New Delhi: Fathima Gautam, the daughter of Dr Mohammed Umar Gautam, an Islamic scholar and founder of Islamic Da’wah Centre (IDC), who was arrested by Delhi Police in June for allegedly converting 1000 people to Islam, pours her heart out during an interview to a news portal.
Regarding the conversion of 1000 people Fatima says, “There are documents that show that these people, whom my father has falsely implicated to have converted, has in fact helped them to file legal documentation after they had already converted.”
“My father only helped people with legal documentation for those who have already converted to Islam. He worked with a network of lawyers and registered Maulvis like Jahangir Kasmi to facilitate the formalisation of the conversion,” Fathima explained, adding, “Anyone who came to IDC had to first fill up a form where they would be required to write whether they converted under force or by their own will. After that, an affidavit needs to be filed before the sub-divisional magistrate. If my father is guilty, even the government officials who approved these affidavits should be held guilty,” Fathima said.
Fathima adds, “Our family is broken and scattered. No one cares about us, we are left alone now to fight our own battle”.
“Most of our time goes to run after the lawyers. No organisation or individual speaks in our favour,” Fathima says sadly.
“My mother is broken due to the illegal arrest of my brother. The darkness of our desperation is increasing. There is no one to help us except Allah,” Fathima said.