The New Nation - Internet Edition

Abdul Hameed Yousuf in Mumbai

Thousands of miles away in a village in Patna (Bihar) a young woman is sometimes sobbing, and sometimes crying and weeping loudly. Shabana Perween, 28, lost her husband Mohammad Hussain on November 26 in Mumbai when terrorists sprayed bullets at people at CST Station. Her four-year-old son, Mohammad Raza Hussain, is too little to understand what happened. How will she tell the second child about the tragedy she is carrying in her womb about the tragedy, she thinks and weeps?

Mustaqeem of Jharkhand is among those who lost their dear ones in the bloodiest ever terrorist attack in Mumbai. Six members of his family including his son, daughter, uncle, aunt and two cousin brothers were killed during firing at the same railway station. They were going their home in Jharkhand to celebrate 'Id al-Adha.

The unprecedented attack shook Mumbai badly and belied the common saying among the Mumbaikars that 'Mumbai never stops' as the life of the business capital of India almost came to a halt for a couple of days. The attack not only caused irreparable losses of persons and finance but also raised a question on the capability of India's intelligence agencies.

How the attack unfolded

A group of around 10 terrorists with sophisticated weapons, credit cards and dry fruits reportedly reached Colaba jetty at dusk on November 26 from Karachi after a long voyage. According to one report they got off at Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade, from where they split into four groups towards Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House and CST Station.

The attack started at 9:20 pm when the terrorists opened fire on the passengers at CST Station. Following this, there was a continuous series of firings and explosions throughout the southern Mumbai for the next 62 hours with Taj Hotel, Oberoi Hotel, Hotel Trident and Nariman House the main targets.

Around 188 people were killed, 286 injured and nearly 610 people rescued from Taj Hotel, Oberoi, Trident and Nariman House. In addition, nine terrorists were killed and Ajmal Ali Qasab was captured alive.

Muslim casualties

Of the 188 people killed in the bloodiest ever terrorist attacks 46 were Muslims and among the 286 injured were 37 were Muslim. This clearly demonstrates that religion was not on their mind of the terrorists.

Mumbai Muslims didn't allow burial of terrorists in the city

Some Muslim organisations refused to bury the nine terrorists in Muslim graveyards saying they were not Muslims as they committed this , what they said was, clearly un-Islamic and barbarous act.

The President of the Muslim Council of India, Ibrahim Bhai, demanded the authorities of Jame' Masjid Trust not to allow bury the terrorists in Bada Qabrastan. The Trust supervises over the Qabrastan (cemetery), situated in L T Marg Police Station area, and takes care of abandoned Muslim corpses.

Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, President of Ulama Association, Maulana Athar Maulana, and Zaheer Abbas Rizwi, a Shi'a leader also expressed the same opinion. The Muslim Council of India also requested the Muslim authorities to not allow interring terrorists anywhere in Mumbai.

However, Trustee of the Trust, Hanif Nakhande, said, "Personally, I agree with the opinion of the Council but according to Shari'ah, you cannot stop burying a Muslim in a Muslim graveyard, even if the deceased has been greatest sinner."

Muhammad Yahya, Crawford Market, said, "The decision of the organisations is right because the terrorists were not Muslims; they reportedly drank wine."

Muslims rush to help terror victims

The attack was on whole of India. Muslims being its loyal citizens naturally felt the pain of the mother land and offered assistance to those affected by taking the injured to hospitals and providing the needy people with financial assistance.

A Muslim youth, Rehan, 18, kept himself busy carrying the injured and the corpses from CST station to St George Hospital from 10 to 12 pm on November 26.

Rehan said, "I live near St George Hospital. When I heard shootings and explosions at CST I hurried to it and found many corpses lying on ground and injured moaning with pain. I was stunned. Suddenly my sight caught the glimpse of a hand cart. I started taking the cadavers to the hospital and carried almost 10 to 12 corpses one by one. Later I remained busy helping the corpses to be loaded at stretcher in the hospital."

Within hours of the terrorist attack several Muslim organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maharashtra, the Students Islamic Organisation of India, the Movement for Peace and Justice and Ideal Relief Wing sent a joint team to the city hospitals - J J, G T, St George and Nair - where the injured were being rushed in large numbers. At the hospitals on November 27 morning the team helped the doctors and distributed relief materials among the injured and their families

Are Muslims feeling insecure?

Most of the Muslims contacted by The Muslim News do not feel insecure even after the Mumbai attack. They say they are used to witnessing such terror acts.

Ahmad Bhai of Dharavi labeled the attacks as political natak (drama) and said that people have become used to them. "'Why should they be afraid of their habit?"

Usman Bhai Bagwale, Nawaz Ahmad and Muhammad Musa Panwale of Mahim East never feel insecure because they said the death will must come sooner or later.

But Abdur Rahman, a timber businessman in Dharavi, does feel insecure. "'Muslims always feel insecure. The Mumbai attack has increased it," he said.

"We are afraid. If we go out of our residence we are not sure of coming back," said Shaikh Danish of Dharavi.

Death of ATS officers and fate of Malegaon probe

In the Mumbai attack, three Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) officers of high rank also lost their lives. Hemant Karkare ATS chief, and his two assistants, Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar, are said to have fallen prey to a "planned conspiracy".

ATS under Karkare's leadership produced solid evidence against terrorists from the Hindu community during its investigation of Malegaon September 29 terrorist bombing case. Two days before his assassination he received a call from an unknown person in Pune (cultural capital of Mahrashtra) threatening to bomb his house.

Karkare was reportedly shot dead along with his two officers near Cama Hospital whilst sitting in a police Qualis (make of a car) instead of his own car. There are the reports that their killers were speaking fluent Marathi (the language of Maharashtra state).

Noticeably the death of Karkare will surely affect Malegaon Investigation. The Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal admitted at a press conference on November 28 that, "The death of an officer like Hemant Karkare is a strong blow to the country. It will badly affect the activities of ATS."

KP Raghuvanshi who has been temporarily appointed in the place of Karkare is said to be pro-Sangh Parivar (coalition of extremist Hindu organisations). Several Muslim leaders have demanded the removal of Raghuvanshi and appointment of an "honest and unbiased officer".

The Mumbai attack has raised many questions in the mind of the public, regarding their security. It remains to be seen whether the Government takes steps to ensure the complete safety of India's citizens.

(Additional reporting from Tarique Anwar in Patna, and Mumtaz Alam Falahi in Delhi. All are journalists for TwoCircles.net)