PM Modi Egypt Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a state visit to Egypt on 24 and 25 June. On the last day of the tour, PM Modi will visit the famous one thousand year old Al Hakim Mosque in the capital Cairo. This mosque has a deep connection with the special Dawoodi Bohra community of Indian Muslims. PM Modi is often seen standing with the Bohra community in India. They call him a patriot and a supporter of peace.
Who are Dawoodi Bohra Muslims?
Dawoodi Bohra Muslims follow the Fatimid Ismaili Tayyibi ideology. His heritage is from Egypt. According to history, the Dawoodi Bohras settled in India in the 11th century via Yemen. By 1539 their number increased considerably. After which the seat of the sect was transferred from Yemen to Siddhpur in Patan district of Gujarat. Even today there are havelis of the Bohra community in Siddhpur. The men of this community wear white clothes and golden caps. The women wear colorful burqas.
There are also two classes among the Bohra Muslims. A business class Shia community and a Sunni Bohra minority who are mainly farmers. There are about 5 lakh Bohras in India alone, which is 50% of the Bohra community living in the world. The name Bohras is derived from the Gujarati word Wahorau. Which means doing business. In India, Bohra Muslims are mainly found in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Surat is said to be their base.
#WATCH | PM will visit the Al-Hakim mosque which was built in the 11th century during the Fatimid dynasty. The Bohra community descended from the Fatimid dynasty and they have renovated the mosque since the 1970s and are maintaining it till date. PM will also visit Heliopolis War… pic.twitter.com/IR286DXRzw
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PM Modi went to the head of the religion’s 100th birthday
PM Modi has a special connection with Bohra Muslims. In 2011, when PM Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he attended the 100th birthday of Syedna Burhanuddin, the then religious head of the Dawoodi Bohra community. After his death in 2014, PM Modi had also visited Mumbai to offer condolences to his son and successor Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
In 2015, PM Modi again met the current religious head, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin. Inaugurating the new campus of Aljamia-tus-Saifiyah (Saifee Academy) in Marol, Mumbai, the PM had told the community that he was part of his family. Syedna met the PM in 2016. PM Modi had said that when Mahatma Gandhi returned from Dandi March, this community had hosted him. There is a sizeable number of people from the Bohra community even during PM Modi’s foreign tours.
Ambassador said – our relations are four thousand years old
Indian Ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte said on Friday that India and Egypt are the two largest ancient civilizations in the world. Our relations are more than 4000 years old. These ties have further strengthened after both Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014. Everyone in Egypt is a fan of Indian culture and they have been watching Bollywood movies for decades.
Gupte said he was aware that India and Egypt had worked together to form the Non-Aligned Movement. He still remembers the close friendship between Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Jaghlaul.
Read also: PM Modi Egypt Visit: Prime Minister Modi will visit the 11th century mosque in Egypt, see wonderful pictures of Al Hakim
