Updated 10 April 2013

Over 100 years ago, in 1912, Anjumane Faiz Panjetani (AFP) was formed in Bombay, India to provide assistance to pilgrims going for Ziyarat.  The organization aimed to help Zawaars perform their pilgrimage with comfort and ease and one of the ways in which they achieved this goal was to set up and manage MusafirKhanas (local accommodations) in different countries including Iraq.

The properties which AFP initially acquired in Iraq were located in Basra, Kazmain, Karbala and Najaf and were held in trust through a Power of Attorney held by Marhoom Al-Haj Abdul Hussain Jetha Gokul who was martyred in 1968. Unfortunately, upon his death, the Government of Iraq headed by Saddam Hussein seized his personal property including those which belonged to AFP.

In the post Saddam period, the new Government of Iraq formed a committee to look into this and all other unlawfully seized properties by the regime under Saddam Hussein.

Since 1969, every President and his team who have taken the leadership of AFP have worked tirelessly appealing to the Iraqi Government to release these properties back to AFP.

More recently, over the past five years, the current President and Vice President of Anjumane Faiz Panjetani, accompanied on many occasions by various scholars and community members have been making frequent trips to Iraq to follow up on court cases pending on this issue. Legal counsel has also been retained to assist in reclaiming the seized properties.

Thanks to the perseverance and commitment of AFP including so many individuals who have helped in retrieving the lost properties in Iraq, including the Honorable Mr. Ali Al-Dabbagh, the Minister and Spokesman of the Government of Iraq, a great deal of progress has been made in these efforts. The Honorable Mr. Ali Al-Dabbagh assisted in arranging meetings between representatives of Anjumane Faiz Panjetani and Government of Iraq officials:

• The Hon’ble Prime Minister, H.E. Noor-al Maliki,
• The Hon’ble Minister of Justice, Mr. Hassan Al-Shammari
• The Hon’ble Minister of Education, Mr. Ali Al-Adeeb
• Head of the Commission in Charge of Auquf Properties and other senior Government Officials

44 years later and after numerous court hearings, AFP has triumphed in reclaiming its rightful property from the Government of Iraq. For some of the land which was taken over by the Government for road expansion and other uses, the courts have directed the Government to financially compensate AFP and this matter is now pending with the Ministry of Finance. Judgments of the following MusafirKhanas were awarded in favor of AFP and are now registered in the name of Anjumane Faiz Panjetani as the rightful owners:

1. Karbala al-Qasr MusafirKhana (Karbala)
• Plot size is 900 square meters
• Located 350 meters from the Holy Shrine of Imam Husayn (as)

2. Karbala MusafirKhana Nasser Noor Mohammed (Karbala)
• Plot size is about 500 square meters
• Located close to the Holy Shrine of Imam Husayn (as)
• Also known as Zanzibar MusafirKhana

3. Dar al-Qibla (Karbala)
• This MusafirKhana was taken over by the Government, demolished and a road built on its land. 
• Located near the security check-post on the main road to the Shrine of Imam Husayn (as) 
• AFP will be compensated for this parcel of land

4. Alibhai Ramji MusafirKhana (Najaf)
• Plot size is 475 square meters
• Located 100 meters from the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali (as)
• Formerly known as an Hotel Imam Ali

5. Kazmain MusafirKhana (Kazmain)
• Plot size is 376 square meters
• Located opposite the Haram and near the bazaar
• Current occupants are refusing to vacate the property and AFP is working to resolve this as soon as possible

6. Gazara and Al Ashaar (Basra)
• This is a complicated case because the land has been sold and resold several times 
• AFP will sort this property out once it takes possession of all of the above properties

Anjumane Faiz Panjetani is now looking into the reconstruction of the dilapidated MusafirKhanas in Iraq on their reclaimed properties. A study is being carried out by a reputable architectural firm and AFP is waiting to receive a report of their findings and construction proposal.

For more information, please email secretariat@world-federation.org