Don't link terror to religion, say clerics

A gathering of six thousand Islamic clerics from all over the country has decried the tendency of linking a religion or a community to terrorism and said that such an approach will have a disastrous impact on national harmony.

The general session of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, which began in Hyderabad on Saturday also appealed to the government, political parties, media and citizens not to link terrorist activity to any particular religion. "Don't blame any religion or community for the work of a few mad people," said Jamiat leader and Rajya Sabha member Moulana Mahmood Madani.

The inaugural session also endorsed the fatwa of the Darul Uloom Deoband declaring terrorism as anti-Islamic and against the teachings of the Quran. "The fatwa issued in May last year was signed by four muftis but now it is being signed by 6,000 clerics to involve more people in spreading this message. We will release this fatwa with all the signatures at a public meeting on Sunday," Madani said.

The fatwa decrees that there was no place for terrorism in Islam, terrorism can not be spread in the name of Islam nor has the Quran has permitted it.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day conference, Madani expressed concern over the present situation in the country vis-à-vis the terrorism, communal violence and violence in the name of region and language.

"Till now we heard of Muslim and Islamic terrorism and now there is talk of other forms of terrorism. All these years we have opposed linking of terrorism with Islam. Now how can we link terrorism to Hindus? This will be hypocrisy on our part," Madani said disapproving the use of the term 'Hindu terrorism' after the arrest of some Hindu fundamentalists in connection with the Malegaon blast.

"We should not comment on this until a court gives judgment. At the moment they are only accused and the police have leveled charges against them. The police had made same accusations against Muslims in the past and then we have pleaded that they should be treated as innocent till charges are proved. We should adopt the same standard in this case too," Madani said.

The conference will discuss a host of issues including the problems of educational and economic backwardness of the community, the recommendations of Sachar and Ranganath Mishra commissions, communal violence and reservation for Muslims in government jobs.

In another resolution the Jamiat has demanded enactment of a special legislation to prevent the communal violence. The officials of the respective areas should be held accountable if riots break out and there should be uniform package of ex-gratia for everybody under the law.

The president of the Jamiat, Moulana Syed Mohammed Osman in his presidential address expressed deep concern over the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other similar organisations attacking minorities in several states and described it as disastrous for the country.