Culture of peaceful co-existence will continue, say Muslims in UP

Muslims in Ayodhya and the rest of Uttar Pradesh welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute and hoped it would bolster the tradition

Muslims in Ayodhya and the rest of Uttar Pradesh welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute and hoped it would bolster the tradition of peaceful co-existence.

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“It is a historic verdict. The court has also given five-acre land to Muslims for construction of a mosque. Since ages, Hindus and Muslims have lived together and this culture will continue,” Dr HS Mehandi, a dentist in Ayodhya, said.

Giving a guarded response, a trader in the pilgrim town, Mohammad Farid, said, “We welcome the Supreme Court decision. But we are not fully satisfied with the verdict. After the verdict, our prime concern is to maintain peace and harmony in Ayodhya.”

Laying stress on harmony, Farid’s wife Ruksana, said, “The court verdict must be acceptable to all whether they agree with it or not. This is necessary to maintain peace and harmony in the country.”

In Gorakhpur, Maulan Nuruzzama Misbahi, principal of the madarsa Zia-ul-Uloom, Gorakhnath, said, “The court’s decision is welcome and should be implemented. Whatever happened is good and in the interest of society. A long-pending dispute between the two communities has finally been resolved.”

Maulana Shaukat Ali Noori, principal, madarsa Meraj-ul-Uloom, said, “Though we honour the court judgment, we are totally dissatisfied with the verdict.”

In Prayagraj, Syed Hassan Raza Zaidi, Imam-e-Juma, Shia Jama Masjid, said, “I appeal to all to accept the decision of the country’s top most court, and maintain peace and harmony in the city and the country.

Prof AR Siddiqui of the geography department, Allahabad University, said: “The court verdict is in the interest of the nation’s harmony, peace and brotherhood.”

In Varanasi, Maulana Haseen Ahmad Habibi, Imam of Shahi Jama Masjid at Badshah Bagh, said, “If there are any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ in the verdict, I urge the people, who feel so, to take legal steps.”

Master Nabi Jaan, a teacher at a madarasa, said, “We already announced we would respect the verdict whatever it is. Now the verdict is out and we respect it.”

In Kanpur, Muslims welcomed the verdict, saying it was time for closure.

Mohammad Salees, convenor of the All India Sunni Ulema Council, said, “The fire that the British ignited to divide Hindus and Muslims has finally been put out.”

Maulana Hamid Hussain, Shahr Qazi of the Shia sect, said people should maintain peace and harmony.

In Agra, Dr Shiraj Qureshi, president of ‘Hindustan Biradari’, said, “We welcome the judgment because it comes from the Supreme Court. However, the administration should continue its vigil so that nothing is done to provoke any community.”

Faiz-ul-Hasan, former president of the Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union (AMUSU), said, “The Supreme Court is the highest court of the nation and every citizen is bound to abide by rule of law. The AMU campus has been peaceful and we hope no provocative statement would be made.”

In Meerut, Congress leader Imran Masood said, “I don’t want to comment on how the BJP will present it but for us it’s a verdict of the Supreme Court which we accept.”

(With inputs from Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Agra and Meerut)