Poet,
lyricist Javed Akhtar, Actor Farooque Shaikh, Actor Javed
Jafri, Poet and Columnist Hasan Kamaal at the Silent
March in Mumbai |
Hundreds of
Maulanas and Madarssa students, from different Shia and
Sunni sects, participated in the
Silent March |
CNN
Times of India
The Hindu
DNA (Daily News and Analysis)
Delhi Muslims pray for Mumbai victims
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx
The Hindustan Times
Mid-Day
Rediff.com
'Indian Muslims must come out of
self-denial'
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/06mumterror-indian-muslims-must-come-out-of-self-denial.htm
Earlier responses to War on Mumbai
Rediff.com
Muslim bodies appeal for low-key Eid
celebrations
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/05mumterror-muslim-bodies-appeal-for-low-key-eid.htm
'We condemn terror, denounce it, damn it': Muslims
speak up
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/04mumterror-muslims-denounce-terror.htm
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/01mumterror-pakistani-activist-donates-blood-for-victims.htm
AFP
/ International The News
Al Arabiya News Channel
Mumbai's Muslims denounce 'anti-Islam' attacks
www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/12/05/61424.html
Times of India
CNN
http://paperdragon.newsvine.com/_news/2008/12/06/2184252-mumbais-muslims-speak-out-against-attacks-?threadId=436476
News
Type: Event
— Seeded on Sat Dec 6, 2008 4:34 AM EST
Article
Source:
CNN
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- In the aftermath of recent terror attacks,
Muslims in Mumbai are speaking out against the carnage that left
more than 170 people dead and hundreds injured -- including many
Muslims.
"They (terrorists) claim to be doing this in the name of Islam. We
have to tell them, 'Not in our name,'" said writer and activist
Javed Anand, a
Muslim.
Scattered throughout Mumbai are several predominantly Muslim
neighborhoods. Many Muslims in those communities say they were
shaken by the terror attacks, and they are not hesitant to show
their feelings.
At a rally this week, the anger was clear as Indian Muslims
marched and chanted anti-Pakistan slogans, even as Pakistan
pledged to help in the investigation. Indian authorities say the
terrorists involved were linked to an Islamic group in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Muslim graveyards in Mumbai have refused to bury the
bodies of the nine gunmen killed during the attacks, on the belief
that Muslims who commit such barbaric acts are not true followers
of Islam.
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/world/asia/08muslims.html?hp
Muslims in India Put Aside Grievances to Repudiate Terrorism
By ROBERT F. WORTH
Published: December 7, 2008
MUMBAI, India — Throngs of Indian Muslims, ranging from Bollywood
actors to skullcap-wearing seminary students, marched through the
heart of Mumbai and several other cities on Sunday, holding up
banners proclaiming their condemnation of terrorism and loyalty to
the Indian state.
The protests, though relatively small, were the latest in a series
of striking public gestures by Muslims — who have often come under
suspicion after past attacks — to defensively dissociate their own
grievances as a minority here from any sort of sympathy for
terrorism or radical politics in the wake of the deadly assault
here that ended Nov. 29.
Muslim leaders have refused to allow the bodies of the nine
militants killed in the attacks to be buried in Islamic
cemeteries, saying the men were not true Muslims. They also
suspended the annual Dec. 6 commemoration of a 1992 riot in which
Hindus destroyed a mosque, in an effort to avert communal tension.
Muslim religious scholars and public figures have issued strongly
worded condemnations of the attacks.
So far, their approach appears to have worked: the response has
been remarkably unified, with little of the suspicion and fear
that followed some previous attacks.
Hindu right-wing groups have been noticeably absent from the
streets. Although leaders of the opposition Hindu nationalist
Bharatiya Janata Party have criticized the government’s handling
of the crisis, they have not stirred anti-Muslim sentiment. The
fact that some 40 Muslims were among the victims of the attackers
may well have helped dispel any strife.
Still, many Muslims seem anxious, fearing that some of the anger
unleashed by the attacks may be directed into the Hindu-Muslim
violence that has often marred India’s modern history.
“It’s a pity we have to prove ourselves as Indians,” said Mohammed
Siddique, a young accountant who was marching in the protest here
on Sunday afternoon with his wife and mother. “But the fact is, we
need to speak louder than others, to make clear that those people
do not speak for our religion — and that we are not Pakistanis.”
The cluster of banners all around him, held aloft by marchers,
seemed to bear out his point. Some read, “Our Country’s Enemies
are Our Enemies,” others, “Killers of Innocents are Enemies of
Islam.” A few declared, in uncertain grammar, “Pakistan Be
Declared Terrorist State.”
There were also slogans defending against the charge often made by
right-wing Hindus that Muslims constitute a fifth column, easily
exploited by terrorists. “Communalist and Terrorist are Cousins,”
one sign read. Some of the marchers held up a sign with lines
drawn through the names of various terrorist or extremist groups,
including, notably, the acronym S.I.M.I.
That stands for the Students’ Islamic Movement of India, a radical
group, now banned, that has come under suspicion after recent
attacks. One of the men arrested earlier this year in what appears
to have been a similar plot against Mumbai landmarks used to
belong to the group. Unlike the most recent attackers, who are all
believed to be Pakistani, four of six members of the earlier plot
were Indian.
There is little doubt that jihadists — including Lashkar-e-Taiba,
the Pakistani militant group believed to be responsible for the
Nov. 26-29 attacks — are seeking Indian recruits. Although such
groups are rooted in the ideology of global jihad, many people
fear that the Indians who join them may be motivated in part by
essentially Indian grievances, like the 2002 mass killings of
Muslims in the state of Gujarat that left 1,100 dead.
One of the gunmen in last month’s attacks referred to the Gujarat
riots before he shot and killed a hostage at the Taj Mahal Palace
& Tower hotel, apparently in an effort to identify his own cause
with that of Indian Muslims.
He seems to have failed. The brutality of the attacks and the fact
that many Muslims died have strengthened a sense of outrage among
ordinary Muslims here, and even some sense of communal harmony,
however precarious.
“After this attack, everything has changed; people now see the
realities,” said Saeed Ahmed, 45, as he stood outside his
stationery shop on Muhammad Ali Road, a working-class Muslim area.
“This is something different from what we had before, it’s like
your American 9/11. It is not about Hindus and Muslims; it is
about the nation being attacked.”
Certainly, the violence has prompted many Muslims, including
religious scholars, Bollywood figures and politicians, to speak
out more urgently than they had in the past.
“Indian Muslims have often suffered twice: first from the terror,
and then from the accusations afterward,”
said Javed Akhtar,
a Muslim poet and lyricist. “Perhaps because of that, they have
been much more articulate and more unconditionally clear about
condemning this attack.”
But many remain anxious that foreign jihadists could take
advantage of the divisions in Indian society to wreak more havoc
here. India’s 140 million Muslims are generally much poorer and
less educated than Hindus. Although some of the very rich and many
Bollywood stars are Muslim, the faith is far less well represented
in the professions and the middle class. Many have bitter memories
of communal riots and violence, from the 2002 killings in Gujarat
all the way back to the bloodletting that accompanied the
partition of India and Pakistan in 1947.
“There is a very deep divide,” said Mahesh Bhatt, a well-known
film producer and director who is half Muslim, half Hindu, as he
sat on a plastic chair on the set of his latest film on Sunday
morning, with actors strolling nearby. “And if the foreign element
is using the indigenous clay, how can justice be done?”
Mr. Bhatt, who has the baroque manner of an old-fashioned
Hollywood eminence, added that he saw in the crisis a chance for
India to heal the religious and social fractures that make it
vulnerable.
“In every danger there is an opportunity, a chance to look at the
evil within,” he said. “If you’re going to do this fight against
terror, you’d better start by fortifying your own house.”
Times of India
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Sk
n=TOI&BaseHref=TOIM/2008/12/08&PageLabel=5&EntityId=Ar00500&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
SILENT
RALLY
Roana Maria Costa & Mohammed WajihuddinI Times of India
Mumbai: Hundreds of Muslims—men, women and children—came out on
the streets of Mumbai on Sunday to denounce the recent terror
strikes and the portrayal of a "distorted image of Muslims in the
name of Islam''.
The rallyists, including members of the entertainment industry,
also made it clear that the "killers of innocents were enemies of
Islam'' and the "enemies of India were enemies of Muslims too''.
On Sunday afternoon, the community members took out a silent march
from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to the seafront near the Oberoi-Trident—both
of which were targeted during the 26/11 terror strikes. The rally
passed through Churchgate en route to its destination.
Similar protest walks, condemning outfits and organisations such
as the al-Qaida, ISI, Taliban, LeT, SIMI and Huji, were
simultaneously held in cities like Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Indore,
Hyderabad and Delhi.
"We disown and denounce all those who kill in the name of jihad.
Terrorists are fascists and enemies of Muslims as Islam doesn't
preach killing of innocents,'' said poet-lyricist
Javed Akhtar.
He said the 26/11 attacks were unprecedented and aimed at the
dignity of the country. "Fascists are those who distort religion.
There are bad elements in all religions. On 26/11, they didn't
just place bombs and run, they entered our buildings, killed
people and held hostages. No religion preaches the killing of
innocents,'' he said.
Akhtar also said 26/11 changed the psyche of Indians. "For the
first time, I have seen tears in so many eyes and people with so
much grief,'' he added.
Perhaps for the first time, liberal Muslims were joined
by clerics from organisations such as the Jamiat-ul-Ulema in
expressing their anger at individuals and outfits who have
hijacked Islam.
Actor Javed Jaffrey said Muslims had to speak out
because "after all, it was Islam that was being maligned''. "There
is nothing called Islamic terrorism. Islam is being misinterpreted
by some groups. They kill people in the name of jihad. A religion
that asks its members to greet each other with 'Assalamu Alaikum
(peace be with you)' could never sanction the killing of
innocents,'' he said.
The rally passed through D N Road, Hutatma Chowk, the road next to
Churchgate station and ended near the Oberoi-Trident. Banners and
placards with slogans such as "Declare Pakistan a terrorist
state'' and "Close terror camps at once'' clearly reflected the
mood.
Javed Anand
of Muslims for Secular Democracy (MSD), the man who galvanised
several groups and individuals for Sunday's peace march,
said terrorists had misused the name of Islam for too long. It was
the duty of every Muslim to call the bluff of individuals and
organisations that spread terror and violence in the name of
Islam, he declared.
Actor Farooq Sheikh voiced similar opinions. "Terrorists are
Muslims' number one enemy,'' he said.
Adman and activist Alyque Padamsee, who was instrumental in
getting the famous Deoband fatwa against terrorism a couple of
months ago, said there were two types of Muslims—real and fake.
"Terrorists are fake Muslims while peace-loving tolerant Muslims
are the real Muslims,'' he said.
"99.9% of Indian Muslims believe the Quran, which says the killing
of innocents is wrong. Those who don't believe it are 'nakli
(fake)' Muslims,'' he said. "Committing suicide is a sin in Islam,
so how can a suicide bomber believe he will go to 'jannat
(paradise)'?'' he asked.
Many protesters came from places such as Bhiwandi and Mumbra.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=
Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=CAP/2008/12/08&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00300&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T
Ashirbad S Raha | Times News Network
New Delhi: While the
general mood across the country seems to have turned against
politicians and questions are being raised about the state's
attempt to tackle terror, participants at a silent public meeting
at Jantar Mantar pledged to assist the government and put the
country back on track…
The protest corner of the Capital, Jantar Mantar, in fact
witnessed a couple of peace marches on Sunday. One of them was
organised by Muslim groups which condemned terrorism in the
strongest possible words. Kamal Faruqui, chairman, Delhi
Minorities Commission, said, ''We want to spread our message
across the globe that an Indian Muslim is equally hurt after the
terror attacks as any other Indian.'' Reinforcing his statement,
he added, ''Indian Muslims have nothing to do with terrorism. But
if there is any Muslim organisation that breeds terror, we declare
them un-Islamic.''
Members of Jamiat Ulamai-Hind, along with other community leaders
from various NGOs, organized the peace march at 12 different
cities of India — including Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Mumbai — all
of which have been wounded by terror attacks this year. The
placards that dotted the march had strong messages like
'Terrorists are enemies of Islam' and 'Do not blemish Jihad'.
Nothing could better sum up the emotions at the India
Gate lawns than the placard held by a mother, with her
seven-month-old boy in her arms, saying — ''I don't know what you
say or do, I don't know how to say or do. All I need is a safer
tomorrow.''
[email protected]
The Hindu
Special
Correspondent
Misuse of the name of Islam for terror activities condemned
Hyderabad: It was a small but impressive rally. There was neither
slogan shouting nor speeches. Holding placards denouncing
terrorism, Muslims representing various organisations marched from
the Mecca Masjid to the Quli Qutb Shah Stadium on Sunday. Similar
rallies were taken out by Muslims in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal,
Chennai, Delhi, Faizabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai on Sunday.
Speaking to presspersons later,
Mazher Hussain, executive director, Confederation of Voluntary
Associations (COVA), strongly condemned the misuse of the name of
Islam for terror activities. Those who indulged in terror should
not be linked with any religion. Only this way they could be
discouraged, Mr. Mazher said.
Global phenomenon
Terrorism had become a global
phenomenon. People ought to voice their anger against such acts
otherwise the terrorists would get legitimacy, he said.
Meanwhile, at Kacheguda Railway
Station, the setting couldn’t have been better than the
century-old edifice to light a candle in memory of innocent
victims of terrorism who died at another historical landmark -
Chhatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST) in Mumbai. On Sunday, hundreds
of people, without any prompting and invitation, volunteered on
their own to light a candle in memory of the victims. There were
software professionals, porters, passengers, railway police, auto
and taxi drivers and even children who turned up to pay homage to
the departed.
Society for Preservation of
Environment and Quality of Life (SPEQL) organized the light your
candle ceremony at Kacheguda Railway Station. Nearly 500 people
turned up, despite it being a Sunday, to take part in the ‘light a
candle’ programme.
“Both CST and Kacheguda Railway
Stations were set up in the late 1800s. They have continued to be
in use even today despite the passage of 100 years. Moreover, so
may people lost their lives and we thought this is the ideal place
to remember them and light a candle,” said SPEQL president P.
Anuradha Reddy.
The programme concluded with the
national anthem and slogans of ‘Bharat Maata Ki Jai’. Several
members from various organisations, including the Divisional
Railway Manager (DRM), Hyderabad, Narrotam Das, were present on
the occasion.
Indian Express
http://epaper.indianexpress.com/IE/IEH/2008/12/08/ArticleHtmls/08_12_2008_523_002.shtml?Mode=0
Twice
struck, once by terror, then by wrong perception, Muslims hit back
with rally
NITYA KAUSHIK
'TERRORISTS, you have failed again, we are more united than ever!'
This was the message conveyed by thousands of members of the
Muslim community — from religious leaders to liberals, socialites,
celebrities, social activists and the average citizens — who
embarked upon a silent rally on Sunday. "We are twice struck,"
they said, "once by the terrorism itself that has paralysed the
city and then by the ensuing overall perception that Muslims are
the perpetrators of the crime. But this is our only home like
everybody else." Holding strongly-worded placards condemning the
recent terrorist attacks in South Mumbai, the march began at the
CST station and ended near Hotel Oberoi. The placards read:
"Killers of innocents are enemies of Islam", "Islam denounces
terrorists", "Do not spread terrorism in the land", and so on.
"The slant given by the terrorists to terms like 'Jihad' are
totally out of context. This has to be corrected," said Haider
Ghulam Haider, a city-based carpenter who was an active part of
the rally. "The sentiment expressed by nearly 2,000 people who
have taken to the streets today is clear, we don't want to be
blamed for what has happened. We are as much the innocent
residents of this city as anybody else who was killed." Of the 172
people killed in the city, 30 per cent were Muslims, according to
Javed Anand,
the general secretary of Muslims for Secular Democracy and the
brain behind the rally. He said, "Fanatics with grave
Muslim-sounding names are causing destruction time and again. They
quote from the holy books. They talk of freedom. We want to tell
them 'Do not kill in our name. You are Islam's enemies'." Pointing
out that the recent terror attacks were more brutal than anything
that ever occurred before, actor Farookh Shaikh reflected. "No
wonder, I haven't seen such anger and sorrow in the faces of
people before either." He added, "I am twice as angry as the
average Mumbaiite. The terrorists have not just killed me but also
ex posed me to ignominy. An entire community can't take flak
because of the doings of a handful of fanatics." He said the rally
was their way of standing up and speaking out to clear their
image.
A religious leader from the Shia sect, Maulana Aga Nasari quoted
from the Quran. "Shower favours unto others like Allah showered
favours on you," he said. "Quran has never supported terrorism. In
fact, it sees human beings as the creation of Allah's benevolence
and asks us to shower similar compassion on others."
DNA (Daily News and Analysis)
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx
Community dreads being asked to prove
allegiance to India
Gyan Varma. New Delhi
Muslims living in Delhi came together on Sunday to pray and stand
together for the victims of the Mumbai attack.
Holding hands and praying at Jantar Mantar, around 100 Muslims
said that Islam doesn't teach terrorism and those who kill
innocent people in the name of religion are not Muslims and should
be punished.
"We stand together with the people of Mumbai. We understand what
they have gone through and the time has come when all of us have
to come together and raise our voice against terrorism in one
voice, said Suraiya Jabin, a school teacher who too prayed with
fellow citizens on Sunday.
Similar views resonated at the procession as the gathering urged
that Islam should not be linked to terrorism as terrorists have no
religion.
"Islam stands for peace and humanity. I have read the Quran and
can say it with authority that those who kill in the name of Islam
have not understood the faith at all," said Mohammed Naushad Alam,
who is an Imam in a mosque.
Full of rage against the perpetrators, the gathering tried to give
a reply to those who feel that Muslims are unsafe in India.
"These people who sneak inside our country and kill innocents are
terrorists and should be dealt with severely. Their claim that
Muslims are not safe in their own country is laughable," said
Abdul Wahab Khilji. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board had
organised processions to express solidarity with Mumbai in twelve
different cities across the country.
Muslims in Delhi do not dread terrorists as much as the
possibility of a backlash for the recent attacks or being asked to
prove allegiance to India.
"I am not scared of terrorists because they certainly
don't believe in Islam, because someone who kills innocent people
cannot claim to be a saviour of Islam. What scares me more is the
reaction of a section of the people who would now start blaming
Muslims for these attacks and expect us to prove our innocence,"
said 67-year-old HU Khan, a businessman who came for prayers at
the historical Jama Masjid this Friday.
[email protected]
The Hindustan Times
http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=08_12_2008_010_007&kword=&mode=1
Naziya Alvi
Mumbai
FROM MUMBAI to Chennai, Muslims came out in the hundreds on Sunday
to walk in solidarity with the victims of the 26/11 terror
attacks. Some berated the government, some lashed out at
politicians and others spoke of intelligence failure. But one
thought united them: Islam is against terrorism.
Most Mumbai-based Muslims have also decided to wear black bands to
the morning Eid namaaz to condemn the attack. They say Eid this
year is more of a ritual than celebration. "All male members of my
family have decided to wear bands to namaaz. That's the only way
we can give condolence to the families of those who have lost
their close ones," said Shameela Zaidi, an IT-HR consultant with
an MNC. "I have not bought new clothes for my children. Even they
appear disinterested.
The terror attack is so much on our minds that we just cant think
of celebrations this year," said Rakshanada Hani, professor of
Economics, Maharashtra College. While men will sport the black
bands, women have decided not to put heena on their palms. "Every
year I would wait for Eid to put mehndi on my hands, but this year
I, along with my other friends, have decided not to," said Nida
Rehman of Millat Nagar Mujahid Raza, a cinematographer who lives
in the Malad sub-urb, cancelled plan to visit Delhi to be with his
siblings for Eid.
Unlike most in the crowd, Milind Kher is not a Muslim by birth,
but by faith. The retailer got attracted to Islam after studying
it. "I liked the enormous brotherhood spirit of the religion
towards the mankind." According to Kher, any kind of terrorism is
haram (prohibited) in Islam. His words were echoed by those who
marched from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus till the Oberoi
Hotel.
The march - attended by Shia and Sunni Muslims as well as clerics
- was an initiative co-ordinated by a Mumbai-based group, Muslims
for Secular Democracy.
Member Sajid Rashid said
it's time for introspection among the community "There is a large
group of Muslims who do not know that there are fundamentalists
within our community We must accept this fact and wipe them out."
Lyricist Javed Akhtar said
the attack should act as an eye-opener for the common man. "During
the NDA regime our Parliament was attacked, and now under the
Congress we have witnessed this. In the Lok Sabha elections,
neither of these parties can ask for votes in the name of religion
or caste." The sentiment echoed among the marchers in Lucknow,
Chennai and Bangalore. At Lucknow's silent sit-in protest, the
placards said it all: "Don't defame jehad", "Islam is against
terrorism", "Communalism and terrorism are twin brothers",
"Murders of innocent would not be tolerated". The participants
went from condemning the attack to lashing out against the
Lashkar-eTayyeba and Jaish-e-Mohammed for defaming Muslims. At
Chennai's Marina beach, the demand was for a constructive and
positive response by a united India to put an end to such terror
The demonstration in Bangalore had to be called off after the
police refused to give the marchers permission. With inputs from M
Hasan (Lucknow), M.R. Venkatesh (Chennai) and B.R. Srikanth
(Bangalore)
http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleText.aspx?article=08_12_2008_002_004&kword=&mode=1
Muslims in the city
raise voice against terror; resolve to remove misconceptions about
Islam
"After the incident (in Mumbai), we feel scared to come out of our
house or even send young children for a picnic. That's why we want
to come together to exert pressure on Pakistan, so that terrorism
can be wiped out. SIDRA FARID, resident of Abul FazI Enclave
After any terrorist attack in India, Muslims are asked to prove
their innocence. The idea is to make Indians realise that not all
Muslims are terrorists, especially Indian Muslims. We don't want
to live anywhere else. It pains us to see Indians die and suffer
during a terrorist attack. FARZAAN SAEED, first year MBA student
New Delhi.
Delhi: HUNDREDS OF Muslims from across the city gathered at Jantar
Mantar on Sunday to hold a silent protest against terrorism.
Muslim organisations, religious leaders and common citizens spoke
out vehemently against the Mumbai attacks and condemned terrorism.
"This is a call to all Muslims to raise their voices against
terrorism. We want to make it clear that Islam does not, in any
way, support terrorism," said Kamal Farooqui, chairperson of Delhi
Minorities Commission.
Farooqui said all terrorist camps, wherever they were located,
should be closed. "Even madrasas that misinterpret Islam should be
closed down," he said. He added that Muslim organisations across
India were debating opening up of communication channels between
various communities.
"We have decided that we should bring out booklets explaining the
different aspects of Islam and phrases from the Quran," said
Farooqui. Niyaz Farooqui, secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, said
suspicion and anger against Muslims were growing by the day "It is
our duty to remove any kind of misconception about Islam and
correct public perception. I think we have failed to educate
people about our religion," said Niyaz Farooqui. "Most of our
religious books are in Urdu, whereas we should have provided
translations in Hindi and English.
There is a need to pass on correct information today," he said.
But Tasleem Rehmani, president of Muslim Political Council of
India, disagreed. "We have organised hundreds of seminars,
conferences and rallies to protest terrorism and tell people that
Indian Muslims are not involved in any heinous acts," said Rehmani.
He said politicians wanted to divide communities with their vote
bank politics. "People like LK Advani make insulting statements,
such as, 'every Muslim is not a terrorist but every terrorist is a
Muslim'. This is not true. There have been various forms of
terrorism in the garb of ULFA, Bodo, Kashmiri and Sikh movements,"
said Rehmani.
FROM MUMBAI to Chennai, Muslims came out in the hundreds on Sunday
to walk in solidarity with the victims of the 26/11 terror
attacks. Some berated the government, some lashed out at
politicians and others spoke of intelligence failure. But one
thought united them: Islam is against terrorism. Most Mumbai-based
Muslims have also decided to wear black bands to the morning Eid
namaaz to condemn the attack.
They say Eid this year is more of a ritual than celebration. "All
male members of my family have decided to wear bands to namaaz.
That's the only way we can give condolence to the fami- lies of
those who have lost their close ones," said Shameela Zaidi, an
IT-HR consultant with an MNC. "I have not bought new clothes for
my children. Even they appear disinterested.
The terror attack is so much on our minds that we just cant think
of celebrations this year," said Rakshanada Hani, professor of
Economics, Maharashtra College. While men will sport the black
bands, women have decided not to put heena on their palms. "Every
year I would wait for Eid to put mehndi on my hands, but this year
I, along with my other friends, have decided not to," said Nida
Rehman of Millat Nagar Mujahid Raza, a cinematographer who lives
in the Malad sub- urb, cancelled plan to visit Delhi to be with
his siblings for Eid. March for peace Unlike most in the crowd,
Milind Kher is not a Muslim by birth, but by faith. The retailer
got attracted to Islam after studying it. "I liked the enormous
brotherhood spirit of the religion towards the mankind." According
to Kher, any kind of terrorism is haram (prohibited) in Islam. His
words were echoed by those who marched from the Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus till the Oberoi Hotel.
The march - attended by Shia and Sunni Muslims as well as clerics
- was an initiative co-ordinated by a Mumbai-based group, Muslims
for Secular Democracy.
Member Sajid Rashidi said it's time for introspection among the
community "There is a large group of Muslims who do not know that
there are fundamentalists within our community We must accept this
fact and wipe them out."
Lyricist Javed Akhtar said the attack should act as an eye-opener
for the common man. "During the NDA regime our Parliament was
attacked, and now under the Congress we have witnessed this. In
the Lok Sabha elections, neither of these parties can ask for
votes in the name of religion or caste." The sentiment echoed
among the marchers in Lucknow, Chennai and Bangalore.
At Lucknow's silent sit-in protest, the placards said it all:
"Don't defame jehad", "Islam is against terrorism", "Communalism
and terrorism are twin brothers", "Murders of innocent would not
be tolerated". The participants went from condemning the attack to
lashing out against the Lashkar-eTayyeba and Jaish-e-Mohammed for
defaming Muslims. At Chennai's Marina beach, the demand was for a
constructive and positive response by a united India to put an end
to such terror The demonstration in Bangalore had to be called off
after the police refused to give the marchers permission. With
inputs from M Hasan (Lucknow), M.R. Venkatesh (Chennai) and B.R.
Srikanth (Bangalore)
Mid-Day
http://www.mid-day.com/epaper/index.htm
By:
Varun
Singh
Various Muslim groups in the city assembled at CST and marched to
Hotel Trident, in a rally to condemn the 26/11 terror attacks. The
silent marchers, with placards stating 'Islam means peace', walked
quietly through the hour-long march.
Imran Khan, a resident of South Mumbai, said, "I was here to let
everyone know that terrorists do not have any religion. They are
neither Muslims nor Hindus. They are just terrorists and
murderers."
Anees Ahmed Ashrafi, an imam, along with madrassa students, was
also part of the rally. While it was meant to be a silent rally, a
prominent social activist known for her crusade for secularism,
stood out like a sore thumb with her vocal charade. At one point,
she even stopped the march near Hutatma Chowk because her
supporters and she were left behind.
Prominent film and media personalities like Dolly Thakore, Alyque
Padamsee, Javed Akhtar, Jaaved Jaaferi, Farooq Shaikh,
Javed Anand,
and Islamic scholars, were also carrying flags and placards
denouncing terrorism in the name of religion.
Low-key affair
The Haji Ali Dargah Trust that had planned a huge function for the
stone laying ceremony of the renovation on December 12, has now
decided to keep it private. Earlier, the list of invitees had
people like Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi and the CM. However, in
view of the terror attacks, only 10-12 trustees and others will
take part in the function, informed Suhail Khandwani, trustee,
Haji Ali Dargah Trust.
AFP
Dec 5,
2008
MUMBAI (AFP) — From peace marches
to calls for toned-down Eid celebrations, Mumbai's Muslims are
doing all they can to dissociate themselves from last week's
attacks that were carried out in the name of Islam.
Even though dozens of the 172
dead were Muslim, community leaders have expressed concerns that
Hindu nationalists could exploit the attacks for political gain --
or could target Muslims directly.
The city's Muslims, who make up
about 15 percent of Mumbai's estimated 19-million-strong
population, were to take to the streets after Friday prayers in a
peace march.
But they cancelled the event,
feeling that participation in the mass rally that attracted tens
of thousands of people on Wednesday night to mark one week since
the attacks was enough.
"We had already carried out a
march on Wednesday and hence decided not to hold a fresh one,"
said Ibrahim Tai, president of the Muslim Council Trust, referring
to the mass rally by the Gateway of India, opposite the Taj Mahal
hotel, which was one of the main targets of the attacks.
Leading figures in the community
have called for Eid al-Adha celebrations to be limited only to
those rituals that are strictly necessary.
Eid-al-Adha commemorates the
prophet Ibrahim's obedience to God through his willingness to
sacrifice his son and is marked by the ritual slaughter of
animals.
A number of Islamic organisations
are also categorically refusing to have those responsible for the
deadly attacks buried on Indian soil.
"An Indian Muslim is as much
worried, shocked or disturbed as his neighbour," said Bollywood
scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, a self-declared atheist who nonetheless
still considers himself part of the Muslim community.
"In a perfect world it would not
be necessary to say it. The attackers are pretending to hold the
flag of Islam and acting in the name of 'jihad' (holy struggle).
"Anybody who is a Muslim has to
distance him or herself (from those) who are giving this diabolic
face of Islam."
Religious leader Moulana
Mustaqueem A. Azmi said Indian Muslims "have been saying for the
last five or six years that they have nothing to do with this but
are struggling to defend themselves from accusations against
them."
Azmi, the secretary of the Jamiat
Ulema-e-Maharashtra, the body of Islamic scholars in Maharashtra
state, of which Mumbai is the capital, said Muslim groups were
weaker in India than those representing the majority Hindus.
But Akhtar is against the idea
that Islam in India should have a united voice.
"The very concept that Muslims
should have a leadership, that Hindus should have a leadership,
that Christians should have a leadership, would divide India along
religious lines," he said.
For Azmi, the Mumbai attacks
smacked of a conspiracy between the Israeli secret service, Mossad,
and the right-wing Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
"All the attacks in India in
recent years, wherever they've happened, have been blamed on
Muslims but that's changing and they don't like it," he added,
referring to two fatal bombings in Maharashtra and neighbouring
Gujarat state.
Both blasts in September happened
in predominantly Muslim areas, including outside a mosque, and
have since been blamed on Hindu extremists, allegedly outraged by
a string of attacks directed against middle-class Hindus.
Right-wing Hindu groups, which
have a bedrock of support in Mumbai and the state, have not spoken
out publicly against Muslims in the wake of the attacks.
Muslim leaders hope it stays that
way and there is no repeat of the deadly communal violence between
Hindus and Muslims in 1992-93, sparked by the razing of a mosque
in north India.
"Political parties that make
statements likely to create divisions among religious lines should
be banned," said Mohammed Mansoor Ali Qadami, head of the powerful
All India Sunni Jamiat-ul-Ulema coalition, clearly referring to
Hindu nationalists.
On Tuesday, the coalition told a
meeting of 50 Islamic organisations that political parties should
not try to take advantage of the tragedy as general elections
approach next year.
www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/12/05/61424.html
Peace march cancelled over fear of attacks
on Muslims
MUMBAI (Agencies)
India's new home minister said on Friday last
week's attacks had revealed what he called security lapses, while
Mumbai's Muslims sought to distance themselves from what many
consider "India's 9/11."
The ruling Congress party-led coalition is under renewed criticism
from the opposition that it is weak on security after the
three-day rampage by 10 Islamist gunmen in India's financial
capital capped a series of bomb blasts this year in India.
"I would be less than truthful if I said there were no lapses,"
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told reporters in Mumbai.
"These are being looked into. We will address the causes that led
to the lapses."
Muslims targetted
Meanwhile, from
peace marches to calls for toned-down Eid celebrations, Mumbai's
Muslims are doing all they can to dissociate themselves from the
attacks that were carried out in the name of Islam.
Even though dozens of the 172 dead were Muslim, community leaders
have expressed concerns that Hindu nationalists could exploit the
attacks for political gain -- or could target Muslims directly.
The city's Muslims, who make up about 15 percent of Mumbai's
estimated 19-million-strong population, were to take to the
streets after Friday prayers in a peace march.
But they cancelled the event, feeling that participation in the
mass rally that attracted tens of thousands of people on Wednesday
night to mark one week since the attacks was enough.
"We had already carried out a march on Wednesday and hence decided
not to hold a fresh one," said Ibrahim Tai, president of the
Muslim Council Trust, referring to the mass rally by the Gateway
of India, opposite the Taj Mahal hotel, which was one of the main
targets of the attacks.
Leading figures in the community have called for Eid al-Adha
celebrations to be limited only to those rituals that are strictly
necessary.
Diabolic face of Islam
A number of Islamic organizations
are also categorically refusing to have those responsible for the
deadly attacks buried on Indian soil.
"An Indian Muslim is as much worried, shocked or disturbed as his
neighbor," said Bollywood scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, a
self-declared atheist who nonetheless still considers himself part
of the Muslim community.
"In a perfect world it would not be necessary to say it. The
attackers are pretending to hold the flag of Islam and acting in
the name of jihad," he said.
"Anybody who is a Muslim has to distance him or herself (from
those) who are giving this diabolic face of Islam."
Religious leader Moulana Mustaqueem A. Azmi said Indian Muslims
"have been saying for the last five or six years that they have
nothing to do with this but are struggling to defend themselves
from accusations against them."
Israel's Mossad and Hindu nationalists
Azmi, the secretary of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Maharashtra,
the body of Islamic scholars in Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai
is the capital, said Muslim groups were weaker in India than those
representing the majority Hindus.
But Akhtar is against the idea that Islam in India should have a
united voice.
"The very concept that Muslims should have a leadership, that
Hindus should have a leadership, that Christians should have a
leadership, would divide India along religious lines," he said.
For Azmi, the Mumbai attacks smacked of a conspiracy between the
Israeli secret service, Mossad, and the right-wing Hindu
nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
"All the attacks in India in recent years, wherever they've
happened, have been blamed on Muslims but that's changing and they
don't like it," he added, referring to two fatal bombings in
Maharashtra and neighboring Gujarat state.
Both blasts in September happened in predominantly Muslim areas,
including outside a mosque, and have since been blamed on Hindu
extremists, allegedly outraged by a string of attacks directed
against middle-class Hindus.
Right-wing Hindu groups, which have a bedrock of support in Mumbai
and the state, have not spoken out publicly against Muslims in the
wake of the attacks.
Muslim leaders hope it stays that way and there is no repeat of
the deadly communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in
1992-93, sparked by the razing of a mosque in north India.
"Political parties that make statements likely to create divisions
among religious lines should be banned," said Mohammed Mansoor Ali
Qadami, head of the powerful All India Sunni Jamiat-ul-Ulema
coalition, clearly referring to Hindu nationalists.
On Tuesday, the coalition told a meeting of 50 Islamic
organizations that political parties should not try to take
advantage of the tragedy as general elections approach next year.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indian-muslims-unite-against-terror-hold-peace-march/80002-3.html
Mansi
Sharma /
CNN-IBN
Mumbai:
Muslims across the country went on peace marches on Sunday. It was
yet another call for the country to fight religious divides and
unite against terrorism. This time the call was made by Indian
Muslims across the country.
The march was held to spread the message that 'any Muslim who
resorts to terror is an enemy of Islam'.
"This community disowns any terrorist who may have a Muslim name,"
said lyricist Javed Akhtar.
"Mass murderers and killers are enemies of Islam and that
statement needed to be made from a Muslim forum," said activist
Javed Anand.
Led by what is believed to be one of the largest Muslim
organisations, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, more than 5,000 people
walked from VT Station to Nariman Point — approximately five
kilometres — just to communicate, they're against all forms of
terrorism and they are peace loving people.
Meanwhile the cry for peace was not just heard in Mumbai, but in
11 other cities across the country.
Silent marches in cities like New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore
voiced concerns of the ordinary Muslim.
"We now need to eradicate the disease of terrorism," said one
concerned citizen.
"When people come out and speak up against this the forces of evil
will not gain legitimacy and this will stop," believed one
citizen.
(With inputs from Aruna Ramesh and Preeti Singh)
December 6, 2008
Rediff.com
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/06mumterror-indian-muslims-must-come-out-of-self-denial.htm
Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi
December 06, 2008 23:34 IST
Last Updated: December 07, 2008 00:31 IST
The terror attack that shook Mumbai last week has awakened the
leaders of the Muslim community like never before. On the
anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, a few Islamic
scholars and leaders launched a movement called 'Muslims
initiative against Terrorism'
[Images].
Kamal Faruqui, well-known leader and founder member of the All
India Muslim Personal Law Board, had organised a seminar to launch
the movement in New Delhi
[Images],
where each speaker emphasised that it was time to stand up and be
counted.
"If Muslims will not speak now, it will be too late," they said.
The speakers included the Mufti Mohammed Mukarram from the Shahi
Fatehpuri Mosque, eminent thinker and journalist M J Akbar and
President of Jamait Ulema Qari Mohmmad Usman, among others.
"All over India, Muslims are coming out on the streets to condemn
terrorism. We love India. We belong here. We must express our love
of India in this crisis. We all are one and let others know that.
We express solidarity with the victims of the terror attack and
their relatives. We want to tell our country that we have nothing
to do with terrorists or terrorism," Faruqui told
rediff.com.
Addressing the audience, Faruqui said, "Indian Muslims must come
out of self-denial. We should accept that there is a possibility
of the involvement of some Muslims. But we love India. We have
nothing to do with these terrorists. It is our duty to fight these
terrorists. We must not fail in our duty to strengthen our own
beloved country."
Many speakers talked about the alienation of Muslims, deprivation
of the poor community and the profiling of Muslims in the society
after every bomb blast.
Mufti Mohammed Mukarram from the Shahi Fatehpuri Mosque advised
that the English and the Hindi media should be brought closed to
the minority community. He stressed that children should be
educated about Islam by imparting the basic understanding of the
religion.
He told the audience that leaders of the minority community had
initiated dialogue with the leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh.
He informed the audience that Itihas, a non-governmental
oraganisaiton based in New Delhi, is taking students of public
schools to mosques to familiarise the children with Islam and its
culture. The children asked all kinds of questions, including the
meaning of Jihad, he said, and added that they return satisfied
after hearing the word's real meaning.
Such heritage tours will slowly but surely spread the real culture
of India, believes the Mufti.
Importantly, he said, "I have heard that the terrorists were
avenging the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the Gujarat riots and
other issues. But, we (Indian Muslims) have never asked for any
kind of help from outside India. We don't ask for help, we don't
complain to outsiders. We are living in a secular country.
Whatever we want to say, we will tell our Prime Minister, our
Cabinet ministers. It makes no sense to talk about our issues to
outsiders. Why are others coming here and taking up our issues? We
don't need them."
"We live in India. We live with pride and we are proud Indians. In
the last 50-60 years, Hindustan's Muslims have never looked
forward to another country and we will never look at them. The
incident in Mumbai has been very painful. We will fight back
against terrorism. Today, Indian Muslims are distressed," said the
Mufti.
Jamait Ulema President Qari Mohmmad Usman said that India should
punish the perpetrators of the terror attacks and never forgive
them. He also raised a pertinent question: why was the government
not making those responsible for security accountable for their
lapses?
"For the sake of peace, it is very important to make people
accountable for our security," he said.
The new initiative, which was started by Javed Anand, has been
spreading fast.
The organisers have planned a public demonstration at the India
Gate in New Delhi at 3 pm on Sunday.
Similar demonstrations to condemn terrorism have been planned in
16 cities across India, including all the metros, Faizabad and
Bhopal.
There won't be any slogans or speeches in the peace march, but the
participants have been asked to come with placards, which will
carry the following slogans.
1) Enemies of our countries are our enemies.
2) Terrorists are enemies of Islam.
3) Do not blemish Jihad.
4) Terrorists and communalists are cousins.
5) Close terrorist camps at ONCE.
6) We strongly condemn organisations like LTTE
[Images]
and Jaish-e-Mohammad, Indian Mujahideen
[Images]
etc, which are using Muslim names.
Earlier responses to War on Mumbai
December 5, 2008
Rediff.com
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/05mumterror-muslim-bodies-appeal-for-low-key-eid.htm
December 05, 2008 19:47 IST
Several Muslim bodies have given a call for observing Eid-ul-Azha,
on December 9 this year, in a subdued manner following the recent
terror strikes in Mumbai which claimed over 200 lives.
The call has been given by the ulemas of the All India Sunni
Board, Ulema Council and Islamic Centre of India.
Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangimahali of the Islamic Centre of
India told PTI that during the 'Khutba' before the Bakrid namaz,
the scholars should educate the masses about terrorism in the
light of Quran and Hadis.
Firangimahali, who is also a senior member of the All India Muslim
Personal Law Board, said that after the namaz, a special prayer
should be offered for an end to terrorism in the country and its
safety.
Firangimahali said that an appeal is being issued against holding
grand parties and celebrations as had been the case earlier.
The ritual of qurbani (sacrifice) should also be performed in a
low-key manner, he said.
Maulana Mohammad Mushtaq of the All India Sunni Board and Maulana
Naemul Rehman Nadvi of the Ulema Council said that a fatwa has
already been issued against terrorism and the people should be
told how Islam stands for peace.
"The translation of the word Islam means peace," they added. (PTI)
December 4, 2008
4 Dec 2008, 0504 hrs
IST, Mohammed Wajihuddin, TNN
MUMBAI: In an unprecedented show of solidarity against terrorism,
Muslims from Mumbai and several other cities are gearing up to
oppose all those who spread terror in the name of Islam.
As a first step, some Muslim organisations from Mumbai will
jointly organise a silent rally-from CST to the Oberoi-Trident-on
December 8. The theme of the rally: "Killers of innocents are
enemies of Islam".
"There will be no slogans, no speeches. No organisations will
claim credit for it. It will be a spontaneous act by Mumbai's
Muslims who will be joined by community members from Bhiwandi
too," said Javed Anand,
co-editor, Communalism Combat.
Anand said the rally would feature two huge banners, saying, "Hamare
watan ke dushman, hamare dushman (Our motherland's enemies are our
enemies) and begunahon ke qatil, Islam ke dushman (Killers of
innocents are enemies of Islam)."
Perhaps for the first time, Muslim protesters will identify some
individuals and organisations that have been publicly declared as
enemies of secular-democratic India.
Under the banner of an initiative called Muslims Against Terror,
the protest will identify al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden, ISI,
Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Saeed of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Masood Azhar of
Jaish-e-Mohammed, HUJI, Indian Mujahideen and SIMI as "enemies of
India".
"All these organisations and individuals justify their activities
by quoting the Quran. The mere reiteration that Islam is a
religion of peace is not sufficient. We will have to come out and
condemn all those who are hijacking
Islam," said Urdu writer-activist Sajid Rashid.
He clarified that though the activists were equally opposed to
right-wing Hindutva organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and VHP,
they would confine the December 8 protest to Muslim terror outfits
as they misuses Islam.
All-India Muslim Personal Law Board member Kamal Farooqui, who is
organising a simultaneous rally in Delhi, said community members
needed to come out against all Muslim terror outfits as it would
send a positive message.
Apart from Mumbai and Delhi, similar protests are being organised
in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow and Faizabad. Many more cities
are expected to join the protest.
Many Muslims feel that as the fatwas against terrorism, issued by
several reputed Islamic seminaries, including Darul Uloom Deoband,
are proving ineffective, the time has come to confront the hate
brigade openly.
[email protected]
Rediff.com
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/04mumterror-muslims-denounce-terror.htm
'We condemn terror, denounce it, damn it': Muslims
speak up
December 04, 2008 18:41 IST
Last Updated: December 04, 2008 18:55 IST
Strongly condemning the terror attacks in Mumbai, a group of
eminent Muslims from all walks of life on Thursday appealed to the
community members in the country to observe Black Eid on Tuesday.
Signatories to the appeal include actors Aamir Khan, Sanjay Khan
and Javed Jaffery, cricketers Mohammed Azharuddin and Syed Kirmani,
filmmakers Aziz Mirza, Abbas Mastan, Sayeed Mirza, poet and writer
Javed Akhtar, script-writer Salim Khan and senior editor M J Akbar,
along with a large number of other personalities from theatre,
journalism, police and sports.
The appeal has been endorsed by a number of Muslim clerics
including those from All India Organisation of Imams of Mosques,
Dar-ul-uloom Wariseya, Lucknow, and the Ameen-i-Shariat Education
Trust, Gujarat.
'As a mark of protest, we the Muslims of India call our community
to come together to mark a symbolic protest on Eid ul Zoha on
Tuesday (December 8). This is a day that celebrates sacrifice.
This year, let us turn this celebration into a commemoration,' a
joint press release issued by them said.
'Let all Indian Muslims wear a small black arm band while going to
pray in the morning, let this be a silent protest against the
mercenaries who spread terror in our
janmabhoomi,'
the appeal said.
'We the Muslims of India condemn terror in every land. We condemn
terror in every divisive form. We condemn terror in every
appalling manifestation. We condemn it, we denounce it, we damn
it. Each act of terror on Indian soil does not just injure our
motherland, it also besmirches the name of Islam,' the signatories
said.
One of the signatories, Maulana Kalbe Rosahir Rizvi, said, "We
implore Muslim clerics and imams of mosques all over India to
request their congregation during the Friday prayers to wear black
bands on Eid." - PTI
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/04mumterror-imams-asked-to-condemn-terror-attacks.htm
The Rediff News Bureau
December 04, 2008 16:25 IST
The coordination committee of Indian Muslims, which consists of
leading Muslim organisations like the All India Muslim Majlis e
Mushawarat, Jamiat Ulama e Hind, Jamaat e Islami Hind, Jamiat Ahl
e Hadees, All India Milli Council etc, has requested imams across
the country to condemn the Mumbai terror attacks
[Images]
in their Friday and Eid sermons.
The committee also called on Muslims to celebrate Eid ul Zoha with
simplicity this year and to wear black strips on Eid day.
Condemning last week's terror attacks in Mumbai, the committee
demanded a high-level transparent, unbiased and truthful enquiry
into these attacks so that the real culprits may be brought to
book soon.
The committee also called upon Indian Muslims to come forward to
help the victims of the terror attacks.
In a statement, the committee expressed its concern that the
terror attacks have led India to a situation of fear and
insecurity. The motive of the terrorists is to destabilise India,
hurt its economy and damage national unity, it said, and demanded
that the governments at the Centre and in the states pay attention
to further tightening the law and order system in order to ensure
security of all countrymen.
The committee also asked the authorities, civil society groups and
the media to work together to expose the real perpetrators of
these unprecedented attacks. Leaving the real culprits behind the
curtains of suspicion will only help terrorists to fortify their
activities and will increase the feeling of insecurity among the
people, the press release stated.
December 2, 2008
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/mumbaiterrorstrike/Story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20080074888&type=News
Muslim organisations deny burial to slain terrorists
Prachi Wagh, Mayuresh Konnur
Tuesday, December 02, 2008 8:27 AM
(Mumbai, Pune)
A
grieving Mumbai mourns the dead. At least 179 Indians and foreign
nationals were gunned down in cold blood in a terrorist attack
that has raised controversy and several questions.
And now questions are being raised over the fate of those nine men
who unleashed the carnage and were gunned by the security forces.
Muslim organisations in Mumbai have decided that Muslim cemeteries
in Mumbai, where unclaimed bodies are usually buried, will not
open its doors for the last rites of these urban jehadis.
"The killing of innocents is against Islam. They are bringing
shame to 25
crore Muslims of India. These men are not Muslims. Why should we
give them place anywhere? There is no place for them in our hearts
and in our cemeteries," said Hamid Abdul Razzak, president,
Dawat-e-Islami.
Unprecedented events demand an unprecedented response. And this
time the community has gone beyond merely condemning terrorism.
It's shutting its doors on those who claim to act in their name.
Determined to deny the terrorists the martyrdom they seek, Muslim
organisations have written to senior Mumbai police officials as
well.
"The cemetery should not allow the police to bury the nine dead
terrorists in their premises," said Ibrahim Tai, president, Muslim
Council Trust.
As Mumbai reels from last week's attack, there's anger, outrage
and a lot of soul searching. Among this is a community determined
to keep out the prodigals.
December 1, 2008
Rediff.com
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/01mumterror-pakistani-activist-donates-blood-for-victims.htm
Sumir Kaul in Mumbai
December 01, 2008 12:36 IST
They came in a boat and rained the city with death while
another flew in specially to donate blood for the victims of
terror attacks in Mumbai. Both are from Pakistan. This is the tale
of 10 suspected Lashker-e-Taiba militants and human rights
activist Ansar Burney, who has been instrumental in the release of
Kashmir Singh, an Indian national, besides some others from
Pakistani jails.
Pakistan's former Federal Minister for Human Rights and Expert
Advisor in the United Nations Human Rights Council at Geneva,
Burney, who arrived in terror struck Mumbai in the wee hours of
Sunday, wasted no time in showing his solidarity with India in its
war against terrorism.
"They are beast of jungles and killers of humanity," was Burney's
instant reaction about the terror carnage in Mumbai that left 195
dead.
Asked whether he found it ironic that he had come from the same
country from where terror groups had rained death, Burney, who was
leaving for Karachi, told PTI, "I do not consider them from any
country. They (militants) got what they had deserved and now I
want their masters also to meet the same fate...for me India is as
much my country as Pakistan is."
Burney went to Jaslok Hospital and donated blood for the victims
of the recent terror attack, which changed the dimension of
terrorism in India.
"We in India and Pakistan are one family and my heart bleeds for
those who have lost their near and dear ones for no fault of
theirs," Burney said. "For me, terrorists have no religion and
these beasts of jungles do not kill any Hindu, Sikh, Muslim,
Christian and Jews..they just try and kill humanity," he said.
Burney has earlier alleged that security provided to him and his
family has been withdrawn by the Pakistan government for espousing
the cause of Indian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails. PTI
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/12/01/no-plots-for-mumbai-terrorists-indian-muslim-trust/
No plots for Mumbai terrorists: Indian Muslim trust
posted at 11:43 am on December 1, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
It may be a
small gesture, but a welcome one in a city devastated
by a terrorist massacre. An influential Muslim trust has refused
to bury the bodies of the nine terrorists who killed at least 174
people in Mumbai, declaring that they have no place in Islam. The
decision will mean that the dead terrorists will likely not find
any burial sites in Mumbai, and that they will probably not get
buried within the required three days:
A
Muslim graveyard in the heart of Mumbai has broken with Islamic
tradition and refused to bury the bodies of nine terrorists who
were killed during the attack on India’s financial capital.
The influential Muslim Jama Masjid Trust, which runs the 7.5-acre
Badakabrastan graveyard, said it would not bury the gunmen because
they were not true followers of Islam.
Hanif Nalkhande, a spokesman for the trust, said: “People who
committed this heinous crime cannot be called Muslim. Islam does
not permit this sort of barbaric crime.” …
Unclaimed bodies thought to be Muslim are traditionally given to
the nearest Islamic graveyard for burial after three days but that
now looks impossible in Mumbai.
There are seven other Muslim graveyards in Mumbai, but the Jama
Masjid’s influence means none of the others are likely to accept
the bodies.
http://ibu4ever.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/10/muslims-against-terrorism-branding-community-communalisation.htm
Javed Akhtar is President, Muslims for Secular Democracy (MSD)
Javed Anand is General Secretary, MSD
Sajid Rashid is vice-president, MSD
