Clerics denounce terror, seek to dispel public perceptions

Bangalore: The declaration made by Darul Uloom(Deoband) on Monday that violence and terrorism are “anti-Islam and anti-national” should go a long way in dispelling public perceptions  about muslim community as abettors of  terrorism and in reaffirming Islam’s thrust on peace.

The resolution passed at the conference,  attended by Deobandis and members from other sects, noted that Muslims were being discriminated against to please the "colonial master of the west" and that madrassas were unfairly targeted. It said Muslims working in madrassas feared being made scapegoats for terrorist violence. The resolution demanded the government "curb those maligning madrassas and Muslims". It also said no community should be subjected to adverse profiling.

The resolution  acknowledged dangers of being lured by a call to arms issued by jihadi organisations. "It appeals to them (Muslims) to fully understand the alarming situation and feel the pulse of present so that they might not be employed as tools by anti-Islamic or anti-national forces," the resolution said.

Speakers at the conference maintained that madrassas did not produce terrorists. Some even blamed modern colleges for ills like eve-teasing and crime. There were also proposals for maintaining clean financial records and avoiding mixing up with "evil forces".

Islamic extremism, rooted in wrong interpretations of Islam, was responsible for a major chunk of  terrorist fatalities across the word, the most gruesome being the 9/11 attack on United States. So far the enlightened muslim leadership has been keeping quiet on the increasing involvement of members of the community in terrorist activities.

The rector’s speech and the declaration made at the conference marked a bold attempt on the part of the clergy to counter the jihadi propaganda unleashed by terror outfits like  LeT and Al Qaeda.

Source: India syndicate