Darul Uloom Deoband has said terrorism is a crime against humanity and can’t be seen through the prism of religion – a statement that appears to have been provoked by Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s recent comment equating RSS and BJP with “saffron terror”.
The seminary spokesman’s statement also provides ammunition to the BJP, which has sought unconditional apology from Shinde on the issue. The BJP, in fact, has threatened to hold protest outside Prime Minister Manmohan Singh residence on the eve of the budget session of Parliament slated to start from February 12.
Maulana Ashraf Usmani, the spokesperson of Darul Uloom Deoband, said that the seminary disapproves of the description “saffron terror”. He said attributing communal colors to terrorism will only worsen the situation. “Terrorism cannot be linked to a particular country, religion or community. How can carnage of innocent people be linked to something as pure as religion?” he asked.
Maulana Ashraf made the statement while commenting on the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, saying, “All terrorists will have to face the same thing as their actions are illegal in the eyes of the law. All those who indulge in such activities must meet with a similar fate.”
Senior Muslim cleric and member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Maulana Khaleed Rasheed Firangi Mahali, too, said he was against painting any religion or community on the basis of the actions of a few. “I am equally averse to “Islamic terror” coined by the west,” the Maulana said.
“It’s an irony that we in India tend to go by what the US says. The description of Islamic terrorism was coined by the West and a section of the world lapped it up. Now in the Samjhauta blast and Mecca Masjid blast some Indian leaders quoting the CIA have said that the two incidents were handiwork of terrorists who have been arrested and are in jail,” he said.
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