IMRAN MUZAFFAR
Srinagar, Mar 23: A prominent Valley based religious organization, the Muthida Ulema-e-Ahli Sunnat, (MUA) on Friday threatened to launch an agitation if Government failed to arrest the attackers of noted religious personality Peer Jalal-ud-din of Batmaloo here.
 “There have been many attacks on religious scholars and Ulema in recent past. We will take to streets if the accused are not arrested soon,” said Chairman MUA Ghulam Rasool Hami. He was addressing a press conference in wake of recent attack on Peer Jalal-ud-din.
 “Attacks on religious personalities are aimed at dividing the Muslim population under the garb of sectarianism. Our Ulema are attacked day in and day out but assailants are yet to be arrested,” he said.
 “If the assailant of Maulana Abdul Rashid Dawoodi was identified, why was he spared? We will not keep mum if Government fails to bring attackers of Jalal-ud-din to fore,” Hami threatened.    
 “The proceedings in the assassination of Maulana Showkat Sahib to bring culprits to book have been stopped. The late peer Ahad Sahib was attacked thrice but no one was indicted. The attack on a religious personality is an attack on whole religion,” he said.              
 “Attack on Jalal-ud-din is part of that conspiracy in which great personalities like Qazi Nissar, Abdul Gani Baloori and Maulana Abdul Rashid Dawoodi were martyred. This is high time for government to bring the assailants to justice otherwise people will take action on their own,” spokesman, MUA, Qazi Yasir, said. 
 Yasir said the conglomerate had been playing a significant role in Kashmir’s freedom struggle. “We are also working to eradicate social evils from the society. We are ready to cooperate with police to help them bring to fore the attackers of Peer Jalal-ud-din. But we strongly condemn random arrest made by police in the case,” he said.
 The organization sought role of civil society in addressing the grave issue of attacks on religious personalities. “Why is civil society silent on such attacks?” the spokesman asked.
 Responding to a question, Yasir said they do not blame anyone for the attack. “We can neither blame government nor any sect but to ensure such attacks do not happen in future everybody should come forward,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST