Muslim clerics, leaders call for unarmed Muharram processions

Several Muslim clerics and leaders in West Bengal have appealed to the community to refrain from carrying arms during Muharram processions.

Maulana Mohammed Shafique Qasmi, the Imam of Nakhoda Masjid, which is the principal mosque of the city, Thursday said he has appealed to the people of the community to refrain from taking out processions during Muharram on Friday as it is against the tenets of Islam.

"It is not merely about armed processions. We have appealed that processions should not be taken out as it is against the laws of Islam. No where in our Islamic laws is there the mention of taking out armed processions during Muharram," Maulana Qasmi told PTI.

Maulana Rizvi of the Shia community echoed him on carrying arms but expressed a different opinion on taking out processions during Muharram.

"We take out processions because it is the time of mourning. We express our sorrow when we take out the processions. But we (Shia) are not in favour of carrying arms during Muharram processions and neither do we do so," he said.

For the Shias, Muharram is a major religious festival to commemorate the martyrdom of al-Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who died at the Battle of Karbala in AD 680. They take out processions to mark the day.

Sunni Muslims commemorate the day through voluntary fasting.

Trinamool Congress MP Idris Ali too has appealed to the people to refrain from carrying arms in Muharram processions.

Md Kamruzzaman, the general secretary of All Bengal Minority Youth Federation, too urged the people to observe Muharram peacefully.

The state BJP leadership welcomed the appeals made by the Muslim clerics and said it was the effect of Ram Navami celebrations in Bengal for the past few years.

"As Hindus in Bengal are getting united, the TMC is feeling threatened as its government stands on the pillar of vote bank politics. That is why the party's leaders have engaged in damage control," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.