By Ateet Sharma
New Delhi, June 20: The Dawoodi Bohra communities from across America are eagerly looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States starting Tuesday.
The Dawoodi Bohras are Muslims hailing mainly from the Indian subcontinent. They also have large numbers in Pakistan, Yemen, East Africa, and the Middle East, as well as growing populations in Europe, North America, South East Asia, and Australia.
The leader of the community, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, serves as the spiritual and temporal guide of the worldwide Dawoodi Bohras community and primarily resides in India.
Prime Minister Modi has had a long association with the Dawoodi Bohra community, including during his time as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, saying that their affection keeps raining on him wherever he goes.
Earlier this year, while inaugurating the new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah (Saifee Academy) - the principal educational institute of the Dawoodi Bohra community - at Marol in Mumbai, PM Modi said that he was attending the event not as a Prime Minister but as a family member who has been associated with the community for four generations.
"When I go somewhere not only in the country but also abroad, my Bohra brothers and sisters definitely come to meet me," the Prime Minister remarked as he highlighted the love and concern of the Bohra community for India.
"The people of the Bohra community in foreign lands can act as brand ambassadors of shining India. The Dawoodi Bohra community will continue to play an important role in reaching the goal of a developed India," said PM Modi.
With over 5,000 families, the Dawoodi Bohras are spread across the United States and, despite their relatively small numbers, have played an important role in their local societies.
During his visit to the country in September 2019, PM Modi interacted with the members of the community in Houston, Texas.
The community members felicitated the PM and spotlighted his association with 'Syedna Sahib' besides recalling the Prime Minister's visit to Indore's Saifee Mosque to attend Ashara Mubaraka - the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.
Tweeting after the interaction, PM Modi said: "The Dawoodi Bohra community has distinguished itself across the world. In Houston, I had the opportunity to spend time with them and speak about a wide range of issues."
Earlier today, children and adults from the Dawoodi Bohra communities in Houston and Collin County got together in welcoming Prime Minister of India.
"The community is honoured to be part of this historic occasion, reflecting on their commitment to fostering harmony between their beloved home, the United States, and their cherished Indian roots," tweeted the Dawoodi Bohras of USA.
The community members in California also put out a video to extend a warm welcome to PM Modi.
"Many American Dawoodi Bohras have deep spiritual and familial ties with India and are proud to contribute to the strong bonds between the two nations," the members said.
Earlier this month, TV Nagendra Prasad, the Consul General of India in San Francisco, visited Dawoodi Bohra centre in Fremont to celebrate the community's centuries-old rich Indian heritage.
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