Author: Basharat Peer in New Delhi
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: October 12, 2001
URL: http://www.rediff.com/us/2001/oct/12ny12.htm
Amidst anti-American and pro-Taleban
slogans, Delhi's chief Muslim cleric, Shahi Imam Syed Ahmad Bukhari pledged
his support to the Taleban of Afghanistan.
Bukhari who had earlier called America
the biggest terrorist, was venomous in his rhetoric directed against the
United States and Israel.
He was addressing a gathering of
a few hundred Muslims before the Friday prayers at Jama Masjid, the biggest
mosque of Delhi.
He criticised the attacks on Afghanistan,
claiming that hundreds of women, men and innocent children were being killed
in these attacks by the American and British forces.
"These attacks on Afghanistan broke
all the records of previous records of brutality and savageness. They can
be rightly termed as terrorism," Bukhari said.
Terming the attacks on Afghanistan
as attacks on Islam, Bukhari said that he was of firm belief that Afghans
would foil such attempts, 'meant to defame Islam and Muslims in the disguise
of suppression of terrorism'.
Bukhari also urged the Organisation
of Islamic Conference to send a delegation to Afghanistan, to examine the
loss of lives and properties and present the report to the Muslim world.
OIC had sent a delegation recently
to the United Nations and America.
He urged the OIC not to support
the attacks on Afghanistan.
Bukhari made references to Palestine
and Iraq and questions as to why America cannot see terrorism anywhere
except in Islamic countries.
"In Palestine three generations
have been spoiled by the continuous terror and tyranny during the last
fifty years. But America goes on supporting the Israel monetarily and militarily,"
he said.
He invoked Afghan history to predict
that Americans would perish in Afghanistan in the same fashion as Russia
did.
He also criticised Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his stand on the current crisis.
Bukhari alleged that while justifying
the attacks on Afghanistan, Vajpayee had said that those who criticise
the attacks would have to face consequences.
"I ask, if there is any clause in
the Indian constitution that mentions that the opposing America is anti-national.
If there is not a clause like that then every citizen of India has a right
to differ with the government on any issue," Bukhari said.
Bukhari and his supporters were
also disallowed from taking out a protest march to the US embassy.
Delhi Police refused permission
to the imam who planned to march from Old Delhi's Jama Masjid on the ground
that it might create a law and order problem. A heavy police deployment
was made in the entire old city area and the Jama Masjid and its peripheries
virtually cordoned off.
Everyone going towards the mosque
was searched as the police personnel in riot gear maintained a strict vigil
to prevent any untoward incident.
However, a protest demonstration
was held inside the premises of the Masjid
