Dear Responsible Members of Tanzeem e Wali e Asr.

It is with a heavy heart that we write to you to take immediate corrective steps. The juloos was organised by your Tanzeem to celebrate the birth of Imam Ali Ibne Abu Talib (as) on 13 Rajab 1440. However at more than one place in the Juloos most notably below Mehfil e Shah e Khorasan and outside Mughal Masjid non Islamic practice of music and dancing was allowed.

It is very shameful that such activities were allowed and no attempts were made by the organisers to stop such acts.

Such acts have brought shame to the entire Shia community in Mumbai and India. These videos showing such non-Islamic acts have also been circulated on social media across the world thereby not only bringing a bad name to the Shia Ithna Asheri community and making us a laughing stock, but also being used by enemies of Ahlulbayt (as) to show how Shias are not on the right path and highlighting that Shias celebrate birth of Imam Ali (as) by dancing. This is causing irreparable damage to the Shia Ithna Asheri community.

Have we completely forgotten that the main purpose of these Juloos, whether to celebrate a Wiladat or to commemorate a Shahadat (including Muhurram Juloos) is to do tableegh by making people aware about Ahlulbayt (as), their mission and to attract people towards us.

It is a shame that instead we are getting influenced by wrong examples and have forgotten the Islamic way of removing processions with proper discipline, decorum and sense of purpose.

Do you think that Imam Ali (as) will be happy or angry at these developments. Is this not a grave sin ? You have names your Tanzeem after Imam Wali e Asr (atfs). Will this incident be a matter of pride for him or a matter of shame ?

We therefore ask you to immediately publicly apologise to the community for this misdeed and refrain from conducting any religious processions in the future if you cannot manage them with proper discipline and religious decorum.

We would like to see our Juloos to be more and more grand but within the boundaries of our Shariah. So if you cannot manage it properly we demand that you hand over this responsibility to another Anjuman or Tanzeem which can discharge its duties responsibly.