JOIN USClerics in the City’s mosques have attempted to include the message of peace in their Friday prayers.
Muslim leaders called on their brethern not to create trouble for North-Easterners. They described Islam as a religion of peace, harmony and brotherhood.
At a media conference held at the Bangalore Press Club on Friday, Muslim leaders made a public appeal for calm and asked North-Easteners not to flee the City. “We request our North-Eastern brethern to stay back and celebrate Eid with us,” said Sardar Ahmed Qureshi, president of the Tipu Sultan United Front.
He declared that political agendas have triggered the exodus and added that, “The problem has become aggravated because the police were in a slumber.”
Another Muslim leader Shafiq alleged that when elections are round the corner, the government’s inaction raises doubts that some people enjoy fishing in troubled waters. He said that during the holy month of Ramzan, Muslims never indulge in sinful activities.
Countering these statements, North-Easteners who attended the press conference said the hate campaign was real — not just the result of a fear psychosis.
Rini Ralte, a professor at United Theological College and a native of Mizoram, demanded that the police identify people responsible for spreading inflamatory messages which had led to violence. “It is not just rumours anymore. A hate campaign is being conducted,” Ralte said.
But she also acknowledged that the intensity of hatred had reduced in the wake of assurances from Muslim leaders during the peace committee meeting organised by Lalrokhuma Pachuau, the Director General of Police and Inspector General of Police.
However, Johnson Rajkumar, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mass Communications at a City college, said North-Easterners continue to face verbal intimidation and that many continue to feel a sense of insecurity.