief material during 2018 Kerala floods.[16]