Hindus, Muslims United In Grief, Against Terror

This is a sheer example of Hyderabadi (Deccani) Ganga-Jamuni culture (tehzeeb), where the citizens forget all communal rivalry and become united in the moment of crisis.

The twin blasts coming soon after hate speeches by Muslim and Hindu leaders may have got the cops mulling a communal line in their investigations also, but leaders from both the communities said they were united in grief, and were one in fight against terrorism. Four Muslims and 12 Hindus lost their lives in the recent blasts and scores have died in five separate bomb attacks since 2007, but it has failed to ignite a communal flare-up, leaders said. 
    
On the day of blast, the Hindu leaders were seen distributing food, medicines and water among patients at Osmania and Omni hospitals, where scores of Hindu and Muslim patients were cringing in pain. 

“When it comes to terrorism, we stand together and we will fight terror together,” said Bhagwant Rao, head of Hyderabad’s Temple Protection Committee.

 “If any Muslim youth is orphaned by the blast or needs any help, we will be the first to help him and provide him job and all sorts of help,” Rao said. 
   
Communal tension was palpable in Hyderabad following hate speeches delivered by MIM legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi and VHP president Praveen Togadia, but both communities were quick to denounce their acts and doused possible chances of a flare-up. 
    
Thursday’s blast and subsequent calm in the city proved politicians playing the religious card or terrorists trying to cash in on such sentiments could not divide people, many Hindu and Muslim leaders said. “We believe that terrorism and its perpetrators have no religion. Terrorists are terrorists and they follow the diktat of senseless violence. I am sure Indians will always remain united against terrorism,” Khaja Arifuddin, chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in AP and Orissa told HNN. 
    

Condemning the ‘despicable’ terrorist attack at Dilsukhnagar, he said that Indians are against all forms of terrorism, whichever quarter they come from. “We know for sure that terrorists and their sponsors are against India. Therefore, we appeal to all Indians—Hindus, Muslims Christians, Sikhs and others—to remain united in this fight,” Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed, President of the state chapter of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind said. He said there are two reasons for the terrorist attacks— one to trigger communal riots and two, to make India weak. “We can defeat these forces only through our unity,” Hafiz Ahmed who is also a member of the legislative council said.