By Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 18 Dec 2014: The savagery at Peshawar school killing over 100 children has been condemned throughout the country with President and Prime Minister leading from the front.
President
President of India Pranab Mukherjee expressed deep anguish and strongly condemned the killing of innocent school children and teachers by terrorists in the Army Public School, Peshawar on 16th Dec.
The President said such heinous acts are against all tenets of humanity. They are nothing but a manifestation of the extreme evil that terrorists are capable of. The world community must unite and redouble efforts to root out terrors from every country and society.
Prime Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned in the strongest terms the brutal terrorist attack saying this savage killing of innocent children, who are the epitome of the finest human values, in a temple of learning was not only an attack against Pakistan, but an assault against the entire humanity.
PM Modi spoke on telephone to Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif late in the evening the same day soon after Sharif returned from Peshawar to Islamabad. He said that the people of India shared the heart-rending pain and sorrow of the bereaved families and the people of Pakistan and stood with them in solidarity in this hour of immeasurable grief.
He told Prime Minister Sharif that this moment of shared pain and mourning is also a call for our two countries and all those who believe in humanity to join hands to decisively and comprehensively defeat terrorism, so that the children in Pakistan, India and elsewhere do not have to face a future darkened by the lengthening shadow of terrorism.
An injured student being taken out of the Peshawar school attacked by terrorists on 16 Dec. 2014
Individuals and institutions in India have also condemned the Peshawar attack.
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University while strongly condemning the barbaric and inhuman massacre of innocent school children of Army Public School by the Taliban said this is not only an assault on human lives but also vicious attack on modern educational values.
The Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor, Lt General Zameeruddin Shah and the entire University Community have expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the martyred children.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
“Islam calls for protection of man’s life and property. It does not like wrongful killing of a single person. So such act cannot be linked with Islam. Those who are executing such acts in the name of Islam, they must know they are wrongly using its name. They have no right to do it. Those who are acting against the teachings of Islam cannot use its name for such act,” said Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari
“No big Muslim organizations and leaders have lent support to such terrorist organizations like ISIS or Taliban. No important Muslim leader or organization in India has ever supported these groups.” He added.
Aaghaz-e-Dosti
Aaghaz-e-Dosti, a civil initiative for promoting friendly relations between India and Pakistan, also expressed its support and solidarity with people of Pakistan.
Aaghaz-e-Dosti said it was cowardly and inhuman act. “We offer our deepest condolences to people who lost their lives and extend our sympathy and support to families of victims.”
“We feel that terrorists must get severe punishment and the government of Pakistan must do all its efforts to curb terrorism. We also see that there is a responsibility of people too, to register their protest against the incident and to oppose the act of terrorists. The Government, civil society of Pakistan and common people must also see the various ways to counter the strategy and acts of such terrorist outfits,” it said.
Jamiat Ulema-e Hind
Mehmood Madani, president, Jamiat Ulema-e Hind, described the attack as “barbaric” and said the act was “indescribable”.
Maulana Mahmood Madani
“It is an inhuman attack and cannot be tolerated. It must be dealt with strongly. Islam does not allow this. Those who indulge in such despicable acts are doing disservice to Islam,” Madani said.
Khudai Khidmatgar
Khudai Khidmatgar on Wednesday condemned the Peshawar killings by organizing a candlelight vigil at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, shrine of the sufi saint, in New Delhi. People from all walks of life including professionals, college students as well as little children participated in the commemoration. They were holding placards in their hands that displayed the message of love, peace and humanity. The commemoration meeting ended up with some key note speeches.
Speaking to the participants, Khudai Khidmatgar leader Faisal khan expressed his deep sorrow over the killings of innocent children in Pakistan. He said, “It’s a high time everyone should come up and be vocal against any kind of terrorism being done in the name of religion.”
He further added that the Terrorism is not related to any particular religion or community but comes from the brainwashing of some people by the power hungry men. He also said that the best way to be secure from the menace of terrorism is to spread love and brotherhood in the society.
Maulana Fateh Nadvi, a prominent member of Khudai Khidmatgar, said that it is really disheartening that now the small children are being targeted by the terrorists to achieve menial ends.
Lakshmi, a poor little girl from an orphanage, also came up and expressed her sorrow saying that we must start loving each other from today only. Then only peace can be promoted everywhere.
All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat
Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, President, All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, while condemning the killing of school children termed Taliban as a blot on Islam.
Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan
“We don’t have words to condemn such barbaric act and savagery. Words look small to condemn them. If they (Taliban) wanted to fight they should have fought with army or police, there is no justification of killing of innocent children. It has nothing to do with humanity, leave aside Islam,” said Dr. Khan.
Rajasthan Muslim Forum
An umbrella body of Muslim organizations in Rajasthan, the forum organized a protest demonstration in Jaipur on Wednesday condemning the Peshawar terrorist attack.
Mohammad Salim Engineer and Qari Moinuddin leading the protest demonstration in Jaipur on 17 Dec 2014.
Addressing the demonstrators, Mohammad Salim Engineer, national secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind strongly condemned the massacre and termed it as an attack on humanity. He said Islam does not allow targeting unarmed people, children, elderly and women even in wars. Such attacks seem to be conspiracy to defame Islam, he said.
Qari Moinuddin, Convenor of the forum said those who killed the innocent children are not human, they are beasts.
