Everyone Praised the Imam but No One Bothered to Report His Full Statement

By Mahdi Hasan Aini Qasmi

The only thing that is being reported by the media is the appeal to his followers by Maulana Imdadullah Rashidi, the Khateeb of Noorani Masjid Asansol to remain calm and maintain peace and not to retaliate following the brutal killing of his son Hafiz Sibghatullah Rashidi. However no one seems to have felt his pain; nor has anyone taken notice of what he had said as a mourning father.

Describing the cold blooded murder of his minor son he said, ‘On 28 March he had gone to the mosque to read Qur’an. Upon hearing the commotion he went out to find out what was going on. The mob then dragged and took him away with them.’

‘My elder son went to police station to report the incident and seek their help in recovering his brother. But the police after verifying the identity of the child taken away, instead of helping him in anyway behaved in objectionable manner and locked him up in the prison cell. Our local councillor somehow managed to have him released by the night.

The Imam added, ‘My elder son went to police station to report the incident and seek their help in recovering his brother. But the police after verifying the identity of the child taken away, instead of helping him in anyway behaved in objectionable manner and locked him up in the prison cell. Our local councillor somehow managed to have him released by the night.

‘In the morning we were informed that a dead body had been brought  in the hospital. That dead body was of my son. I am trying to resist my tears but cannot do so. My son’s finger nails were pulled and torn off and he was burnt. He was attacked with knives. Blood was still oozing out  of his body even he was  dead. They had killed my son no doubt but at least they should not have burnt his body.’

Even after going through such a tragedy, the Imam tried to and succeeded in mollifying the angry mob [that was bent upon retaliating] and led it by example. It was an example of great self-control and nerves and mountain-like strong character and faith he displayed was exemplary. But should the case file relating to the murder of Sibghatullah Rashidi be now closed? Should his family maintain silence and say nothing more without his murderers being brought to justice?

How outrageous and shameful has been police’s conduct in this whole episode? Should the culpability of the murder of this innocent teenager not be determined? Why are human rights bodies and advocacy groups silent?

Indeed the police has ultimately now registered the case. But if the case is not fought strongly in the court of law one wonders how many more innocent youths would be preyed upon by the terrorists. Therefore, this is the duty of Muslim organisations to respect the bereaved Imam’s feelings and pressurise the administration and the police to meet the demand of justice and bring the killers to book and make sure that they get death sentence for mob lynching and burning the deceased so that no one is mob lynched and killed again as brutally as Sibghatullah was and no other father has to shed tears on the death of his minor son and no brother has to bear the loss of a brother like Ataullah has had to.

Translated by Urdu Media Monitor.Com from UNA News