This cannot be jehad, say Jaipur’s Muslims

JAIPUR: Amin, Amin, Amin… On Friday, the first jume ki namaz after Tuesday’s blasts tore the city apart, Johari Bazaar’s Jama Masjid echoed with  the chants.

Along with Imam Syed Mufti Amjad Ali, worshippers prayed for peace to the departed souls, solace and  strength to the injured and the affected families and reason in the minds of the terrorists.

“Let us pray to Allah to guide to perverted souls so that they start loving the human race and stop killing them without reason. Let us pray for those who were killed in the blasts and for those who sustained injuries. God may give strength to the families to bear the shock,” said the Imam. The devotees bowed in response.

“Jehad means saving people and guarding one’s religion. In India people from all religions live together peacefully and there is no threat to anyone so who is fighting with whom and for what? It cannot be termed ‘jehad’ in any sense,” the Imam later told DNA.

“Tamaam Muslim jammat ayesi vardaaton ki mukhalfat karti hai” (The whole Muslim community condemns such a ghastly act), he reiterated, adding people from all religions were affected by the blasts.

Tuesday’s blasts included 12 Muslims among the dead and 30 in the list of injured, a spokesperson of the Rajasthan Muslim Forum said. He said businesses of several traders from the community were also hit. “Terrorists don’t have any religion and they just want to disturb communal harmony in otherwise peaceful nations like India. At least 20% of the Muslim community suffered due to the blasts. Where is the jehad?” he wondered.