In a rare display of ideological divergence, the Jamaat-e-Islami – across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh – have taken sharply contrasting positions on Operation Sindoor, India’s cross-border missile strike targeting sites in Pakistan on Wednesday.
The incident has not only reignited diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad but also laid bare deep fissures within one of South Asia’s most influential Islamic political movements.
India’s Jamaat supports Operation Sindoor
On May 7, Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, broke ranks with its sister organisations by publicly endorsing India's military action. In a statement that surprised many observers, he described terrorism as a “heinous crime against humanity” and voiced full support for India’s armed forces.
“The entire country, across religions, supports our armed forces,” he said, calling for national unity in the face of terror threats. He also warned against exploiting security issues for communal polarisation, urging political leaders to focus on national interest over divisive rhetoric.
Pakistan’s Jamaat denounces India as an aggressor
In stark contrast, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, took to Facebook with a fiery video message dismissing India’s claims of counter-terrorism as “lies.”
“India is attacking civilians and mosques under the banner of Hindutva ideology,” he declared. “This is not counter-terrorism; it’s state-sponsored aggression.”
Rehman praised Pakistan’s military for maintaining restraint and urged the nation to unite in a *jihad* against what he called Indian imperialism. His rhetoric echoed longstanding anti-India sentiment prevalent among conservative Islamist groups in Pakistan.
Bangladesh Jamaat calls for peace and dialogue
Meanwhile, Dr Shafiqur Rahman Amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, struck a more moderate note. In a Facebook post on the same day, he appealed for peace and condemned violence from all sides.
“War benefits no one,” he wrote, calling for an “impartial, international investigation” into the Pahalgam attack. He also urged both nations to find a permanent solution to the Kashmir dispute through dialogue and diplomacy.
A movement divided: Roots and rifts
Founded in 1941 by Syed Abul Ala Maududi, Jamaat-e-Islami began as a transnational movement advocating for an Islamic societal framework grounded in Quranic principles. Despite operating independently in each country today, the three branches share a common ideological lineage.