Lucknow: Thousands of Muslims in Lucknow Friday offered special prayers for all those who were killed in last week's terrorist attack on Mumbai, and clerics urged people to keep forthcoming Bakr-Eid festivities low key.

The prayers followed the Friday 'namaaz' at two of the city's prominent mosques. The prayers at the Asafi Imambara were led by Shia cleric and scholar Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, who was also senior vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

Maulana Khalid Rasheed, head of leading Islamic seminary Firangi Mahal, led the prayers at the Shah Mina mosque that is patronised by the Sunni sect.

Thousands of Muslims belonging to both Shia and Sunni sects joined the afternoon prayers.

"We prayed for providing strength to the next of kin of all those who lost their lives in the most condemnable terrorist attack on different places in Mumbai where nearly 200 people were killed," Maulana Kalbe Sadiq told IANS.

Said Maulana Khalid Rasheed: "Our prayers called for bringing an end to terrorism across the globe; to keep the country safe from its enemies and to promote communal harmony in the nation."

He added: "As part of a decision taken by our national body, Muslims in some key Indian cities will observe a silent protest against the dastardly terrorist attack on Mumbai on Sunday afternoon."

Apart from Lucknow, the silent protest would be held in Mumbai, Delhi, Bhopal, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Guwahati, he said.

Both Sadiq and Rasheed also urged Muslims to observe the forthcoming Bakr-Eid festival with simplicity and austerity. They have appealed to the Imams (clerics) of all major mosques to make it a point "to educate common masses about how much terrorism is condemned in Islam and to highlight the Quranic tenets condemning any kind of violence or terrorism on mankind".

 

Source : IANS