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AMU Old
Boys Association, Jeddah
Statement Issued in Jeddah on 29-10-2005
It is a crying shame
that, on the occasion of the beautiful Diwali and Eid-ul-Fitr festivals,
a senseless act of violence deliberately killing innocent people-
enthusiastic shoppers being the softest of the soft targets should have
been committed in New Delhi. We express our deep sympathy with the
families of the innocent victims. At the same time, we express
our revulsion towards this senseless act and hope that the perpetrators
of this crime will be brought to justice -- whoever they are, wherever
they are, and whatever their reasons may have been. Far from solving any
problems, such acts tend to exacerbate them. We reiterate that India has
never and will not be cowed down by such acts.
The intent of such
attacks in urban centres is to generate mass panic and disrupt the
rhythms of normalcy that are robust in such places. Hence, the primary
response should be to provide relief and succour to those who have been
directly affected and to simultaneously ensure that the city of Delhi
and its citizens pick up the rhythms of normal civic life.
One hopes that Sunday will see the demonstration of such will in the
Capital-as London demonstrated a few months ago.
The intent of those behind the attack in Delhi may be to sow discord at
a time when the citizens of Delhi and India are preparing for both
Diwali and the Id that follows. Terrorism in its current avatar will not
be eliminated totally in the near future, but, it can be blunted so that
it cannot claim the success it seeks-which is to damage the societal
ozone layer in a plural society.
The investigating agencies should be assisted by civil society as a
whole to identify those behind this attack and brought to book at the
earliest. We members of AMUOBA in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia stand by our
brethren in India and Delhi in particular and our befitting response to
Saturday's cowardly dastardly attacks is to demonstrate that we will not
be intimidated by such acts and both Diwali and Id will be
celebrated-albeit in a muted manner with some thought for those who have
been directly affected by the earthquake and the wanton acts of terror.
Mr. Muzzammil Husain
Coordinator
AMU Old Boys
Association, Jeddah
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