Muslims Condemn Varnasi Terror

MUSLIMS CONDEMN VARNASI TERROR Dallas, Texas, December 08, 2010 http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2010/12/muslims-condemen-varnasi-terror.html The CNN-IBN in India reports, “The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad on Wednesday detained three people in connection with Tuesday's blast in Varanasi which killed a one-year-old child and injured at least 20 people, a media report said. According to CNN-IBN, the ATS has identified Mohammad Shahnawaz, (27), a doctor and Asadullah Akhtar alias Asadullah Khan, (25), a pharmacist, as key suspects behind the blast.” The Muslims of the World unequivocally condemn this disgusting act of terrorizing and killing the innocent in Varanasi. Thank God, the Indian Police has identified those criminals, and the court system must go in full gear and punish these criminals to the hilt per the civil laws. Their parents, friends or their religion should not to be used to dilute the case, they did it and they must be punished. I urge the Muslims to take the lead and tie these rascals or their effigies to a pole by the court house and take turns in spitting on them (a very shameful act in Indian culture). Every one has to tell them that there is no hoori for them waiting in Paradise, nor there is anything like that in Quraan. They have been duped about it, and those who told them so will also meet the same fate.   We also hope the Muslim will take the extreme position of banning them from burial in their cemeteries. They need to learn, “forget the hoories, I wont’ even get a decent burial”. Isn’t punishment a deterrent?    The religious leaders are urged to condemn these acts and repeatedly communicate to those duped ones that killing any one including themselves will not earn them a heaven, but the wrath of God for killing another being.   As Muslims we have to stand up for what is right and stand against what is wrong. Mike Ghouse runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and has dedicated to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress. He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a peace activist. Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/ http://www.hindustantimes.com/3-detained-over-Varanasi-blast/H1-Article1-635948.aspx 3 detained over Varanasi blast New Delhi, December 08, 2010First Published: 15:50 IST(8/12/2010) The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad on Wednesday detained three people in connection with Tuesday's blast in Varanasi which killed a one-year-old child and injured at least 20 people, a media report said. According to CNN-IBN, the ATS has identified Mohammad Shahnawaz, (27), a doctor and Asadullah Akhtar alias Asadullah Khan, (25), a pharmacist, as key suspects behind the blast. Both are allegedly linked to the 2008 Delhi blasts and the Batla House encounter in Delhi. Indian Mujahideen (IM) claimed responsibility for the blast in an e-mail traced to Malad in Mumbai. Earlier a father-son duo were picked up for questioning in Mumbai in connection with the e-mail sent by IM. http://www.hindustantimes.com/one-killed-many-injured-in-varanasi-bomb-blast/article1-635578.aspx One killed, many injured in Varanasi bomb blast HT Correspondent, Agencies Varanasi, December 07, 2010First Published: 18:56 IST(7/12/2010)  A two-year-old girl named Swastika Sharma was killed and about 30-40 people, including four foreigners, were injured in a bomb blast at the Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of Ganga river in Varanasi at around 6.30 pm on Tuesday. Additional Director General of Police (ADG)-- Law and Order, Brijlal said: "The state has been put on high alert. And anti-terrorist sqauds and a bomb disposal squad have been rushed to the site." Though it has been reported that the bomb was possibly kept in a milk container. Quoting IG Varansai the ADG said that the bomb was placed in some cavity. All top Varanasi district and police officers are on the spot. ADG said that there was no laxity as the state was already on alert due to Babri Masjid demolition anniversary. The blast took place when thousands of devotees and the foreign tourists had assembled at the ghat for having darshan of the Ganga Arti, police sources said. All injured were rushed to the nearby Marwari Hindu Hospital, where doctors, including Dr AK Singh told HT that nearly 40 injured were brought to the hospital, out of which over ten have been referred in critical state to the BHU and Varanasi Divisional Hospital.  Dr Singh confirmed the death of a one year old girl Swastika Sharma, a native of Assi locality of Varanasi, who was brought dead to the Marwari Hospital.  Singh further said the injured, included at least five foreign nationals, among them Italian and Japanese nationals. Two more foreigners reached on their  own to the district hospitals with injuries. They were two young women from UK. They after self-medication returned to their hotel near the blast spot.  Injured have suffered splinter injuries, severe fractures, head injuries and other injuries in the incident, Singh maintained. "It was a powerful blast which shuddered buildings up to 500 metres and even blew away banners on the Shitla Temple. We ourselves saw dismembered limbs and many foreign tourists writhing in pain,” said Kishori Raman Dubey ‘Babu Maharaj’ who organised daily evening at the Ghat under banner of Gangotri Sewa Samiti.  A local cloth trader Kuldip Beri present at the spot when the blast took place told HT 10 to 15 people, including two foreigners were badly injured and were carried by us into the Ambulance. One of the foreigners had lost his limb.  One of the foreigners Alessandro (50), an Italian national has been rushed to the Heritage Hospital in critical state with profusedly bleeding multiple injuries. Blood remained sputtered all round the Ghat and the blast destroyed the railings and stone stairs of the ghat.  As per initial reports, the injured included Phool Rani (50) a native of Damoh (MP), Jitendra Bidhua (35) a native of Madhya Pradesh, Barkha Sahni (12) native of Dashwashamedh Ghat in Varanasi, Om Prakash (40) native of Bhelupur in Varanasi, Suresh prasad (65) a native of Karnataka, Shubham Sahni (10), Daswashamedh Varanasi, Ram Shankar (45) of Dashwashamedh Varanasi.  Injured are presently being treated at BHU, Varanasi Divisional , Heritage and Marawari Hospitals. Some people have been injured due to the blast and some others due to the consequent stampede which occured due to the collapse of the railing. IG Varanasi Police Range RP Singh confirmed the death of the one-year-old little girl and 20 others injured, two of them critically. Just a few days ago only at a high-level security meeting in New Delhi, the UP Govt and Police had been alerted highly about terrorist misadventure towards the anniversary of the Ayodhya demolition. Alert had also been sounded about banned SIMI operating via sleeper modules in various East UP districts under disguised names.   While the stairs leading to the New Dashwashamedh Ghat have door framed metal detectors, there was no such provision on stairs leading to the Old Dashwashamedh Ghat (Shitla Ghat). As per Kuldip Beri, a native of Mir Ghat locality present at the spot, no security provisions or cops were present at the spot when the blast took place and there was total chaos for at least 15 to 20 minutes before the cops arrived. Old and New Dashwashamedh Ghats are most crowded ghats particularly during the evening Ganga Arti, but still there is hardly any security on the Old Ghat also known as Shitla Ghat. It was Tuesday on March 7, 2006 when terrorists struck Sankatmochan temple and Varanasi Cant railway station and today was also a Tuesday. (With PTI inputs)