The objective of TMMK is to protect the rights of the Muslim community in a democratic manner.[3] TMMK has its branch offices in all the districts of Tamil Nadu and in several villages of the state. It also has its foreign offices in Malaysia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries has more than 1 lakh members. It was involved in Tsunami relief work[4] and does social services including blood donation camps,[5] eye camps[6] and free ambulance services to poor. It
TMMK invites public to hold peaceful protests and demonstrations for demanding rights of Muslims.[7] In February 2005, the TMMK urged the then-Chief MinisterJayalalithaa Jayaram to direct the Wakf Board to send all its communications only in the Tamil language to the administrators of mosques.[8] A March 2007 rally organised by the TMMK in New Delhi drew support from the Association of Indian Muslims (AIM) of America.[9] The TMMK has campaigned for the reservation of seats in educational institutions and the ear-marking of entrepreneurship schemes for Muslims in Tamil Nadu as per the recommendations of the Sachar Committee.[10] The Tamil Nadu Thawheedh Jamaath (TNTJ) has been termed "a breakaway group" of the organisation.[11]
In early 2009, a new political party Manithaneya Makkal Katchi was launched after an amendment to the bylaws.[15][16][17][18] The party contested in the parliamentary election the same year in 4 constituencies and polled 68,346 votes.[19] But in the 2011 Assembly election, MMK allied with AIADMK and won 2 of 3 seats contested.
TMMK has condemned several acts of terrorism in India and in foreign lands. When the Al-Qaeda released a video related to Indian sub-continent, TMMK condemned it and advised Indian Muslims to ignore such hate messages. The leader of TMMK said “this (message) will only help security agencies in country to further target Muslim youth in case a terrorist act does take place.[20]” In several occasion, TMMK has also condemned Israel for its brutality against Palestinian People.[21] It has also raised voices for UN intervention to stop genocide of Palestinians.[22] Similarly, TMMK has protested the genocide of Tamil people in Sri Lanka.[23]
After the 1998 Coimbatore bombings and the communal violence that ensued from it, members of the TMMK were arrested following the banning of the related Jihadist group al-Umma (listed in Extremist Groups) who were directly behind the blasts. Leaders of the Jihad Committee and the TMMK were arrested in a statewide crackdown. Among those arrested were the TMMK president M.H. Jawahirulla and treasurer S.M. Bakkar. Over the next few days, many activists of the TMMK were arrested at Keezhakkarai, Devakottai, Dindigul, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Nagercoil, Melapalayam and Udumalpet as a precautionary measure.[24][25]
On 6 December 2003, 450 activists of the TMMK were arrested for attempting stage a protest rally.[26] Similar arrests were made earlier in 2000 where TMMK members were implicated.[27]
