The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Witch-hunting of Muslims condemned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 17, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version


=

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Witch-hunting of Muslims condemned

Special Correspondent

Atmosphere of fear and suspicion created about minorities deplored

Public meeting organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
Media urged to be unbiased in reporting incidents

Hyderabad: Speakers at a public meeting here strongly condemned the witch-hunting of Muslim community by the police.

The recent findings of ATS amply proved who were the ‘masterminds’ behind the terror attacks at Malegaon and other places. They deplored the atmosphere of fear and suspicion created about minorities by blaming them for every act of terror.

The public meeting was organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on the occasion of the arrival of its ‘Caravan of Peace and Justice’ here from Delhi. A large number of persons, including women, attended the meeting at the open air theatre at Public Gardens.

False cases

Syed Jalaluddin Ansar Umari, president, JIH, wondered why BJP leader L.K. Advani had stopped talking of POTA after the role of Sangh Parivar in the terror attacks became clear. He deplored the foisting of false cases on innocent Muslim youth, particularly the educated ones, and their arrest and torture. Now it was clear who were behind these terror incidents, Mr. Umari said.

He blamed the media for its failure to distinguish between an accused and a suspect and urged it to be impartial and unbiased in reporting incidents.

Malik Motasim Khan, JIH president, A.P and Orissa zone, said the country was faced with two types of terrorism – overseas white terrorism and Sangh terrorism. He said the JIH would not call the acts of few persons as ‘Hindu terrorism’ and said prefixes like Lt., Major and Sadhvi were important and should not be linked to terrorists.

While the Army would cleanse its ranks, it was time the Election Commission should cancel registration of parties involved in terror acts, he said.

Justice lacking

Justice Sardar Ali Khan, former chairman, National Minorities Commission, said if the country lacked anything it was justice. Muslims were the second biggest majority in the country and by alienating them the country could not progress.

Abdul Raheem Qureshi, president, All India Tameer-e-Millat, said country could not progress without peace and for this to come justice was essential. He wanted more interfaith dialogues to be conducted to dispel misgivings. Kancha Ilaiah, writer, K.R. Chowdhry and R.M. Mandal, social activists also spoke.

The meeting called for liberating law enforcing agencies and individuals from all kinds of prejudices and bigotry to ensure enduring peace. In a resolution it said the exposure of involvement of Sangh Parivar and military official in terrorist attacks had created a ‘dangerously convoluted’ situation in the country. The ‘reckless sensationalism’ of news by media had led to an unprecedented communal divide and mutual distrust. There was a growing sense of insecurity among the minorities, especially Muslims and Christians.

Independent tribunal

In another resolution, the assemblage called for establishment of independent tribunal to investigate all incidents of terror, police atrocities and torture occurred during last decade. It wanted an effective mechanism to be put in place to ensure honest and unbiased reporting by media. The meeting demanded a ban on leakage of confidential reports and confessions extracted under duress.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh