|
CJP |
|
|
CJP |
|
 |
Mass grave unearthed Full coverage |
|
Best Bakery Case |
|
Crime Against
Gujarat Riots
Crime Against
|
Press Coverage
http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/31inter1.htm
'We are defensive against
terrorism' Mahant Veer Bhadra Mishra, Sankat Mochan Temple
July 31,
2006 A rationalist, he is the head priest of one of the most ancient and holy Hindu temples in the world. A hydraulic engineer, he teaches subjects such as fluid mechanics at one of India's oldest universities. He is also an ardent environmentalist who is as dedicated to the cleaning of the Ganga as much as he is devoted to Tulsi Das or Lord Hanuman.
Meet Veer Bhadra Mishra, the mahant of the Sankat Mochan temple, Varanasi, and the head of the department of civil engineering, Banaras Hindu University. "Whenever I say I teach at the Banaras Hindu University, people ask me, 'Philosophy or Sanskrit?' It comes as sort of a shock for them to learn that I teach civil engineering," says Mishra, who was in Mumbai last week to honour those citizens who helped victims of the serial blasts in Mumbai's suburban trains.
In the wake of the Sankat Mochan temple blasts, the 66-year-old Mishra is said to have played a major role in maintaining peace and harmony in that town. In an interview with Krishna Kumar, Mishra, who took over as mahant of the temple when he was 14 and has been campaigning for 25 years to save the Ganga, talks about terror, the role of society and how politicians should get their act together in tackling terrorism.
How do you see the spate of terror attacks across the country? This is not good. Terrorism must be curbed and controlled at all costs. It is undermining the nation. Terror spreads fear and hatred. It is creating a rift in the society.
How do you think we as a society should react to -- or contribute in tackling -- terrorism? Right now, we are taking a defensive line. We have to be careful and alert. It is a global phenomenon.
What do you mean when you say, 'we are taking a defensive line'? Look at the way people have reacted. We are right now in a position where we are explaining to each other that this is not something based on religion. Even in a place as diverse as Mumbai, we are talking about the need to preserve harmony. It should not have come this far. It should not have been a religion-based issue at all. We wait till something happens, and then hope that it doesn't spiral into a religious issue. We, as a nation that has a long history and great culture of coexistence, should be more proactive.
By proactive, I mean we have to be more observant, vigilant and alert. These terrorists have not jumped from the skies. They have been -- at least most of them -- here with us for a long time. If we had kept our eyes open to things happening around us, we would not have been in such a situation now.
What do you have to say about the opposition charge that the government has been soft on terror? Politicians have not acted firmly. It is the same case with all politicians from all parties, without exception, which is not good. The way they have been acting, it has to be stopped. Yes, they may stand to lose something due to the decisions they take, but they have to face it. I would say that is the occupational hazard of politics. You face the situation in every profession... there are hazards. Likewise politicians should also very carefully examine their actions.
What about the issue of India lacking a strong anti-terror law that will deter terrorists? These are not questions that I can answer, but still, I would say whatever laws we have are sufficient to tackle terror if they are used forcefully and with conviction.
What do you think are the reasons for these acts of terror? There are some nations that will stand to benefit if a big power like India is shattered. And the terrorists are trying to do exactly that by destabilising India.
Why do you think places of worship are being targeted? As I said, their motive is to destabilise our country. Targeting places of worship will create tension among people. Also, for the reasons I mentioned earlier -- to spread fear and hatred -- terrorists target places wherever there are large number of people. A place of worship is also like that.
What is your advice to people when such attacks take place? We have already given a good account of ourselves. We can be more watchful and not be guided by fear and hatred, which will defeat the motive of the terrorists.
How is it that a temple as conservative as the Sankat Mochan temple does not discriminate against persons of any faith? It is true that the temple does not discriminate against anybody. It has been the case from the time of Tulsi Das.
How did various communities in your city handle the blasts? The day after the blasts, the people of Varanasi called for a total shutdown in the city. Accordingly, the entire city shut down. It was unique. Muslims did not ignore the call and were there, participating in the hartal. It was a unique show of unity. Even my house... If you had seen it the day after the blasts, you would have mistaken it for a Muslim neighbourhood. There were so many Muslims worried about the situation.
As much as these things are good, there still are temples in the country that do not allow people of other faith or for that matter some that do not even allow women. What can one do about these places? First and foremost, one must respect the beliefs of such places. But at the same time, we must also remember that India is a plural and diverse society. I have faith that these things will change in due course. Just give them some time.
http://www.asianage.com/ 7/28/2006 11:45:54 PM - By Venkat Parsa New Delhi, July 28: Mahant Veerbhadra Mishra of the Sankat Mochan Mandir of Varanasi and Mufti Fazal-ur-Rehman Hilal Usmani, the Mufri-e-Azam of Punjab, came together on a common platform in Mumbai to jointly declare jihad against their respective co-religionists, who preach hatred and perpetrate violence against innocent citizens. According to a release of the Citizens for Justice and Peace, by issuing a fatwa against terror, the mufti proclaimed that a religion that expressly prohibits any targeting of unarmed civilians and others places of worship can never sanction terrorist activities. "In Islam, as in every other civilised social order, acts of terror are nothing but heinous and despicable crimes," declared the mufti. "Hindu dharm mein ghrina aur krodh ke liye koi sthan nahin ho sakti (There can be no place for hatred and rage in Hinduism)," said the mahant. In an obvious reference to the propaganda that "not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims", the mahant recited shlokas from the Ramayana to point out that Ravana was "the original terrorist".
http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/28/stories/2006072819812300.htm Fatwa against terror, advice from mahant
Meena Menon 153 citizens, who lent a helping hand to victims of Mumbai serial blasts, honoured MUMBAI: "There is a world of difference between Islamic jihad and terrorism," proclaims Mufti Fuzail-ur-Rahman Hilal Usmani of the Darus Salam Islamic Centre, Punjab.
Addressing a public meeting on Citizens against Terror, organised by the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) and other groups here on Thursday, the Mufti said that in Islam, a jihad is that ultimate stage when you give your life to break the shackles of slavery so that human beings can be free.
"In total contrast to this, terrorism is aimed at terrorising people, at creating a climate of terror that snatches away from people their right to life," said Mr. Usmani, also Mufti of the Darul Uloom, Deoband, dispelling some commonly held beliefs on jihad.
"Every human life is precious in Islam and the killing of even one innocent person is akin to the massacre of all humankind. In Islam as in any other civilised social order, acts of terror are heinous and despicable crimes," said the Mufti in this unusual fatwa.
Message of peace The message that went out from this well-attended meeting from every one of the speakers, which included Veer Bhadra Mishra, the Mahant of the Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi which was attacked in March this year, was one of peace and the need to remain united in the face of terror. The CJP and others also honoured 153 citizens of Mumbai who helped the victims of the July 11 serial blasts in Mumbai.
Dr. Mishra, who is no stranger to bomb blasts, spoke of how he had enforced calm after the attack on March 7 and brought back a semblance of peace. Nothing should be done in hatred and fear, he said, adding that people should be alert about what was happening around them. Don't look at what was happening in isolation, he warned. Recent events had to be examined in the context of what was taking place in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries.
Mumbai is an important nerve centre and its people must be vigilant so that the situation does not worsen, he said. No support should be given to those who indulge in terrorism. Politicians should not play games to divide people on communal lines and communities must think ahead and stop the spread of such actions stemming from hate, he added.
Mumbai's citizens like Vijay Shukla were among those honoured for their role in saving the victims of the blasts. Mr. Shukla said that even though he was scared after seeing the bodies and mutilated people, he and his friends worked hard to get the injured to hospital. Usman Wakharia too spoke about the hideous scenes he witnessed after the blast and how he tried to help people. "I want to ask who has done this crime and what did they want to achieve? Anyway they have not been able to break our unity," he said.
Free treatment Pramod Patil from Mira Road said that he and his friends decided to ensure that people got their dues from the government and they approached the authorities to make sure people were treated free of cost. There were people who were not even on the list of injured and not entitled to compensation. "We made sure we did all that," he said.
Ravindra Raghuvanshi from the Bhakti Vedanta Hospital Health Forum said t rickshawallahs helped the most by taking people to hospitals. At the Bhakti Vedanta Hospital, Mira Road, people were treated free of cost.
Mukhtar Khan spoke of how he went to the smaller clinics and hospitals preparing a list of victims and making sure they were treated free of cost.
People like Salim Qureishi from the Al Hind Ekta Society and his friend Mohamed Yusuf jumped onto the tracks and helped take commuters to hospitals.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=194575 ‘Jihad secures for people their basic rights and freedoms, terrorism snatches away these very rights’
At meeting, Punjab’s chief mufti reads out fatwa against terror; Varanasi priest, others salute Mumbai Express News Service
Mumbai, July 27: WHAT is the place of terror in Islam?’’ It was in response to this question by poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar, a few days after the serial blasts on Mumbai’s local trains, that Fuzail-ur-Rahman Usmani, Punjab’s chief mufti, issued a fatwa against Terrible Tuesday’s terror.
‘‘There’s a world of difference between Islamic jihad and terrorism,’’ said Usmani, reading out the page-long fatwa at ‘Citizens Against Terror’, a public meeting held at K C College on Thursday evening. ‘‘A jihad secures for people their basic rights and freedoms while terrorism snatches away these very rights and freedoms.’’
Organisers of the event will translate and distribute Usmani’s fatwa in the coming days.
At the meeting, Usmani and Veer Bhadra Mishra, the priest of Varanasi’s Sankatmochan temple that was bombed on March 7 last year, saluted the city’s courage in the face of terror and urged Mumbai to maintain religious unity and ensure there’s no repeat of the 1993 communal riots.
As investigators assert that Islamic militant groups are behind the 7/11 bombings after arresting eight persons connected to the Lashkar-e-Toiba so far, speakers at the event were at pains to urge that Islam, indeed no religion, permitted the taking of lives.
An emotionally charged Akhtar told the gathering: ‘‘When I think of the train blasts, I ask myself, what do the people who do these acts look like? Did they see the faces of the people who came and sat in the train beside the bombs they had placed? Did they go home that night and play with their children, talk to their parents, smile at their wives? Could they sleep at night?’’
Mishra recalled the day of the blasts at Sankatmochan temple and the efforts of hardline groups to exploit the resultant outrage to create rift. ‘‘It is clear that each religious community will have to address its own hardline fringe,’’ he said. ‘‘Hindus must talk to Hindus and Muslims to Muslims. We are heirs to a great civilization. We cannot give in to terror.’’
A host of anonymous citizens, largely people who live and work by the train tracks who helped rush the injured to hospitals and retrieved mutilated bodies from the wreckage of the trains, also recalled scenes from 7/11.
‘‘When we helped the people affected by the bombs, nobody thought what community they belonged to,’’ said Usman Wakaria, who runs a workshop near the Jogeshwari rail tracks. ‘‘Our only message to terrorists is that Indians are one and they cannot win against us by sowing seeds of discord.’’
Teesta Setalvad said that while nabbing the guilty was important, it was only necessary to ensure that innocents do not suffer at the hands of the state that acted through crude tactics like combing operations. ‘‘An entire community cannot be held guilty for the acts of a deplorable few,’’ she said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/9458.html At 7/11 memorial, a fatwa against terror
Express News Service MUMBAI, JULY 27:What is the place of terror in Islam?’’ It was in response to this question by poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar, a few days after the serial blasts on Mumbai’s local trains, that Fuzail-ur-Rahman Usmani, Punjab’s chief mufti, issued a fatwa against Terrible Tuesday’s terror.
‘‘There’s a world of difference between Islamic jihad and terrorism,’’ said Usmani, reading out the page-long fatwa at ‘Citizens Against Terror’, a public meeting held at K C College on Thursday evening. ‘‘A jihad secures for people their basic rights and freedoms while terrorism snatches away these very rights and freedoms.’’ Organisers of the event will translate and distribute Usmani’s fatwa in the coming days.
At the meeting, Usmani and Veer Bhadra Mishra, the priest of Varanasi’s Sankatmochan temple that was bombed on March 7 last year, saluted the city’s courage in the face of terror and urged Mumbaikars to maintain religious unity and ensure there’s no repeat of the 1993 communal riots.
As investigators assert that Islamic militant groups are behind the 7/11 bombings so far, speakers at the event were at pains to urge that Islam, indeed no religion, permitted the taking of lives.
An emotionally charged Akhtar told the gathering: ‘‘When I think of the train blasts, I ask myself, what do the people who do these acts look like? Did they see the faces of the people who came and sat in the train beside the bombs they had placed? Did they go home that night and play with their children, talk to their parents, smile at their wives? Could they sleep at night?’’
Mishra recalled the day of the blasts at Sankatmochan temple and the efforts of hardline groups to exploit the resultant outrage to create religious rift. ‘‘It is clear that each religious community will have to address its own hardline fringe,’’ he said. ‘‘Hindus must talk to Hindus and Muslims to Muslims. We are heirs to a great civilisation. We cannot give in to terror.’’
A host of anonymous citizens, largely people who live and work by the train tracks who helped rush the injured to hospitals and retrieved mutilated bodies from the wreckage of the trains, also recalled scenes from 7/11.
‘‘When we helped the people affected by the bombs, nobody thought what community they belonged to,’’ said Usman Wakaria, who runs a workshop near the Jogeshwari rail tracks. ‘‘Our only message to terrorists is that Indians are one and they cannot win against us by sowing seeds of discord.’’
Teesta Setalvaad said that while nabbing the guilty was important, it was only necessary to ensure that innocents do not suffer at the hands of the state that acted through crude tactics like combing operations. ‘‘An entire community cannot be held guilty for the acts of a deplorable few,’’ she said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1820782.cms Punjab chief mufti issues fatwa against terrorism
MUMBAI: An eminent mufti from north India has issued a fatwa against terrorism, calling such acts an antithesis of Islam. Condemning the so-called 'jehadis', who were waging war in the name of Islam, Punjab chief mufti Fuzail-ur-Rahman Hilal Usmani said on Thursday, "Jehad is for reformation and to establish enduring peace."
The grand mufti was speaking at a public meeting called 'Citizens Against Terror' in Churchgate. "Jehad secures for people their basic rights but terrorism snatches away these very rights," said the septuagenarian cleric, a teacher at Islamic seminary Darul Uloom at Deoband in Uttar Pradesh.
Iterating Islam's emphasis on restraint and tolerance even during war, he said, "Islam expressly forbids targeting others' places of worship, innocent civilians, chopping of trees and poisoning water sources."
Varanasi's Sankat Mochan temple mahant Veer Bhadra Mishra shared the stage with the mufti. Columnist Anil Dharker and poet-writer Hasan Kamal were also present.
"Both Hindus and Muslims joined hands to maintain peace in Varanasi after the March 7 blasts at Sankat Mochan," the mahant said.
Earlier, poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar, in a speech laced with literary flourishes, called the perpetrators of 7/11 attacks "barbaric".
"How could man do this to another man? Didn't they think that these innocent people had their loved ones waiting for them at home? The cruel devils not only kill people, they try to destroy dreams.
But, out of the tragedy, also came some shining examples of courage," Akhtar said. Some of the 7/11 do-gooders, like Vijay Shukla and Usman Wakhiya from Jogeshwari, recalled their horrendous experiences that evening.
Meanwhile, Muslim organisations and the Urdu media said the method of large-scale detentions, violating the law, was fuelling anger and fear in the community. Community leaders said the entire community should not be demonised.
Muslim leaders questioned the way hundreds of innocent people in Malad and Mahim were picked up and herded into police statitons. A group of ulema (relgious leaders) met chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, apprising him of the community's fear on Wednesday.
"Many Muslims visit Pakistan to meet their relatives. Many go to Iran for business or pilgrimage. That doesn't mean all of them have terror links," said Gulzar Azmi of the the Jamiat-ul Ulema Hind. |
