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Barelvi movement

The Barelvi movement, also known as Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah (People of the Prophet's Way and the Community) is a Sunni revivalist movement that generally adheres to the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools of jurisprudence, and Maturidi and Ash'ari schools of theology with hundreds of millions of followers, and it encompasses a variety of Sufi orders, including the Chistis, Qadiris, Suhrawardis and Naqshbandis as well as many other orders of Sufism. They consider themselves to be the continuation of Sunni Islamic orthodoxy before the rise of Salafism and the Deobandi movement. The Barelvi movement is spread across the globe with millions of followers, thousands of mosques, institutions, and organizations in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, South Africa and other parts of Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States.

As of 2000, the movement had around 200 million followers globally but mainly located in Pakistan and India.

The movement claim to revive the Sunnah as embodied in the Qur’an, literature of traditions (hadith) and the way of the scholars, as the people had lapsed from the Prophetic traditions. Consequently, scholars took the duty of reminding Muslims go back to the ‘ideal’ way of Islam. The movement drew inspiration from the Sunni doctrines of Shah Abdur Rahim (1644-1719) founder of Madrasah-i Rahimiyah and one of the compiler of Fatawa-e-Alamgiri. Shah Abdur Rahim is father of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi. The movement also drew inspiration from Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi (1746 –1824) and Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi (1796–1861) founder of the Khairabad School. Fazle Haq Khairabadi Islamic scholar and leader of 1857 rebellion issued fatwas against Wahabi Ismail Dehlvi for his doctrine of God's alleged ability to lie from Delhi in 1825. Ismail is considered as an intellectual ancestor of Deobandis.

The movement emphasizes personal devotion to and oneness of God i.e. and the finality of prophethood, adherence to sharia and in  following the four schools, following the  and Sufi practices such as veneration of and seeking help from saints among other things associated with Sufism. The movement defines itself as the most authentic representative of Sunnī Islam, (The people who adhere to the Prophetic Tradition and preserve the unity of the community).

Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921) who was a Sunni Sufi scholar and reformer in north India wrote extensively, including the, in defense of Muhammad and popular Sufi practices and became the leader of a movement called.

Etymology
The Barelvi movement is also known as the. According to Oxford Reference, or Barelvi is movement developed on the basis of writings of Mawlana Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi. The Database of Religious History refers the movement as the Ahl-e-Sunnat wa Jamaat (often, Ahl-e-Sunnat) which has a very strong presence in South Asia.

Professor Usha Sanyal, an expert on 'Ahl-i Sunnat Movement', referred the movement as Ahl-i Sunnat. She wrote that the movement refer to themselves as 'Sunnis' in their literature and prefer to be known by the title of Ahle Sunnat wa Jama'at a reference to the perception of them, as forming an international majority amongst Sunnis, although Barelvi is the term used by section of media to refer to this specific movement arising from Sunni Islam.

Main leaders of Ahle Sunnat movement Imam Ahmad Raza Khan and other scholars never used the term 'Barelvi' to identify themselves or their movement; they saw themselves as Sunni Muslims defending traditional Sunni beliefs from deviations. Only later was the term 'Barelvi' used by the section of media and by opposition groups on the basis of the hometown Bareilly, of its main leader Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Qadri (1856–1921). The Barelvis are also called Sunni Sufis.

History
Islamic scholar and teacher of Ahmed Raza Khan Qadri, Maulana Naqi Ali Khan (1830-1880) had refuted the ideas of Sayyid Ahmad Barelwi (d. 1831), who was a founder of Wahabism in India. Naqi Ali Khan declared Sayyid Ahmad Rae Barelwi, a 'Wahabi' due to his support for Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's ideology. Similarly, founder of Khairabad school, Allama Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi in 1825 in his book 'Tahqîqul-Fatâwâ' and Allama Fazle-Rasûl Badayûnî in his book 'Saiful-Jabbâr' issued Fatwas against the founders of Ahl-i Hadith and Deobandi movements Fazle Haq Khairabadi Islamic scholar and leader of 1857 rebellion issued fatwas against Wahabi Ismail Dehlvi for his doctrine of God's alleged ability to lie (Imkan-i-Kizb) from Delhi in 1825. Ismail is considered as an intellectual ancestor of Deobandis. This refutation of traditional scholars against newly emerging Wahabi sect influenced Sunni scholars such as Ahmed Raza Khan Qadri and paved the way for more organised movement which later came to be known as Ahle-Sunnat movement in South Asia. The movement formed as a defense of the traditional mystic practices of South Asia, which it sought to prove and support.

The Ahl-i Sunnat or Sunni Barelwi movement began in the 1880s under the leadership of Ahmad Raza Khan (1856-1921), who spent his lifetime writing fatwas (judicial opinion) and later established Islamic schools in 1904 with the Manzar-e-Islam in the Bareilly and other madrasas in Pilibhit and Lahore cities. The Barelvi movement formed as a defense of the traditional mystic practices of South Asia, which it sought to prove and support.

The movement views themselves as Sunni or Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat and according to it main leaders of the movement including Imam Ahmad Riza Khan, did not invent new sect but defended traditional Sunni Islam. According to Ahle Sunnat scholars, Deobandis have created a new sect. The Sunni madrasas of this movement have rarely, if ever, been involved in extremist politics and militancy.

Propagation against the Shuddhi (Arya Samaj conversion) Movement
Hindu Arya Samaj, through its founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati initiated converting Muslims back in to Hinduism specially in North India, and Punjab in early 1900s. They became active in Bharatpur State and they also preached to the neo-Muslim Malkanas, in Etawah, Kanpur, Shahajahnpur, Hardoi, Meerut and Mainpuri in the western United Provinces, exhorting them to return to what they believed was their 'ancestral religion'. As a result, the movement became controversial and it also antagonized the Muslims populace To counter this movement Indian Muslims started Islamic Dawa work among the Muslim population and challenged the Arya Samaj leaders for debates. Mufti Naeemuddin Moradabadi, Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri and Hamid Raza Khan along with a team of Ahle Sunnat scholars through Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa worked in north Indian towns and villages against the Shuddhi movement. The Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa prevented around four hundred thousand conversions to Hinduism in eastern U.P and Rajasthan during its activities under anti-Shuddhi movement. In 1917, Islamic scholar Mufti Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi organized the historical Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa conference at Jamia Naeemia Moradabad U.P, with a mission to curb, and if possible reverse, the tide of re-conversions threatening the Muslim community in the wake of the Shuddhi movement.

Shaheed Ganj Mosque Movement
Shaheed Ganj Mosque was commissioned in 1722 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and built by Abdullah Khan. The construction was completed in 1753. It was located in Naulakha Bazaar area of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. In 1762, the Bhangi misl Sikh army conquered Lahore and occupied the mosque. The Muslims were not allowed to enter and pray, although Sikhs were given the right to pray. The Sikhs built a gurdwara in the courtyard while the Mosque building was used as a residence for the Sikh priest. On 17 April 1850, a case was in Punjab High Court. Several suits were filed between 1853 and 1883 to recover the Shaheed Ganj Mosque, but courts maintained the status quo. On 29 June 1935, the Sikhs announced that they would demolish the Shaheed Ganj Mosque. Several thousand Muslims assembled in front of the mosque to protect it. But, on the night of 7 July 1935 the Sikhs demolished the mosque, leading to riots and disorder in Lahore. Ahle Sunnat scholar and Sufi Peer Jamaat Ali Shah of Sialkot, Pakistan, led the Shaheed Ganj Mosque movement. Muslims held a public meeting on 19–20 July 1935 at the Badshahi mosque, and marched directly on the Shaheedganj mosque. Police opened fire on the crowd to kill more than a dozen.

Peer Jamaat Ali Shah presided over the first session of the Conference to organize protests against the demolition. He was appointed the Chief of the protests. "Shaheedganj Day" was observed on 20 September 1935 under his leadership. His appointment as leader of this movement garnered support from other Sunni scholars. Fazal Shah of Jalalpur and Ghulam Mohiuddin of Golra Sharif, Zainulabedin Shah of the Gilani family from Multan and Anjuman Hizb-ul-Ahnaf from Lahore offered support to Shah's leadership. This consensus created a religious and political base which reduced urban-rural differences. The struggle continued for several years.

All India Sunni Conference
Ahle Sunnat established in 1925 a body of Islamic scholars and Sufis named All India Sunni Conference, in the wake of Congress led secular Indian nationalism, changing geo-political situation of India. Islamic scholars and popular leaders Jamaat Ali Shah, Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi, Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri, Amjad Ali Aazmi, Abdul Hamid Qadri Badayuni, Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi and Pir Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah were the main leaders. In 1925, its first Conference was attended by three hundred Ulema and Mashaikh. AISC focus was on Unity, brotherhood, preaching and protection of Islamic faith with a stress on need for acquiring modern education for Muslims. The Second Conference was held in Badaun U.P in October 1935 under the Presidency of Jamaat Ali Shah. It discussed Shaheed Ganj Mosque Movement. and openly opposed Ibn Saud's policies in Arabia, the Conference demanded to respect the Holy and sacred places of the Muslims. The third Conference held on 27–30 April 1946 at Benaras discussed the disturbed condition of the country and possible solution for the Muslims in the wake of demand for Pakistan.

Several Sufi Barelvi scholars supported the All-India Muslim League and Pakistan's demand claiming that Congress aimed at establishing Hindu state and arguing, that Muslims need to have their own country. Few Barelvi scholars opposed the partition of India and the League's demand to be seen as the only representative of Indian Muslims.
 * All India Muslim League

Main roles played by Ahle Sunnat movement scholars and leaders:

Beliefs
Like other Sunni Muslims, they base their beliefs on the Quran and Sunnah and believe in monotheism and the prophethood of Muhammad. Although Barelvis may follow any one of the Ashari and Maturidi schools of Islamic theology and one of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali madhhabs of fiqh in addition to optionally choosing from one of the Sunni Sufi orders or tariqas, most Barelvis in South Asia follow the Maturidi school of Islamic theology, the Hanafi madhhab of fiqh and the Qadiri or Chishti Sufi orders. Barelvis in Southern parts of India such as Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu follow Shafi'i maddhab of fiqh and Ashari school of Islamic Theology. Barelvis have mostly the same beliefs and structure of Sunni Sufis around the world as they celebrate Mawlid, belief in Taqleed, belief in Sufi saints and follow Sufi orders.

Positions
The movement is defined by a set of theological positions that revolve around the persona of Muhammad and his special, if not exceptional, relationship and status with God. Several beliefs and practices differentiate the movement from others (particularly Deobandis and Wahhabis including beliefs in the intercession of Muhammad, the knowledge of Muhammad, the "Nur Muhammadiyya" (Light of Muhammad), and whether Muhammad witnesses the actions of people.

Intercession of Muhammad
All jurists comprising Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanafi and Hanbali unanimously agree the on the permissibly of tawassul whether during the lifetime of Muhammad or after it.

Tawassul is a fundamental belief of all traditional Sunni movements. The belief is that Muhammad helps in this life and in the afterlife. According to this doctrine, God helps the living through Muhammad. Sunni Muslims of the Barelvi movement believe that any ability that Muhammad has to help others is from God. The help received from Muhammad is therefore considered God's help. Proponents of this belief look to the Quran for proof that God prefers to help through Muhammad. One of the titles of the Prophet is "shaafi," or "one who performs intercession." Other spiritual leaders who will act as intermediaries will be prophets, martyrs, huffaz of the Quran, angels, or other pious people whom God deems fit. Jesus's intercession for believers on the Day of Judgment is mentioned in the Quran (5:16-18), as well. They also believe that, on the Day of Judgement, Muhammad will intercede on behalf of his followers, and God will forgive them their sins and allow them to enter Jannah ("paradise"). The belief that Muhammad provides support to believers is a common theme within classical Sunni literature. The Quran says, ''O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek a wasila to him (5:35).'' Further, the Quran says, ''We sent not the Messenger, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the will of Allah. If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come to the Messenger and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful. (Al-Qur'an, Surah an-Nisa, 4:64)''

The belief that Muhammad intercedes is found in various Hadith, as well. ''A Bedouin of the desert visited the Prophet's tomb and greeted the Prophet, addressing him directly as if he were alive. "Peace upon you, Messenger of God!" Then he said, "I heard the word of God 'If, when they had wronged themselves . . .,' I came to you seeking pardon for my mistakes, longing for your intercession with our Lord!" The Bedouin then recited a poem in praise of the Prophet and departed. The person who witnessed the story says that he fell asleep, and in a dream he saw the Prophet saying to him, "O 'Utbi, rejoin our brother the Bedouin and announce [to] him the good news that God has pardoned him!"''

Syrian Islamic scholars Salih al-Nu'man, Abu Sulayman Suhayl al-Zabibi, and Mustafa ibn Ahmad al-Hasan al-Shatti al-Hanbali al-Athari al-Dimashqi have similarly released fatwas in support of the belief.

Al-Suyuti, in his book History of the Caliphs, also reports Caliph Umar’s prayer for rain after the death of Muhammad, and specifies that on that occasion, Umar was wearing his mantle (al-burda)—a detail confirming his tawassul through Muhammad. Sahih al-Bukhari narrates a similar situation as: "Whenever there was drought, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab used to ask Allah for rain through Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, saying, 'O Allah! We used to request our Prophet to ask You for rain, and You would give us. Now we request the uncle of our Prophet to ask You for rain, so give us rain.' And they would be given rain.'"

A Hadith states that on that day people will be running to and fro looking for an intercessor, until they come to Muhammad, who will answer, "I am for intercession". The Lord will then ask him to "...intercede, for your intercession will be heard" (Bukhari).

Sunni Muslims of this movement also commonly say Ya Rasool Allah ('O Messenger of Allah'), addressing Muhammad in the present tense with the belief that he is able to listen. They believe that Muhammad is a Rahmah (mercy) to all creation as mentioned in the Quran. Muhammad therefore is a means by which God expresses his attribute, Ar-Rahman, to creation.

Light of Muhammad (Nur Muhammadiyya)
A central doctrine of this movement is that Muhammad is both human and (Noor) light. Muhammad's physical birth was preceded by his existence as a light which predates creation. The primordial reality of Muhammad existed before creation, and God created for the sake of Muhammad. Adherents of this doctrine believe that the word Nur (light) in the Quran refers to Muhammad.

Sahl al-Tustari, the ninth-century Sunni Quran commentator, describes the creation of Muhammad's primordial light in his tafsir. Mansur Al-Hallaj (al-Tustari's student) affirms this doctrine in his book, Ta Sin Al-Siraj: "That is, in the beginning when God, Glorified and Exalted is He, created him as a light within a column of light (nūran fī ʿamūd al-nūr), a million years before creation, with the essential characteristics of faith (ṭabāʾiʿ al-īmān), in a witnessing of the unseen within the unseen (mushāhadat al-ghayb bi'l-ghayb). He stood before Him in servanthood (ʿubūdiyya), by the lote tree of the Ultimate Boundary [53:14], this being a tree at which the knowledge of every person reaches its limit." "When there shrouded the lote tree that which shrouded [it]. This means: 'that which shrouded' the lote tree (ay mā yaghshā al-shajara) was from the light of Muḥammad as he worshipped. It could be likened to golden moths, which God sets in motion towards Him from the wonders of His secrets. All this is in order to increase him [Muḥammad] in firmness (thabāt) for the influx [of graces] (mawārid) which he received [from above]."

According to Stūdīyā Islāmīkā, all Sufi orders are united in the belief in the light of Muhammad.

Muhammad as witness
Another central doctrine of this movement is that Muhammad is a viewer and witness (حاضر و ناظر, Ḥāḍir-o nāẓir) actions of people. The doctrine appears in works predating the movement, such as Sayyid Uthman Bukhari's (d. ca. 1687) Jawahir al-Quliya (Jewels of the Friends of God), describing how Sufis may experience the presence of Muhammad. Proponents of this doctrine assert that the term Shahid (witness) in the Quran refers to this ability of Muhammad, and cite hadiths to support it.

This concept was interpreted by Shah Abdul Aziz in Tafsir Azizi in these words: "The Prophet is observing everybody, knows their good and bad deeds, and knows the strength of faith (Imaan) of every individual Muslim and what has hindered his spiritual progress."

Hafiz Ibn Kathir says: "You are witness of the oneness of Allah Almighty and that there is no God except Allah. You will bear evidence about the actions and deed of whole mankind on the day of judgment. (Tafseer Ibne Katheer, Vol. 3, Page 497).

Muhammad's Knowledge of the Unseen (Ilm-e-Ghaib)
A fundamental Sunni Barelvi belief is that Muhammad has knowledge of the unseen, which is granted him by Allah (ata'e) and is not equal to God's knowledge. This relates to the concept of Ummi as mentioned in the Quran. This movement does not interpret this word as "unlettered" or "illiterate", but "untaught". Muhammad learns not from humankind, but from Allah; his knowledge is universal, encompassing the seen and unseen realms. This belief predates this movement, and is found in Sunni books such as Rumi's Fihi Ma Fihi: "Mohammed is not called 'unlettered' [Ummi] because he was incapable of writing or reading. He is called 'unlettered' [Ummi] because with him writing and wisdom were innate, not taught. He who inscribes characters on the face of the moon, is such a man not able to write? And what is there in all the world that he does not know, seeing that all people learn from him? What can the partial intellect know that the Universal Intellect [Muhammad] does not possess?"

Allah has sent down to you the Book and Wisdom and has taught to you what you did not know, and great is the grace of Allah upon you" [Sura an-Nisa, verse 113].

Imam Jalal udin Al-Suyuti writes: (Taught to you what you did not know) means that Allah Most High has told the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of Ahkam and Unseen.

Qur'an states: This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We inspire in thee (Muhammad). Thou thyself knewest it not, nor did thy folk (know it) before this. Then have patience. Lo! the sequel is for those who ward off (evil).[Surah Hud (11), verse 49]

Qur'an states: Nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen. "But He chooses of His Apostles [for the purpose].[Sura Aali-Imran, verse 179]

Practices

The Qur'an states: "If, when they had wronged themselves, they had come to you, and asked forgiveness from God, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found God Relenting, Merciful."This verse raised the question as to whether or not Muhammad's mediation was still possible after his death. A number of Islamic scholars including Al-Nawawi, Ibn Kathir and Ibn al-Athir in his exegesis said: "A Bedouin of the desert visited the Prophet’s tomb and greeted the Prophet, addressing him directly as if he were alive. "Peace upon you, Messenger of God!" Then he said, "I heard the word of God ‘If, when they had wronged themselves. . .,’ I came to you seeking pardon for my mistakes, longing for your intercession with our Lord!" The Bedouin then recited a poem in praise of Muhammad and departed. The person who witnessed the story says that he fell asleep, and in a dream he saw Muhammad saying to him, “O ‘Utbi, rejoin our brother the Bedouin and announce [to] him the good news that God has pardoned him!”''
 * Public celebration of Muhammad's birthday, a practice of Sunni majority world wide
 * Tawassul-(Veneration of pious). This consists of the intervention of an ascending, linked and unbroken chain of holy persons claimed to reach ultimately to Muhammad who Barelvis believe intercede on their behalf with God.

All jurists comprising Ja'fari, Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanafi and Hanbali are unanimous on the permissibility of tawassul whether during the lifetime of Muhammad or after his death. Syrian Islamic scholars Salih al-Nu`man, Abu Sulayman Suhayl al-Zabibi, and Mustafa ibn Ahmad al-Hasan al-Shatti al-Hanbali al-Athari al-Dimashqi have similarly released Fatwas in support of the practice.

Caliph Umar's prayer for rain after the death of Muhammad and specifies that on that occasion ‘Umar was wearing his mantle (al-burda), a detail confirming his tawassul through Muhammad at that occasion, as reported by Al-Suyuti in his book History of the Caliphs. Sahih al-Bukhari narrates similar situation as: "Whenever there was drought, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab used to ask Allah for rain through Al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, saying, 'O Allah! We used to request our Prophet to ask You for rain, and You would give us. Now we request the uncle of our Prophet to ask You for rain, so give us rain.' And they would be given rain.'" More than any other tomb in the Islamic world, the shrine of Muhammad is considered a source of blessings for the visitor. A hadith of the Islamic prophet Muhammad states that, "He who visits my grave will be entitled to my intercession" and in a different version "I will intercede for those who have visited me or my tomb." Visiting Muhammad's tomb after the pilgrimage is considered by the majority of Sunni legal scholars to be recommended.
 * Visiting the tombs of Muhammad, his companions and pious Muslims, an act they believe is supported by the Quran, Sunnah and the acts of the companions.

The early scholars of the salaf, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH), Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh (d. 238 SH), Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak (d. 189 AH) and Imam Shafi'i (d. 204 AH) all permitted the practice of Ziyarah to Muhammad's tomb.

According to the Hanbali scholar Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali al-Barbahari (d. 275 AH), it is also obligatory to send salutations (salam) upon Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab after having sent salutations upon Muhammad.

The hadith scholar Qadi Ayyad (d. 544 AH) stated that visiting Muhammad was "a sunna of the Muslims on which there was consensus, and a good and desirable deed."

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH) explicitly stated that travelling to visit the tomb of Muhammad was "one of the best of actions and the noblest of pious deeds with which one draws near to God, and its legitimacy is a matter of consensus."

Similarly, Ibn Qudamah (d. 620 AH) considered Ziyarat of Muhammad to be recommended and also seeking intercession directly from Muhammad at his grave. Other historic scholars who recommended Ziyarah include Imam al-Ghazali (d. 505 AH), Imam Nawawi (d. 676 AH) and Muhammad al-Munawi (d. 1031 AH). The tombs of other Muslim religious figures are also respected. The son of Ahmad ibn Hanbal named Abdullah, one of the primary jurists of Sunnism, reportedly stated that he would prefer to be buried near the shrine of a saintly person than his own father.

 * Group dhikr: synchronized movements of the body while chanting the names of God. Some groups, notably those in the Sufi Chishti Order, sing Qawwali; others do not use musical instruments.
 * Letting the beard grow. The four schools of fiqh generally (with the exception of the Shafi and Hanbali school of fiqh) consider it unlawful to trim a beard less than a fistful length.

Sufi tradition
Sufism is a fundamental aspect of this movement. Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi was part of the Qadri tariqa and pledged bay'ah (allegiance) to Sayyid Shah Al ur-Rasul Marehrawi. Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi instructed his followers in Sufi beliefs and practices. Traditional Sufi practices, such as devotion to Muhammad and the veneration of walis, remain an integral part of the movement (which defended the Sufi status quo in South Asia. They were at the forefront of defending Sufi doctrines, such as the celebration of the birth of Muhammad and tawassul.

The wider Ahle Sunnat Wal jamaat Barelvi movement was sustained and connected through thousands of Sufi Urs festivals at Dargahs/shrines in south Asia, as well as in the Britain and elsewhere.

Ahmad Raza Khan Qadri and many Sunni scholars countered Deobandi, Ahl-i Hadith and Wahabi hardliners which resulted in the institutionalization of diverse Sufi movements in many countries of the world.

Presence
Barelvi demographics are more than 200 million around the world. The Barelvi movement is spread across the globe with millions of followers, thousands of mosques, institutions and organizations in South Asia, parts of Africa and Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.

India
India Today estimated that over two-thirds of Muslims in India adhere to the Sufi-oriented Ahle Sunnat (Barelvi) movement.

Bareilly Sharif Dargah
Markaz-e-Ahle Sunnah at Dargah Ala Hazrat is one of the main centers of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat movement in south Asia. Millions of people turned to seek guidance in Islamic matters towards this center of Islamic learning. Bareilly city has been the heart-throb of Sunni Muslims since 1870 when revered Islamic Scholar Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan established Fatwa committee under the guidance of his father Naqi Ali Khan. Later, his son Maulana Hamid Raza Khan and Mufti Azam-e-Hind Mustafa Raza Khan continued Fatwa work.

Stand against the forced sterilization actions of the government
In the mid-70s, during The Emergency (India), on the advice of Sanjay Gandhi, son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Indian government tried to force men to undergo vasectomies (Nasbandi). Huge but unconfirmed numbers of young men were forcibly sterilized. Government officials, and even school teachers, were ordered to induce a predetermined number of males to endure vasectomies or Nasbandi, as they were called. Indian Muslims were finding it difficult to oppose this harsh government action because at the time, it was the emergency and the powers were totally in the hands of Prime Minister Mufti-e-Azam Mustafa Raza Khan. At that time, he acted without pressure and passed a verdict in which he banned vasectomies, declaring them un-Islamic. He published his judicial verdict and circulated it all over India, giving Muslims a sigh of relief but triggering tension between Muslims and the Indian government. The government unsuccessfully tried to get the Fatwa withdrawn and within two years, Indira Gandhi lost the Parliamentary elections.

Shah Bano Case Movement
Indian Supreme Court in case of Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum delivered a judgment favouring maintenance given to an aggrieved divorced Muslim woman. Maulana Obaidullah Khan Azmi, Allama Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi and some other Sunni leaders started movement against the judgment. In 1985, Misbahi was elected as the vice president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, where he advocated for the protection of Shariat. They led various mass protests in various parts of the country specially in Mumbai. Speeches of Obaidullah Khan Azmi were widely circulated and he had become a most sought after speaker for anti-Shah Bano case meetings in Mumbai. Mumbai police filed case against the Maulana and expelled him from Mumbai declaring his speeches inflammatory. Then, the government under pressure enacted a law with given the right to maintenance for the period of iddat after the divorce, and shifting the onus of maintaining her to her relatives or the Waqf Board.

Scholars, Organizations and Institutions
At present chief of dargah Ala Hazrat Subhan Raza Khan, chief Qazi Asjad Raza Khan, Ziaul Mustafa Razvi Qadri, Muhammad Madni Ashraf Ashrafi Al-Jilani, Syed Ameen Mian Qaudri of Barkatiya Sufi chain, Shaikh Aboobacker Ahmad of All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulma, Sayyid Ibraheem Khaleel Al Bukhari, Abdul Rashid Dawoodi and Mufti Mukarram Ahmad of Royal Mosque Fatehpuri Masjid Delhi are some of the influential Sunni leaders of India. Bareilly based All India Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa, Raza Academy, Mumbai and Kerala based All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama are influential bodies. Idara-e-Shariah(Shara'ai Council) is highest body in Bihar, Jharkhand and Orrissa. All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board and All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam also works among Sunnis. The Grand Mufti of India is the senior and influential religious authority of the Islamic Community of India. The incumbent is Shafi Sunni scholar Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, general secretary of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, who was conferred the title in February 2019 at the Ghareeb Nawaz Peace Conference held at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, organised by the All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam.

For Islamic missionary activities, Sunni Dawate Islami (SDI) is an important Islamic preaching movement in India. It is working in at least 20 countries around the world. Muhammad Shakir Ali Noori founded the movement in Mumbai. It has a large network of (Dawah workers) preachers in India and in other countries. Sunni Dawat-e-Islami has established many modern and religious educational institutions around India and some in other parts of the world.

It holds an annual conference International Sunni Ijtema in Mumbai, which is said to be attended by between 150,000 and 300,000 people; the first day (Friday) is reserved for women. Followers of Sunni Dawate Islami wear white turbans.

In 2008, SDI had a European headquarters at Noor Hall in Preston, England, and centres in some other English towns, including: Blackburn, Bolton, Leicester and Manchester. SDI also had a North American headquarters in Chicago. By 2008, SDI had founded 12 madrasas in India. In 2020, SDI says that in India it manages 50 madrasas and 15 schools that teach in English. SDI says it has an educational centre in Bolton (England), and an educational centre in Mauritius.

Network of madrasas
Al Jamiatul Ashrafia, Azamgarh, Jamia Naeemia Moradabad, Jamia Amjadia Rizvia, Ghosi Al-Jame-atul-Islamia, Mau, Markazu Saquafathi Sunniyya, Ma'din, Jamia Saadiya Kerala and Jamia Nizamia, Hyderabad are some of the movement's most notable institutions. Markazu Saquafathi Sunniyya or Jamia Markaz operates more than 50 institutions and it also operates many sub-centers across the world. Al Jamiatul Ashrafia is considered the main institution of learning in northern India and it is attended by thousands of students who come from different parts of the country.

Pakistan
Sufism has strong links to South Asia dating back to the eighth and ninth centuries and preaches religious tolerance, encourages spiritual over ritualistic practicing of Islam, and encourages diversity. The Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement has originated from South Asian Sufism itself. The religious and political leaders of this movement were followers of Sufism and lead the masses in to revivalist Sunni movement.

Time and The Washington Post gave assessments that vast majority of Muslims in Pakistan follow Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement. Political scientist Rohan Bedi estimated that 60% of Pakistani Muslims follow this movement. The movement form a majority in the most populous state Punjab, Sindh and Azad Kashmir regions of Pakistan.

In the aftermath of the 1948 Partition, they formed an association to represent the movement in Pakistan, called Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP). The ulema have advocated application of sharia law across the country.

They are largest Muslim sect in Pakistan and have several organizations and parties which are Dawat e Islami International, Tanzeem ul Madaris Ahle Sunnat, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, Sunni Tehreek (ST), Jamaat Ahle Sunnat,Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Sunni Ittehad Council, Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat are some of the leading organisations of Pakistani Sunni Muslims.

Jamia Nizamia Ghousia, Jamia Naeemia Lahore and Dar-ul-Madinah Schools are some of the leading seminaries of this movement.

Finality of Prophethood movement
In 1950, scholars of Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement initiated a sub-movement named, 'Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat' the history of which can be traced back to the 1880s when Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian proclaimed himself to be a prophet in Islam. This proclamation of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was against the tenets of Islam and created a schism in the Muslim community. Therefore, with the aim to protect the belief in the finality of prophethood of Muhammad based on their concept of Khatam an-Nabiyyin. The movement launched countrywide campaigns and protests to declare Ahmadis as non-Muslims. Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi  Zafar Ali Khan, Abdul Hamid Qadri Badayuni, Khwaja Qamar ul Din Sialvi, Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah, Ahmad Saeed Kazmi, Abdul Sattar Khan Niazi, Pir of Manki Sharif Amin ul-Hasanat, Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari, Sardar Ahmad Qadri and Muhammad Hussain Naeemi were the leaders of the movement.

Scholars of various schools of thought under the leadership of Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqui, who was president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan initiated a successful campaign against the Ahmadis and compelled the National Assembly to declare Ahmadis as non-Muslims. And such a clause was inserted in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan by Second Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan. After meeting the first agenda, Khatme-Nabuwat started the next phase of their campaign – to bar Ahmadis from using the title of Muslim. The then president General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq passed an ordinance in 1984 amending the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) commonly known as Ordinance XX. Sunni leaders Shaikh ul Quran Allama Ghulam Ali Okarvi, Muhammad Shafee Okarvi, Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri, Iftikharul Hasan Shah and Khalid Hasan Shah were the main leaders of this sub-movement.

Madarsa Network in Pakistan
Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Ahl-e-Sunnat ASJ education board is the central organisation to register Ahle Sunnat Barelvi Madarsas. The board follows Sunni Barelvi ideology and is opponent of the Wahabi doctrine.

As per Islam online, around 10,000 madrassas are managed by Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Pakistan. Tahzibul Akhbar in its report on the educational services of Religious institutions has estimated that Tanzeem has 3000 institutions in Khyber Pakhtunwa and 1000 in the area of Hazara.

Muhammad Ramzan, in his report on Madarsas has stated that Tanzeem has most has maximum 5584 Madarsas in Punjab state in comparison to others. 'In Lahore 336, Sheikhupura 336, Gujranwala 633, Rawalpindi 387, Faisalabad 675, Sargodha 461, Multan 944, Sahiwal 458, D.G.Khan 605, Bahawalpur 749 madarsa are affiliated with the Tanzeem'. According to Rizwan, 'the Madarsas of Tanzeem are rarely involved in militancy which is maximum in Deobandis. In population, Barelvis or traditional Sunnis outnumber all other sects combined. They are about 53.4% of total population of the province'.

Stand on blasphemy laws
The movement has opposed any change in the Pakistani blasphemy laws. They have always uphold the blasphemy as highest crime and endorsed the strict punishment for blasphemers. Punjab governor Salman Taseer was assassinated on 4 January 2011 by Mumtaz Qadri, a member of the Barelvi group Dawat-e-Islami, due to Taseer's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Over five hundred scholars supported Qadri and a boycott of Taseer's funeral.

Persecution
They have been targeted and killed by radical Deobandi groups in Pakistan such as the TTP, SSP, LeJ, etc. Suicide attacks, vandalism and destruction of sites considered holy to those in the Sunni Barelvi movement have been perpetrated by Deobandi extremist groups. This includes attacks, destruction and vandalism of Sufi Data Darbar in Lahore, Abdullah Shah Ghazi's tomb in Karachi, Khal Magasi in Balochistan, and Rahman Baba's tomb in Peshawar. The murder of various Barelvi leaders have also been committed by Deobandi terrorists. The clerics claim that there is a bias against them by various Pakistani establishments such as the DHA, who tend to appoint Deobandi Imams for mosques in their housing complexes rather than Barelvi ones. Historical landmarks such as Badshahi Masjid also have Deobandi Imams, which is a fact that has been used as evidence by Barelvi clerics for bias against Barelvis in Pakistan. The Milade Mustafa Welfare Society has asserted that the Religious Affairs Department of DHA interferes with Human Resources to ensure that Deobandi Imams are selected for mosques in their housing complex.

During the 1990s and 2000s, sporadic violence resulted from disputes between Barelvis and Deobandis over control of Pakistani mosques. The conflict came to a head in May 2001, when sectarian riots broke out after the assassination of Sunni Tehreek leader Saleem Qadri. In April 2006 in Karachi, a bomb attack on a Barelvi gathering celebrating Muhammad's birthday killed 57 people, including several Sunni Tehreek leaders. Militants believed to be affiliated with the Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba attacked Barelvis celebrating Mawlid in Faisalabad and Dera Ismail Khan on 27 February 2010, sparking tensions between the groups.

In 2021, the Pakistani government officially banned the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and is severely cracking down on Sunni Muslim political voices of the Barelvi movement. Deobandi political parties like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), however, are still freely operating and even supported by elements within the Pakistani government.

Bangladesh
Barelvis form a sizeable portion of the Hanafi communities in Bangladesh. It identifies under the banner of Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jama'at (ASWJ) along with other Sufi groups which have strong bases in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet such as the Maizbhandaria, and this serves as a central organization for the Barelvi ulema in Bangladesh.

A majority of Bangladeshi Muslims perceive Sufis as a source of spiritual wisdom and guidance and their Khanqahs and Dargahs as nerve centers of Muslim society and large number of Bangladeshi Muslims identify themselves with a Sufi order, almost half of whom adhere to the Chishti order that became popular during the Mughal times, although the earliest Sufis in Bengal, such as Shah Jalal, belonged to the Suhrawardiyya order, whose global center is still Maner Sharif in Bihar. During the Sultanate period, Sufis emerged and formed khanqahs and dargahs that served as the nerve center of local communities.

World Sunni Movement led by Syed Mohammad Saifur Rahman is one of the main organisation of the movement which opposes Wahabi ideologies. Beside Bangladesh, WSM is active in various European and Gulf countries. Bangladesh Islami Front and its students wing Bangladesh Islami Chattra Sena have worked to protect the faith and belief of Sunni Sufis in the country and took stands against Deobandi Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and Khelafat Majlish. Jamia Ahmadiyya Sunnia Kamil Madrasa is a notable institution following ideology of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat or Maslak-e-Aala Hazrat.

United Kingdom

According to Irfan Al Alawi, 'The Sufism influenced Ahle Sunnat Barelvi in United Kingdom immigrated to Britain earlier than the Deobandis, established the main mosques in Britain. They integrated into UK society and are considered law abiding.' moderate majority, peaceful and pious.

In 2011, the Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement had most of the British mosques. The majority of people in the United Kingdom of Pakistani and Kashmir origin are descended from immigrants from Sunni Barelvi-majority areas. In Manchester, by 2014, Ahle Sunnat Barelvi was the largest denomination in terms of the number of mosques and population. The majority of Birmingham Muslims are adherent to the Ahle Sunnat barelvi movement. The movement in Pakistan has received funding from their counterparts in the UK, in part as a reaction to rival movements in Pakistan also receiving funding from abroad. According to an editorial in the English-language Pakistani newspaper The Daily Times, many of these mosques have been however usurped by Saudi-funded radical organizations.

The Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement formed British Muslim Forum (BMF) and the Sufi Muslim Council (SMC) in 2005 and 2006, respectively to represent themselves at the national level. In 2017, the movement had around 538 mosques in the United Kingdom along with their fellow Sufi organisations which are second largest in terms of number. Pir Maroof Shah Qadri has built a number of mosques in Bradford.

Allama Arshadul Qaudri along with Peer Maroof Qadri established World Islamic Mission (WIM) in 1973 at Makkah and became the leader of WIM in England. He worked in the United Kingdom to strengthen the movement of Ahle Sunna wal Jam'aat. Qadri through this movement shaped spirituality based Islam in Europe. Sufi Abdullah a Sunni Sufi scholar, also established a strong Ahle Sunnat foundation in the Bradford.

Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi who is present General Secretary of World Islamic Mission worked for five decades in several parts of Europe and U.K to establish several mosques and institutions with his support and supervision. In Bradford, Azmi help established Islamic Missionary College (IMC) Bradford. In Manchester he established, North Manchester Jamia Mosque and in Birmingham, Ghamkol Shariff Masjid. His continuous Dawah work helped Southerland Mosque become of Sunni Barelvi.

International Sunni organization Dawat-e-Islami has at least 38 Centers in the United Kingdom.

Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada, a leading scholar of Islam and commentator of Quran, has established Darul Uloom Jamia Al-Karam in 1985, an Islamic institute which has produced over 400 British Islamic scholars. He is also president of Muslim Charity and British Muslim Forum.

South Africa
The Ahle Sunnat movement has presence in various cities and town of South Africa where they have build network of Madarsas and Mosques. In South Africa debate with Tablighi Jama'at was called as Sunni-Tablighi controversy. The movement is represented by Sunni Jamiatul Ulema (SJU) which was founded in 1979. It was established to address the various social, welfare, educational and spiritual needs of the community and to preserve and to promote the teachings of the Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaah.

The Imam Ahmed Raza Academy is a seminary and non-governmental organisation and a publishing house based in Durban, South Africa. It was established on 5 July 1986 by Sheikh Abdul Hadi Al-Qaadiri Barakaati, a graduate of Darul Uloom Manzar-e-Islam, Bareilly Shareef, India. The objective is to propagate Islam in South Africa. Darul Uloom Aleemiyah Razvia was established in 1983 and on 12 January '1990, Mufti Muhammad Akbar Hazarvi established Darul Uloom Pretoria. Darul Uloom Qadaria Ghareeb Nawaz (New Castle) is one of the leading Madarsa of the mission which was founded in 1997 at Lady smith by Maulana Syed Muhammad Aleemuddin. Jamia Imam Ahmed Raza Ahsanul Barkaat was established in 2007. All these institutions have focused more on defending Sufi beliefs from Deobandis. Debates and Munazaras are common features of these institutions

In Durban, the movement run Durban's largest mosque, the Juma Mosque which is also known as Grey Street mosque. The Sunni community celebrates Mawlid un Nabi and observes anniversaries of Sufis in association with various Sufi orders.

In Mauritius, the movement forms majority population. Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqi established the movement in Mauritius. World Islamic Mission (WIM), Halqa-e-Qadria Ishaat-e-Islam and Sunni Razvi Society founded by Muhammad Ibrahim Siddiqui in 1967 and Jummah Mosque (Mauritius) (1852) at Port Louis are some of the notable centers of the movement.

Europe, United States and Canada
In United States and Canada, the movement has found a strong following among Muslims of South Asian and in some cities it has significant presence. Two notable madrasas are Al-Noor Masjid in Houston, Texas and Dar al-Ulum Azizia, in Dallas. Allama Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqi, Arshadul Qaudri, Maulana Shahid Raza OBE and Allama Qamaruzzaman Azmi did the missionary work under the banner of World Islamic Mission (WIM) in various parts of Europe including Netherland and in Norway.

In Netherland, the Surinamese community has 25 mosques which are affiliated to the World Islamic Mission and have a Hanafi Barelvi orientation. Prominent centers of the mission in Netherland are Jamia Taibah Mosque Amsterdam, Netherlands, Jamia Anwaar-e-Qoeba Masjid, Utrecht, Madinatul Islam College, The Haugue, Masjid Anwar-e-Madina, Eindhoven, Masjid Gulzar-e-Madina, Zwolle, Masjid Al firdaus, Lelystad, Al Madina Masjid, Den Haag, Netherlands.

World Islamic Mission (WIM) established Central Jamaat-e Ahl-e Sunnat mosque, a congregation and mosque of the Pakistani community in Oslo, Norway with 6,000 members, making it the largest mosque in the Norway. Within Sunni Islam, the mosque is affiliated with Sufism and the Barelvi movement.

In Norway, the WIM established another large mosque named, Jam-e-Mosque in Oslo, Norway in 1980. The mosque in Åkebergveien is the headquarters of World Islamic Mission, one of the biggest Muslim congregations in Norway. It is second largest mosque in Norway. Central Jam-e-Mosque was the first purpose-built mosque in Norway.

The Sunni missionary organization Dawat-e-Islami (D.I) established twelve centers in Greece and seven in Spain which are being used as mosque and madrasas. In Athens, D.I has established four centers.

Sri Lanka
Muslims generally follow Sufi traditions in Sri Lanka. The Al-Fassi family|Fassiya ash Shazuliya tariqa, which has its headquarters in Ummu Zavaya in M.J.M. Laffir mawatha, Colombo, supported by the Al-Fassi family in the 1870s, is the most prevalent Sufi order among the Sri Lankan Muslims followed by Aroosiyathul qadiriya.

In the pre-independence period the two largest Sri Lankan Sufi orders were associated with rival Muslim gem-trading families and ethnic associations in the west coast region, the Qadiriya order allied with N.D.H. Abdul Gaffoor and the All Ceylon Muslim League, and the Shazu-liya order supporting M. Macan Markar and the All Ceylon Moors Association (Wagner 1990, 8385). Sri Lankan Moors also share with their co-religionists across South Asia a devotion to Sufi saints (avuliyā) and an engagement with local chapters of Sufi orders (tāriqā). Two most widely popular Sufi saints are Abd’al Qādir Jīlanī (d.1166 C.E., buried in Baghdad) and Hazrat Shahul Hamid (d. 1579 C.E., buried in Nagoor [Nagore], on the Tamil nadu coast near Nagapattinam).

Sunni scholar Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqi built Hanafi Masjid in Colombo for Sri Lankan Muslims. Sri Lankan Sufi Sunnis identify with organizations such as Hubbul Awliya (Love of the Saint) and Muslims across the island who loosely identify themselves as Ahlus Sunnah wa Jamaat (traditional Muslims) which that connotes the more saint-friendly Barelvi movement (versus the Deobandi)identity in North India.

The annual festival cycle at the Badriya Mosque still commemorates familiar saints such as Abdul Qadir Jilani, Ahmed Rifai, and Shahul Hamid of Nagoor, as well as the popular Tangal from Androth, Abdul Rashid. Dawatagaha Juma Masjid, Masjid Al Maqbool, Kupiyawatte Jumuah Masjid and Mardana Jumuah Masjid are notable mosques in Colombo. While Masjid Al Badriyeen, Nawala, Talayan Bawa Masjid Ratmalana are some other notable mosques outside Colombo. Missionary organisation Dawat-e-Islami is also actively working in various parts of the Sri Lanka.

Relations with other Muslim movements
The Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement's relations with Sunni Sufi scholars from various countries have been cordial. The only movements which the Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement has no relations with are Wahabis/Deobandis. Wahabis/Deobandis were declared to be the enemies of Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'ah during the 2016 international conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny.

2016 international conference on Sunni Islam in Grozny
The scholars who followed Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat from India and Pakistan namely Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, Grand Mufti of India, Shaikh Anwar Ahmad al- Baghdadi and Mufti Muḥammad Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Grand Mufti of Pakistan, participated in International Conference on Sunni Islam in Chechen Republic at Grozny in 2016. The conference was convened to define the term "Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah", i.e. who are "the people of Sunnah and majority Muslim community", and to oppose Salafi/Wahabi groups and their ideology. It was attended by 200 notable Muslim scholars from 30 countries which includes Ahmed el-Tayeb (Grand Imam of Al-Azhar), Shawki Allam (Grand Mufti of Egypt), Ali Gomaa (former Grand Mufti of Egypt), Habib Ali al-Jifri among others. It identified Salafism/Wahhabism as a dangerous and misguided sect, along with the extremist groups, such as ISIS, Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Muslim Brotherhood and others. The conference definition stated: "'Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah are the Ash'arites and Maturidis (adherents of the theological systems of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari). In matters of belief, they are followers of any of the four schools of thought (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i or Hanbali) and are also the followers of the Sufism of Imam Junaid al-Baghdadi in doctrines, manners and [spiritual] purification.'" This definition was in accordance with the ideology of Ahle Sunnat Barelvi movement. The relations with Deobandi and Wahabism have been strained; Scholars of Ahle Sunnat declared Deoband's founders and Ahl-e-Hadith scholars as "Gustakh-e-Rasool" (the one who blasphemes against the prophet) and infidels and apostates due to their certain writings found to be against Muhammad.

Opposition to terrorism
They opposes South Asian Deobandi Taliban movements, organizing rallies and protests in India and Pakistan and condemning what they view as unjustified sectarian violence. The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), an alliance of eight Sunni organizations, launched the Save Pakistan Movement to slow Talibanisation. Calling the Taliban a product of global anti-Islamic conspiracies, SIC leaders accused the Taliban of playing into the hands of the United States to divide Muslims and degrade Islam. Supporting this movement, Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi said: "The Sunni Tehreek has decided to activate itself against Talibanisation in the country. A national consensus against terrorism is emerging across the country." In 2009, Islamic scholar Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi issued a fatwa denouncing suicide bombings and criticized Taliban leader Sufi Muhammad by saying that he "should wear bangles if he is hiding like a woman". Naeemi added, "Those who commit suicide attacks for attaining paradise will go to hell, as they kill many innocent people", and was later killed by a suicide bomber. In India, the Sunni Barelvi community has issued of a fatwa against terrorism, with concerns expressed over activities of Wahabis in New Delhi at All India Sunni Conference in Feb 2016.

Notable scholars

 * Abdul Hamid Qadri Badayuni (1898–1970)
 * Ahmad Saeed Kazmi (1913–1986)
 * Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (1856–1921) – a Islamic revivalist who was founder of the Barelvi movement
 * Sibtain Raza Khan (died 2015)
 * Kaif Raza Khan - Islamic scholar
 * Akhtar Raza Khan (1941–2018) – former grand mufti and chief islamic justice of India
 * Ameen Mian Qaudri (born 1955)
 * Amjad Ali Aazmi (1882–1948)
 * Arshadul Qaudri (1925–2002)
 * Asjad Raza Khan (born 1970) – said to be Qadi Al-Qudaat (chief Islamic justice) of India.
 * Ghulam Ali Okarvi (1919–2000)
 * Hamid Raza Khan (1875–1943)
 * Hamid Saeed Kazmi (born 1957)
 * Ilyas Qadri (born 1950) – main leader of Dawat-e-Islami.
 * Jamaat Ali Shah (1834–1951) – President of All India Sunni Conference
 * Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar (born 1931) – said to be Grand Mufti of India
 * Kaukab Noorani Okarvi (born 1957)
 * Khadim Hussain Rizvi (1966–2020)
 * Maulana Sardar Ahmad (1903–1962)
 * Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi (1909–1970) — Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan
 * Muhammad Arshad Misbahi (born 1968)
 * Muhammad Fazal Karim (1954–2013)
 * Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari (1914–1974)
 * Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari (1918–98) – author of Tafsir Zia ul Quran (1995) and Zia un Nabi
 * Muhammad Muneeb ur Rehman (born 1945)
 * Muhammad Muslehuddin Siddiqui (1918–1983)
 * Muhammad Raza Saqib Mustafai (born 1972)
 * Muhammad Shafee Okarvi (1930–1984) — founder of Jamaat Ahle Sunnat
 * Muhammad Waqaruddin Qadri (1915–1993) – former Mufti-e-Azam Pakistan
 * Mustafa Raza Khan Qadri (1892–1981)
 * Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi (1887–1948)
 * Naseeruddin Naseer Gilani (1949–2009)
 * Qamaruzzaman Azmi (born 1946)
 * Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi (1948–2009)
 * Shah Ahmad Noorani (1926–2003) — founder of World Islamic Mission in 1972
 * Shakir Ali Noori (born 1960)
 * Shamsul-hasan Shams Barelvi (1917–1997)
 * Shihabuddeen Ahmed Koya Shaliyathi (1885–1954)
 * Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah (1911–1984) – President of Jamiat-e-Ulema, Pakistan
 * Syed Mohammed Madni Ashraf (born 1938)
 * Syed Mohammed Mukhtar Ashraf (died 1996)
 * Syed Shujaat Ali Qadri (1941–1993) – judge Federal Shariat Court, Pakistan
 * Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi – director, Darul Qalam, New Delhi
 * Ziaul Mustafa Razvi Qadri (born 1935) – Muhaddis al-Kabeer, present Deputy Chief Islamic Justice of India (Deputy Grand Mufti of India)

Pakistan
In Pakistan, prominent Sunni Barelvi religious and political organizations include:

 * Dawat-e-Islami
 * Jamaat Ahle Sunnat
 * Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan
 * Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat – The Assembly to Protect the End of Prophethood
 * Sunni Ittehad Council
 * Sunni Tehreek
 * Tehreek-e-Labaik

In India

 * All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board
 * Jama'at Raza-e-Mustafa
 * Karwan-I-Islami
 * Muslim Jamaat
 * Raza Academy

In the United Kingdom

 * World Islamic Mission
 * British Muslim Forum
 * TheSunniWay

In Bangladesh

 * World Sunni Movement
 * Bangladesh Islami Front
 * Bangladesh Islami Chattra Sena

In South Africa

 * Sunni Razvi Society
 * Imam Mustafa Raza Research Centre, Durban, South Africa

India

 * Al Jamiatul Ashrafia, Uttar Pradesh, India
 * Al-Jame-atul-Islamia, Raunahi
 * Jamia Al Barkaat Aligarh, Aligarh
 * Jamia Amjadia Rizvia, Ghosi
 * Jamiatur Raza, Bareilly
 * Manzar-e-Islam, Bareilly
 * Markazu Saqafathi Sunniyya
 * Jamia Nizamia, Hyderabad

Pakistan

 * Aleemiyah Institute of Islamic Studies
 * Hizbul Ahnaf
 * Jamia Amjadia Rizvia Karachi
 * Ashraf ul Madaris, G.T Road, Okara, Punjab, Pakistan
 * Jamia Naeemia Lahore
 * Jamia Nizamia Ghousia Wazirabad
 * Jamia-tul-Madina

Bangladesh

 * Jamia Ahmadiyya Sunnia Kamil Madrasa

Mauritius

 * Sunni Razvi Society

United Kingdom

 * Jamia Al-Karam

Republic of Ireland

 * Al-Mustafa Islamic Cultural Centre Ireland

Singapore

 * Jamiyah Singapore

South Africa

 * Darul Uloom Pretoria
 * Imam Ahmed Raza Academy

Sri Lanka

 * Anjuman Faiz-e-Raza

title: Barelvi movement


text:
Talk:Fraser Institute

Fraser Institute is conservative and libertarian
Statement sourced from mainstream media and other sources, including media establishments cited in this article:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=fb622996-c92f-4f94-8cfa-6601e2b3dda6&k=10588

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2006/06/16/taxfreedomday.html

http://www.cjnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13957&Itemid=86

http://www.ontariohomeschool.org/fraserstudysummaries.html

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=8c492527-8a82-40b2-9d51-30bb25a92802

Mft1 (talk) 21:17, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

I found literally zero mentions of the word "libertarian" on any of the above links. From what I read about the Institute it does not advocate any particular form of government, but rather government's fiscal responsibility and economic freedom, which makes it neither conservative nor libertarian.Truther2012 (talk) 19:04, 19 April 2013 (UTC)

Fraser Institute
The second sentence in the introduction states: "Though it (the Fraser Institute) contains some socially conservative and neo-conservative elements, it is mostly libertarian." What is the source/citation for this statement? Most of the Institute's research focusses on economics, not social policy. I suggest that statement should be removed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.52.60.241 (talk) 20:12, 28 December 2007 (UTC) Agreed - looking through their health policy papers they are ALL written by economists. Only one author in the most recent is getting a PhD in Health Management Policy (which is, again, the economic arm of Public Health, not social).Jtimleck (talk) 01:09, 2 May 2011 (UTC)

Who founded this thing?
The article is not consistant about who founded the institute. In the introduction is says "It was founded in 1974 by Michael Walker", but under controversy it says "It was founded by T.Patrick Boyle". Was it co-founded, or is this information maybe wrong? FoiledAgain 14:02, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Socially Liberal?
I spent several hours this evening reviewing the Fraser Institute's site and find it difficult to understand how they are 'socially liberal'. I suggest that phrase be removed.steven 06:08, 19 August 2006 (UTC)]]

Immigration Policy
The Fraser Institute, or at least the research and position papers published by its researchers, have a socially conservative and anti Liberterian take on immigration. . There anti free trade approach to immigration should also be mentioned in the article. steven 06:08, 19 August 2006 (UTC)]]

Is this NPOV?
Rather than attempt to edit this paragraph of the article on the Fraser Institute in-place and perhaps generate edit warz, I've copied it here for discussion first:

'Others point out that some of their research, like the Economic Freedom of the World Report, have been used in many papers that have been peer-reviewed. [1] (http://www.freetheworld.com/papers.html) And that organizations like Greenpeace also do both research often not peer-reviewed and actively try promote their findings and agenda.'

This paragraph seems to be in response to the preceding para in the article:

'Critics of the Institute and other similar agenda-driven think tanks have noted the Fraser Institute's reports, studies and surveys are usually not subject to standard academic peer review or the scholarly method. The accuracy and reliability of the information they produce is therefore often questionable. The Institute also dedicates considerable energy and funding to actively promote their findings and their agenda to broadcast and print media, a practice not followed by most research foundations or in the research work of university departments.'

I question the two main points of the followup para (the first para I quoted, above.)

First, Greenpeace is not an Institute or think tank, nor does it pretend to be either. Greenpeace is an advocacy organization. To compare or contrast Greenpeace with the Fraser Institute seems therefore to be an apples-oranges comparison.

Second, when you're not an organization which peer-reviews your data & conclusions, the simple fact that other organizations (which do claim to do peer-review) have used your data & conclusions -- only means somebody is being sloppy.

I don't want to remove comments in support of the FI and be charged as reducing NPOV. However, the first para cited is not good reasoning, and to me : seems to be false and misleading support.

Comments welcome and invited. Cheers, Madmagic 19:31, Dec 15, 2004 (UTC)

I think that both of those counterpoints are basically fair to make. Because academic papers are peer-reviewed before they are published, research from the Fraser Institute published in a peer-reviewed journal is also peer-reviewed. Because the Fraser Institute does not peer review all its publications, like most so-called "non-partisan" think tanks including the CD Howe Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, it makes sure to advertise the fact that its articles that are published in academic journals have been peer-reviewed. I think that most think tanks that advertise themselves as independent and non-partisan are essentially advocacy groups in reality. The Fraser Institute is allegedly influenced by business donations whereas the CCPA takes donations from the NDP. The Council of Canadians is undoubtedly strongly left-leaning despite their self-description. If the two counterpoints seem NPOV to you, they may require modification, but I think the basic reasoning behind them is sound and should be maintained.

As one who has published extensively with the Institute I can assure you I went through more hassle than in most peer reviewed journals in which I have published. In two books I wrote the Institute forced me to address the comments of 11 reviewers. Enven when publishing for Edward Elgar or Springer Verlag or Cambridge University Press I have never been subject to such review. As to the Institue bowing to business interests in the DISTANT past I can say that this is nonsense. The Institute lost substantial contributions for example from Nortel for publishing views counter to the notion that government should subsidize researcha and development by big business. As to the influence of business on the Institute recently, this is more difficult to ascertain Most troubling is the Institute's embrace of former, but still active politicians such as Preston Manning and Michael Harris. While both have interesting things to say it is hard to admit them to Senior Fellow status and still maintian the Institute to be impartial. Further tarnishing the Institute's previously enviable record of impartiality is Czasba Hajdu's elevation to Senior Fellow status. Hajdu is a manufacturer of paprika with next to no academic credibility. It seems that the Institute is selling "seats" on its academic board to cash in on an academic credibility earned over the last 25 years. In cashing so in, the Institute is degrading its reputation.

 * I don't know who you are, but the experiences you claim to have had with the Instutute are irrelevant. See WP:No original research. I agree with MadMagic.  I also don't see the relevance of the 'Google Scholar Search', or the 'less than five percent of their budget etc...' - So what? Dlabtot 23:23, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Oops, I just cut out the first paragraph mentioned above without looking at the talk. If anyone wants to put it back, I won't fight over it. Still, I think cutting it out was appropriate. The comment about greenpeace seems totally out of place. Just because a criticism is equally true for GP else doesn't make it any less applicable to the FI. Nevertheless the article is a bit overly critical of the FI, it would be good to have more info about it's accomplishments. Something more substantial than the weak/inappropriate rebuttal regarding "Economic Freedom of the World Report". Cheers! --PullUpYourSocks 23:25, 4 Feb 2005 (UTC)

When you say that "The Fraser Institute is an economically conservative Canadian think tank. Its mandate is to advocate for competitive markets to better provide for the economic and social well-being of all Canadians. It is very critical of government spending, high taxes, and government deficits. While economically right-wing, it does not support social conservatism. It supports free trade, closer economic integration with the United States and privatization of government services.", why can't you just instead simply state that the Fraser Institute is a libertarian think thank. It explains it's position a lot better and in a simplisic way instead of this complexity. -Stabuh 15 July 2005

I have never seen any evidence that the Fraser Institute directly or, as the article states, indirectly supports social conservatism. In fact this article itself says that the Fraser Institute has come under attack from social conservatives for supporting the legalization of marijuana. I believe it is accurate to say that while economically conservative (rather than "right-wing" which is intended to be pejorative) the Fraser Institute does not support social conservatism. In fact it could be argued that the Fraser Institute is a libertarian think tank. Libertarians are decidedly not social conservatives. 24.81.66.231 06:55, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

I agree that Fraser is better described as "libertarian" rather than "conservative." It is often referred to as the Canadian version of America's CATO Institute, and a colleague of mine (a former Fraser fellow) refers to the Institute as "libertarian." 202.74.244.15 08:20, 23 November 2005 (UTC)

How much "peer reviewing" one receives is irrelevant. More peer-reviewing does not increase the legitimacy of research - instead the focus should be on WHO the peer-reviewers are. Furthermore, having edits pushed by reviewers (as the writer above attests) only means that if said reviewers work for said group then the final product will fits their own group's ideological bent. That's not independent peer-review. In most truly peer-reviewed publications (i.e. journals, APA, ASA, JAMA etc.) their peer-review boards are made up of people from multiple aspects and political spectrums that DON'T have control over the publishing content per se and are "independents" then - they voice criticisms that shape an articles content to the state of the art for that subject - rather than what some group, hermetically sealed in their thoughts, believes that state to be. Publish who the review board is and then the "peer-review" is, at least, transparent... and that's what most legit outfits do if they claim "peer review" - I don't see that here with the FI and that's what gets them into trouble.Jtimleck (talk) 01:19, 2 May 2011 (UTC)

The article seems to be scrupulous about not referring to teh Fraser Institue as "right wing," which I think is commendable. However, they refer to another "think tank"--the Rideau Institute--as "left wing." This should be removed to ensure an NPOV. 205.211.133.128 (talk) 20:54, 5 February 2014 (UTC)

Banlist 207.102.5.141?
This IP pings to Vancouver, and if I had a little time I bet it would turn up to be a Fraser Institute IP address. That IP address is continuously reverting the article one that sounds more like a promotional piece, and I am quite happy with the article as it is. Should we perhaps consider blocking the IP from making further changes? (posted 21:49, 14 July 2005 from 130.232.29.155)

 * If this person was only inserting biased text that would at least be a starting point for discussion, but instead they seem fixed on inserting copyrighted material into the article so as far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter what POV the text shows. If this keeps going on then a ban would be appropriate. --PullUpYourSocks 19:56, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

 * There is some amusement in the idea of someone improving an article about the FI -- by stealing copyright material from the FI website. Sounds like a r-wing version of property is theft. :) Thanks for watchlisting the article and reverting, folks. Cheers, Madmagic 20:40, August 23, 2005 (UTC)

 * Well, late to the party, but for the record, it's very easy to find out who ARIN thinks an ip address belongs to. For those of you on linux, bsd, or other unix systems, the 'whois' command provides a certain amount of enlightenment. Fade 17:32, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

artoo ~ # whois 207.102.5.141

OrgName:   TELUS Communications Inc. OrgID:      TACE Address:   #2600 4720 Kingsway Avenue City:      Burnaby StateProv: BC PostalCode: V5N-4N2 Country:   CA

ReferralServer: rwhois://rwhois.telus.net:4321

NetRange:  207.102.0.0 - 207.102.255.255 CIDR:      207.102.0.0/16 NetName:   TAC-BLK3 NetHandle: NET-207-102-0-0-1 Parent:    NET-207-0-0-0-0 NetType:   Direct Allocation NameServer: NANO.BC.TAC.NET NameServer: PICO.BC.TAC.NET Comment:   Please direct spam and abuse complaints to abuse@telus.com Comment: RegDate:   2000-01-12 Updated:   2003-06-30

(... snip)

 * 1) ARIN WHOIS database, last updated 2005-12-10 19:10
 * 2) Enter ? for additional hints on searching ARIN's WHOIS database.

Found a referral to rwhois.telus.net:4321.

%rwhois V-1.5:003ab7:00 rwhois.telus.net (by Network Solutions, Inc. V-1.5.7.3) network:Class-Name:network network:ID:231.207.102.0.0/16 network:Auth-Area:207.102.0.0/16 network:Network-Name:FRASER INSTITUTE THE - DLink Modme network:IP-Network:207.102.5.128/27 network:Org-Name:FRASER INSTITUTE THE-VANCBC07 network:Street-Address:1770 Burrard St network:City:Vancouver network:State-Province:BC network:Country-Code:CA network:Postal-Code:V6J 3G7 network:Updated:2005-04-07 (17:34:42) network:Created:2004-07-16 (22:45:31) network:Admin-Contact:hostmaster@telus.com network:Abuse-Contact:abuse@telus.com (1-604-444-5791) network:Tech-Contact:swip@swip.ca.telus.com

Listen up dude. The bias is in the history of the FI. What kind of history is that? Some mention about Walter Block then a paragraph rant on big tobacco. This is a really feeble section and I have tried repreatedly to do something with it but some fanatico obsessed with tobacco keeps ripping me up and reverting this to his pet peeve. Dude, go write about tobacco in the right forum. This is about the history of the FI. It spans 35 years. Stop being a vandalistic dikwad. Fanfardon —Preceding unsigned comment added by Fanfardon (talk • contribs) 03:30, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Peer Review
I've found several examples of Fraser Institute publications referring explicitly to their own peer review process. While it would appear that the Institute has no published policy regarding peer review (there's no broad statement that says "All of our studies undergo peer review), it seems that at least some of them do. I've found 5 such examples:

http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=pb&id=691 http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=pb&id=685 http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=pb&id=669 http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=pb&id=782 http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=pb&id=820
 * Challenges in Senate Reform – Acknowledgement is on last page of the study
 * Generic Drugopoly – Acknowledgement is on the last page of the study
 * Marijuana Growth in British Columbia – Footnote comment is on page 5 of the study
 * How Good is Canadian Health Care? 2005 Report – Acknowledgement is on page 2 of the study.
 * Productivity, Prosperity, and Business Taxes – Acknowledgement is on the last page of the study

I've edited the article to be more consistent with this evidence. --Llewdor 23:05, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

Here you go: seems pretty clear what Peer review process they follow. I think we should remove the para which questions this now: http://www.fraserinstitute.org/aboutus/peerreview/ 208.181.174.207 (talk) 17:31, 22 January 2008 (UTC)

The academic nature of The Fraser Forum is, at the very best, dubious. University research library databases (at least, the one at Wilfrid Laurier University classify The Fraser Forum as a "magazine" as opposed to a "scholarly journal". Additionally, the Forum's articles have been criticised for their obvious bias and poor methodology in other academic journals and even in UN reports. Having subscribed to the Forum in the past, I would guess that their "peer review" largely consists of checks for ideological consistency with the organisation and gross factual inaccuracies. My evidence is that they preface articles critical of the Institute's ideology with an editorial note that the article is being included for the purposes of "presenting both sides" of the argument. I'm not aware of any legitimate academic journal that has these editorial prefaces. BordenRhodes (talk) 06:34, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Reactionary?
The word "reactionary" is used 3 times in the first 4 sentences to describe the Fraser Institute. Being unfamiliar with the term, I click on reactionary, and it is described by Wikipedia as a pejorative term, which in turn is described as "implies contempt or disapproval". Are we saying that Wikipedia has contempt for or disapproves of the Fraser Institute, because it is not our role to pass judgement on it. Deet 09:49, 4 February 2007 (UTC)
 * If you'd checked the history, you'd have found that "reactionary" was added earlier today by an IP, presumably as vandalism. I've reverted.  Semperf 23:44, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

 * Actually, you might be interested to know, this article was cited in the British House of Lords today. The version of the article referred to described the institute as 'reactionary'—wording which was seized upon by a government minister to discredit a member of the opposition party who is involved with the Institute—one Lord Lawson.  A reminder, perhaps, that what we do here isn't wholly unnoticed.

 * See, column 709.

 * X damr talk 00:04, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

 * Interesting. Quite a coincidence that he quoted the article when it was in a brief state of what Semperf called vandalism. Deet 02:57, 9 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Hence why smart people don't cite wikipedia. Use it, sure. Cite it? No. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.146.221.26 (talk) 16:02, 13 April 2007 (UTC).

 * Quite frankly, no-one ought to be citing a generalist publication like an encyclopaedia as a source - but that is another issue. --  X damr  talk 18:17, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

The Fraser Institute

1770 Burrard St., 4th Fl.

Vancouver, BC V6J 3G7

Canada

Phone (604) 604-688-0221 Toll Free 800-665-3558 Fax (604) 604-688-8539 Email info@fraserinstitute.ca URL http://www.fraserinstitute.ca Headquarters Yes Organization Type Charitable Organizations Associations Subjects Subject Headings: Public Policy; Economics; Social Policy Category: Business & Finance Founding Date 1974 Language English Number of Employees Total: 41 Jurisdiction National Library information Library: Size Medium Officers Dr. Michael A. Walker, Executive Director Kristin McCahon, Director Suzanne Walters, Director Michael Hopkins, Director Sherry Stein, Director Profile To redirect public attention to the role competitive markets play in the economic well-being of all Canadians Affiliated With organizations in 57 countries Budget Greater than $5 Million Funding sources Donations; sale of publications; grants from foundations Members type 1,000-4,999 Membership Fees $25-99 Fraser Friend; $100-349 Research Circle; $350-999 Scholars Number of Members 3,500 supporters/donors Publications Critical Issues Bulletins. Fraser Folio. Fraser Forum. ISSN 0827-7893. m. Type of publication: Magazine. Price: $3,95. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.30.202.28 (talk) 16:04, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

Conservative libertarian?
The first sentence uses the term, 'conservative libertarian'. They are two different things and overlap in the sense of advocating small government. Although in some countries (notably) the US, conservative is losing that connotation with the advent of big government conservatives.

Perhaps removing the 'conservative' and leaving 'libertarian' would be more accurate.
 * "conservative and libertarian" was recently replaced with "free market", making for a repetitious opening sentence. For most of the article's history I think it's been described as just "libertarian", so perhaps that's the way to go. Thoughts? Rd232 talk 19:04, 3 December 2008 (UTC)

Problematic edit
This reference added by does not explicitly mention Fraser Institute is conservative, rather it has a summary of a debate. But the problematic and POV-pushing edit by  labeled the institute as conservative using this source. I will properly reword it to avoid the misrepresentation of source and since different labels are used for Fraser by different media, these should be attributed properly. --Defender of torch (talk) 09:39, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

POV unobjective
The article is extremely biased.

It pays undue attention to tobacco policy throughout, ignoring dozens of additional areas into which the Institute has done research, and offering only brief mentions for a selection of others.

Tone and content are generally unfavorable towards the Fraser Institute, as article only cites instances where the Institute has been criticized, never instances where Institute researchers have called into question research published by external sources or where Institute policy recommendations have been adopted by governments. --209.52.60.241 (talk) 23:59, 17 January 2011 (UTC)
 * WP:SOFIXIT by adding stuff - verified using reliable sources of course. Rd232 talk 04:58, 18 January 2011 (UTC)

Lots of edits
POV unobjective, described above, must be addressed. Article also poorly organized.

I work in Communications at the Fraser Institute and plan to edit this fairly. Logogogue (talk) 17:42, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
 * If you're working for the Fraser Institute, you have conflict of interest with this article. єmarsee  •  Speak up!  19:19, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
 * I thought it best to declare my conflict of interest, to establish a good rapport with those who are keeping tabs on my edits. That said, the article is poorly organized, but my objective is not to whitewash it; I'll work within the editorial guidelines to restructure it appropriately and add more current figures and sources, where applicable. Logogogue (talk) 21:32, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
 * The article has obvious NPOV issues. It also requires new and updated information, as well as specific improvements in the organization of existing content.

 * Proposals for editing

 * Top: Can be condensed considerably. First sentence to be repaired re: no citation. Inception, research initiatives, and staff to be moved to apporpriate sections elsewhere.

 * History: Tobacco discussion to be moved to "Controversy."

 * Funding: Small sample of funding singled out; source http://mediamattersaction.org/transparency/organization/Fraser_Institute/funders is NPOV-pushing, "dedicated to analyzing and correcting conservative misinformation" (see http://mediamattersaction.org/p/about_us/). Suggest removing. Also update with most current CRA figures.

 * Governance: Update with new trustees.

 * Political stance: Too convoluted. Suggest condensing.

 * High-profile figures: "The Institute mantains that it has an apolitical stance; however, in recent years..." is NPOV-pushing, no citation. Suggest removing.

 * Positions: Lacks content. Suggest deleting, moving mention of McKitrick to "High-profile figures."

 * Publications: List is out of date and very incomplete. Suggest replacing with new "Research" section describing prominent studies and ongoing research initiatives.

 * Education Programs: Add new section briefly detailing the Fraser Institute's programs for students, teachers, and journalists. Logogogue (talk) 22:08, 8 July 2011 (UTC)
 * I'm not going to revert or change any of the edits you've made so far (with the exception of the massive link farm at the end and other MOS issues), but it seems that this version isn't much of an improvement over the last edits. For starters, the introduction includes the mission statement of Fraser Institute and Wikipedia does not generally list out a mission statement of an organization.

 * We do not require a list of the entire board of the Fraser Institute. See WP:NOTDIR
 * I'm well aware that you work for the Institute, but we do not accept text copied from another website, even if you work for the organization. The material on the Fraser Institute's website is copyrighted, and is incompatible with the CC-BY-SA and GFDL licenses Wikipedia uses. For example with the "Global Petroleum Survey", it's pretty much copypasta from http://www.fraserinstitute.org/publicationdisplay.aspx?id=17762. Feel free to rewrite it to avoid the copyright issues.
 * Some of the main stances (besides free trade/economic freedom) that the Fraser Institute advocates should be listed on the article
 * You've mentioned that that the political stance section is too convoluted, and now there is an undue weight on the research section. It should either be condensed, or other sections should be given their due weight. єmarsee  •  Speak up!  05:10, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

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Atlas Network
Due to edits by T noakes the lead now has a sentence It is a member of the Atlas Network of libertarian policy lobbyists. citing atlasnetwork.org in 2015. My concern is: will anyone care? I pretend no expertise in networking, but if it's common for this kind of organization to declare that many other organizations are "partners", with no evident effect, I worry the claim is trivial. What do others think? Peter Gulutzan (talk) 14:10, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

 * One of the problems of these libertarian think tanks is that they deliberately obfuscate their relationships with other like-minded organizations. This also obscures the relationships between personnel. As an example, the Fraser Institute shares personnel with several other Canadian organizations, all equally members of the Atlas Network, but they never disclose this. So in a given week the same talking point may be repeated by several different organizations who are all trying to minimize the connexions they have between one other. This in turn can given the impression of a) academic rigour, b) legitimacy, and/or c) consensus, when none exist. It should also be made clear that the FI is a libertarian/free-market charity with no academic affiliations, and that, as a member of the Atlas Network, it has received funding from the Koch Brothers. Given their influence in Canadian politics, these relationships are vitally important and often under/un-stated. This edit serves the public interest. T noakes (talk) 03:55, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:Fraser Institute


text:
Faroe Islands Football Association

The Faroe Islands Football Association (Fótbóltssamband Føroya; Færøernes fodboldforbund), or FSF, is the governing body of all domestic football in the Faroe Islands, the highest level of which is the Faroe Islands Premier League. It also runs the Faroe Islands national teams for men and women. Established in 1979, it is based in Tórshavn.

History
Organized football has been played in the Faroes since late 19th century. The first Faroese national football league (Meistaradeildin) was held in 1942. From 1942 until 1978, all Faroese football was governed by ÍSF (the Faroese Sports Association). On 13 January 1979, the Faroese Football Association was established. At first it worked with organizing Faroese football. The first Faroese national football league for women was held in 1985.

In the 1980s, the Faroese Football Association started training coaches and managers. At first it was done with help from Denmark, but since the mid-1990s, this training has been under full Faroese responsibility.

On 2 July 1988, the Faroe Islands gained membership of FIFA, and on 18 April 1990, they gained membership of UEFA. Since then the Faroes have participated in international football competitions.

title: Faroe Islands Football Association


text:
Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush

Rachel Lindsay Rene Bush and Sidney Robyn Danae Bush (born May 25, 1970) are American former child actresses, best known for their combined (alternating) role as Carrie Ingalls, in the drama series Little House on the Prairie. They are identical twin sisters, born in Los Angeles to actor Billy Green Bush and Carole Kay Bush. Their older brother, Clay, is also an actor.

Careers
Prior to Little House on the Prairie debuting on September 11, 1974, they starred in the made-for-television drama Sunshine (1973), as Jill Hayden. In 1978, in the season-five Little House episode "The Godsister", the sisters are shown together playing different characters. The twins' final appearance on the series was on May 10, 1982.

In the final season of the show, the absence of the family members (except Laura) was explained by their relocation to Burr Oak, Iowa, in search of a better life. However, several months later, the series was cancelled. In the opening credits, there was a scene of one of the twins running in a meadow with the credit "Lindsay Sidney Greenbush," which led some viewers to believe it was the full name of one actress. Throughout the series, Sidney had broken her arm multiple times and had to wear a cast, so Lindsay mostly portrayed the character of Carrie.

Post-Little House
In 1983, Lindsay guest starred in a Matt Houston episode as an abuse victim. Sidney starred in the film Hambone and Hillie in 1983. The twins starred in commercials for, among others, Doublemint gum, Mattel Toys, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The twins decided to retire from acting and continue their studies at public school. They graduated from Santa Monica High in 1988.

Personal lives
Sidney was married to horse breeder William "Rocky" Foster for nine years, until his death at age 55 in 2009.

Lindsay has been married to Daniel Sanchez since 2014. They originally met on the Little House set at Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley (where exterior scenes were filmed) when she was a small child and he was a teenager who lived nearby. She has said Michael Landon allowed him to watch the filming at Big Sky Ranch. Decades later, they met again and married in the same spot where they first met.

title: Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush