Using flower power to ensure peace

District admin officers, civil defence members offered roses to “Namazis” who Tile Wali Masjid and four other mosques in Lucknow to offer prayers on Friday

The district administration offered roses to “Namazis” who visited Tile Wali Masjid and four other mosques to offer prayers on Friday. The aim was to ensure that prayers pass off peacefully. Reciprocating to the nice gesture, the “Namazis” too offered flowers to the officers on duty and assured complete support in maintaining law and order.

Members of civil defence distributing flowers to the Muslim devotees during the Friday Namaj at Tile Vali mosque in Lucknow on Friday. (DEEPAK GUPTA/HT PHOTO)

At the heavily guarded Tile Wali Masjid, officers of the Lucknow district administration and members of civil defence could be seen offering roses to the Muslims visiting the mosque to offer prayers.

“It’s nice on their part. This city and country belong to us also. We will not do anything that would breach peace and disturb law and order situation,” said Mohammed Bilal, one of the “Namazis”, who came to offer prayer at the mosque. Surprised by the move, many other “Namazis” too said “they will support the district administration in maintaining law and order”.

“This is what Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb for which the city of nawab is known for. It’s nice on the district administration’s part that they offered flowers and welcomed us. We too offered them flowers and prayed for peace and communal harmony in the country. We assured complete support to the district administration in maintaining law and order situation,” said Maulana Wasif Hasan, co-Mutwalli, Tile Wali Masjid.

Amarnath Mishra, chief warden, civil defence, said, “It was an attempt to lighten the atmosphere and to fortify the city’s own Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. It was a bid to tell our Muslims brethren that we are there for them and we stand united.”

Mishra said the “Namazis” appreciated the initiative. He said a similar exercise was carried out at four other mosques in the areas, including Bulaki Adda, Maulvi Ganj, Yahiyaganj, where too they got a good response. The “Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb” refers to the fusion of Hindu and Muslim cultures found in the central plains of northern India.

In Kanpur too, members of Christian community and those of the civil society offered flowers to “Namazis” at Yatimkhana mosque.