Muslim Condemnations

“Today’s terror attacks on the residents of Mumbai are vile and reprehensible and the Illinois Muslim community condemns them without reservation” remarked Abdul Malik Mujahid, Chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the victims’ families.”

India is home to over 200 million Muslims with a centuries long history of peaceful co-existence with India’s Hindu majority and with the other religious minorities such as the Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains. A substantial percentage of the 400,000 Illinois Muslims are from India or are the children of Indian immigrants.

“We are confident that Indian security and law enforcement authorities will return order and security to Mumbai” said Junaid M. Afeef, the Council’s Executive Director.

The Council also noted that India has a sordid history of communal violence that stains an otherwise tolerant and peaceful history of co-existence. The Council urged Indian authorities at the local, state and national level to be vigilant in safe-guarding its religious minorities in the wake of today’s attacks.

“Today’s violence was carried out by extremists and one of our concerns is also that other extremists will exploit it to commit reprisal attacks against more innocent civilians” noted Afeef.

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (the Council) is a federation of over 50 mosques and Muslim organizations throughout the metropolitan Chicago region. The Council’s members collectively represent over 400,000 Muslims. The Council is works to coordinate the activities of the Muslim community as well as provide education, training, networking and advocacy to and on behalf of our member organizations.

# posted by Samana Siddiqui @ 6:25 AM