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Chicago
Muslims Condemn Gujarat Carnage
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Muslims
in Gujarat, India, are subjected to sectarian violence. |
CHICAGO,
March 19 (IslamOnline) - A public meeting held over the weekend in
Chicago discussed the ongoing communal holocaust in the Indian state
of Gujarat. The meeting was held at the Bombay Bazar Hall by several
Indian-Muslim organizations from the Greater Chicago-land area.
The
groups severely condemned the killings of Muslims and called for an
immediate ban on extremist Hindu organizations and parties.
The
event began with the recitation of The Holy Qur'an by Hafiz and Qari
Feroze Khan.
Speaking
first, Amjad Hashmi, of the Consultative Committee of Indian Muslims
(CCIM), expressed deep sorrow and sadness at the gruesome killings
of hundreds of innocent men, women and children at the hands of
“barbaric criminals,” especially mentioning what happened to
former member of Indian Parliament, Ahsan Jaffrey, who was burned to
death along with several members of his family.
Hashmi
quoted the saying of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in which he said:
"The whole Muslim Ummah is like a body. If one part hurts, the
whole body feels the pain," saying that we feel the pain of
Muslims of Gujarat.
Hashmi
also condemned the train burning incident at Godhra, saying the act
cannot be justified.
Poet,
author and physician Muzaffar Farooqui, gave a historical
perspective of Muslims in India pointing out that they are not
strangers in the country, but are sons of the soil, arguing that
Muslims play a major role in the scientific, cultural and
civilizational development of India.
He
also dismissed assertions that former Muslim rulers in India
destroyed temples and indulged in religious bigotry. Citing
historical references from Muslim and non-Muslim scholars, Farooqui
said Muslims were benevolent and tolerant rulers who more often than
not, followed a policy of separation between church and state.
Shahid
Siddiqui, a professor of pharmacology, believes that concrete
measures need to be taken in order to stop similar holocausts from
happening again in the future.
Siddiqui
applauded the efforts of the U.S. Commission on International
Religious Freedom and Amnesty International for their condemnation
of the events in Gujarat and in their call for an independent
investigation.
Nizam
Arain, a representative of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, read out a
message from the Rainbow Coalition leader. Jackson expressed his
concern over the outbreak of violence in India and urged the Indian
government to protect the rights of all of its citizens, saying he
personally raised the issue with the Indian ambassador to the United
States. Jackson, in his statement, said he plans to visit India soon
on a trip to promote peace and reconciliation.
A
Mr. Sadiq of the Gujarat Muslim Association of America appealed to
the audience to donate generously for the relief fund established
for victims of Gujarat holocaust. He said Muslims have donated
wholeheartedly without making any religious distinction during last
year's devastating earthquake in the state and yet people of other
communities have been less than forthcoming in the Muslim's time of
need.
Rahul
Dipankar said that the solution to the problem lies in all people of
all faiths and backgrounds working together, and that while Muslims
are rightly outraged at the Gujarat holocaust, they should also
condemn the killings of Sikhs in Jammu and Hindus in Kashmir.
A
slide presentation of images of the violence was also shown.
The
meeting passed a unanimous resolution expressing its deep sorrow and
horror at the killings of innocent men, women and children and the
desecration of holy places of worship.
It
called for the dismissal of the Narendra Modi government in Gujurat
and the immediate imposition of President's rule in the state. The
resolution also commended the residents of Ram-Rahim Nagar in
maintaining communal harmony and said that their example should be
replicated everywhere.
Osman
Baqi, who read out the resolution, also condemned the attack on the
church in Pakistan.
Main
sponsors of the meeting included the Consultative Committee of
Indian Muslims (CCIM), American Federation of Muslims of Indian
Origin (AFMI), Gujarat Muslim Association of America (GMAA) and
Indian Muslim Relief Committee.
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