The Indian government has fallen in line with the sentiments expressed by the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid. The government has expressed "deep concern" over the growing controversy following publication of cartoons of prophet Mohammed, and said attempts to hurt the religious sentiments of the people should be avoided, the Press Trust of India (PTI) has reported. "The Government of India is deeply concerned about the growing controversy over the publication of cartoons that offend the Muslim community worldwide," an official statement said Saturday.
The statement came the day after Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari slammed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for not condemning the caricatures being printed in the European media. "The entire Muslim world is protesting the blasphemy, but this so-called progressive and secular UPA government is not taking a bit of pain while leading a country where 200 million Muslims live," he said.
The official statement said at the time when these offending cartoons were first published, India's outrage had been conveyed to the Danish Government both in New Delhi as well as in Copenhagen in October 2005. It was suggested by the government that apologies should be sought and assurances obtained by the Danish government that the concerned newspaper would prevent recurrence of such incidents, it said.
"It is incumbent on all of us to be sensitive to the beliefs and sentiments of others and avoid all actions that cause hurt to them", the statement said. "India's commitment to religious harmony and tolerance is unshakeable and actions that cause insult to the sentiments of people are not acceptable," it added.
Bukhari said on Friday, "For 1,400 years, Islam has fought its evil enemies and now it will not bow before the Satanic designs of France, Germany, Norway and Denmark. Islam and Muslims have been challenged and we will not rest unless nations that humiliated us are punished." An 11-member committee has been formed at the Jama Masjid to oversee future protests against the cartoons.
"We want this government to issue a strong reaction against this blasphemy to the Danish government," the cleric said, addressing a congregation outside the mosque after offering prayers on Friday afternoon. The Imam, who called for countrywide protests over the cartoons, justified angry Muslim reactions to the pictures.
"Indian Muslims are in a state of restiveness and pain over the incident of insolence towards the prophet," Bukhari claimed to have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC president Sonia Gandhi, requesting the government to "express its resentment to the Danish government through diplomatic channels." He said Muslims could not rule out calling a Bharat Bandh in protest.
More than 3,000 agitated protesters carrying black banners and placards that read "Denmark Hai! Hai!" gathered outside Jama Masjid while the afternoon prayers were in progress, the Times of India reported. They trampled and spit on a flag of Denmark which had been spread on the steps. An effigy filled with firecrackers and labelled 'Denmark' was set ablaze just after the prayers were over.
Minutes later, Bukhari, flanked by Maulvi Yakub Noori, Imam of Chandi Wali Masjid, Maulana Shabbir Naqshbandi, president of All-India Religious Leaders' Association, and former MP Kishori Lal, emerged on top of the steps and addressed the gathering.
In a separate speech, Fatehpuri Masjid Shahi Imam Mufti M Mukarram also described the caricatures as "intolerable", citing Islamic tradition that bars depiction of the prophet to prevent idolatory. "Muslims are peace-loving people, but when dignity of the Holy Prophet is challenged they will not sit in rest," he had said, and urged the government to come out with a statement condemning the cartoons.
The Milli Parliament said it was setting up an ''international committee to chart out a future plan of action'' on the issue, the United News of India (UNI) reported. The committee will press upon international bodies and Muslim rulers to enact an international law against such actions in the future.
Criticising Manmohan Singh for not having ''uttered a word'' on the issue, Milli Parliament leader Rashid Shaz said Parliament should pass a resolution asking the international community to incorporate provisions that bar such ''artistic machinations'." He, however, appealed to Muslims to exercise restraint in their protests, saying violent methods went against Islamic teachings.
Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, in his Friday sermon in Srinagar, appealed to the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to convene a meeting to chalk out a strategy to foil conspiracies against Muslims. "We appeal to OIC to convene an urgent meeting of member countries to chalk out a strategy to foil conspiracies being hatched by anti-Muslim forces against Muslims, their Prophet and the Holy Quran," he said.
On Monday, agitated protestors dressed in black in Varanasi shouted slogans against the West, saying the caricatures had hurt the sentiments of the community. "Printing of photograph, that too a caricature of our Prophet Mohammad is blasphemous. It has hurt the sentiments of our community and we protest against it," said Abdul Batin Numani, head cleric of the city, an Asia News Internaitonal (ANI) report said. "We Muslims cannot tolerate a cartoon of Prophet Mohammad being published in any newspaper," said Kaif, a protestor in Patna.
