Muslims refuse to bury militants

Muslims refuse to bury militants

The sentiment of Muslims not to bury the terrorists in their cemetery is understandable. It is a good thing to send a signal to the terrorists that their act was shameful and has no place in Islam. They also need to know that the promises made to them about hooris are a false understanding of the verses. I hope it will put a dent in the thought process of some of those who are duped into believing that terrorism is rewarding.

They need to know that their religion does not reward terrorist. It is condemned in Islam. “Killing one life is like killing the whole humanity” and “saving one life is like saving the whole humanity”. There is no offensive war against any one, you can only defend.

However, after making the point, we have to let them be buried with decency; we need to show them our civility. The best among humans are those who forgive and we need to forgive, forgiving relieves one from guilt, pain and anxiety. You are not doing them a favor when you forgive; you are doing the right thing for your psyche and the dead ones.

Revenge and punishment must be left to God. Let’s not carry the burden of the terrorists. We have to bury the dead with civility. It is also a civil Geneva Convention. You don’t trample the enemy soldier when he or she is dead.

Mike Ghouse

Muslims refuse to bury militants
By Zubair Ahmed
BBC News, Mumbai

Indian Muslims say they do not want the gunmen killed by the security
forces during the attacks in Mumbai to be buried in Muslim graveyards.

Community leaders believe the militants cannot be called Muslims
because they went against the teachings of Islam and killed innocent
civilians.

One leader said the militants had "defamed" the religion.

Nine militants died when they stormed targets in India's financial
capital, killing at least 172 people.

'Unprovoked'

In what is perhaps their first openly defiant act against "Islamic
terrorism", Muslims in India have decided they will not allow the
militants to be buried in Muslim graveyards anywhere in the country.

They said that they could not believe that the assailants, who they
said had "killed innocent civilians unprovoked", were true followers
of Islam.

Ibrahim Tai, the president of the Indian Muslim Council, which looks
after the social and religious affairs of the Muslim community in
India, said that they had "defamed" his religion.

"They are not Muslims as they have not followed our religion which
teaches us to live in peace.

"If the government does not respect our demands we will take up
extreme steps. We do not want the bodies of people who have committed
an act of terrorism to be buried in our cemeteries.

"These terrorists are a black spot on our religion, we will very
sternly protest the burial of these terrorists in our cemetery," he
said.

Other Muslim groups have written to their local assembly
representatives to say that if the authorities force the militants to
be buried in a Muslim graveyard, they too will come out on the streets
in protest.

The council move found some support in Mumbai.

One Muslim housewife, Ruksana Sayeed, said: "We Muslims do not even
kill an ant, our religion does not teach all this, we are against all
these terrorists and I completely agree with the Muslim Council's
argument."

However, Naseem Ahmed, a Muslim worker in the city, said the council was wrong.

"They are Muslims and they can be buried even if they have done
something wrong. Our religion does not say that those who have done
evil can't be buried in a cemetery," he said.

The gunmen held dozens of people hostage in two luxury hotels and a
Jewish centre for over 60 hours before they were killed by commandos.

India is believed to have the world's largest Muslim population after Indonesia.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7758651.stm