2002: Indian Muslim Statements, The Milli Gazette

2002: Indian Muslim Statements
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American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin

AFMI Condemns Attack on Temple in India

New York, Sept. 24, 2002: The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) on Tuesday condemned the storming of the Swaminarayana Temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, by some unidentified armed men and urged the people of the state to remain calm in the face of the fresh crisis.

AFMI's Secretary General, Mr. A. Raheman S. Nakadar, said: "On behalf of the federation, I strongly condemn the dastardly act of the gunmen taking over the temple and killing innocent men, women and children. It is a barbaric and cruel act. The invasion of the sanctity of any religious place or a holy place is against the fundamental teachings of any religion. We request the people of Gujarat to remain calm. We also urge both the Vajpayee government at the center and the Gujarat government to find out who the perpetrators of the crime are, as well as the organizations that is backing them, and take strict action."

A delegation of AFMI had met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his New York visit in the middle of September and had urged him to take action on the issues of the rehabilitation of the Gujarat riot victims as well as ensure speedy compensation. A team of Muslims from the U.S. had also visited Gujarat earlier and conducted their own study on the plight of the victims.

Nakadar said as per the latest reports, the gunmen holed up in the temple had reportedly taken some of the devotees/visitors as hostages. He urged the state government to defuse the situation as quickly as possible without any further loss of innocent lives. He also sought the strictest possible action against the men and the organization which carried out the dastardly act.

American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin
29008 West Eight Mile Road, Farmington, MI 48336, U.S.A.
Tel: 248-442-2364; Fax: 248-478-7054; Email: afmi11@aol.com , www.afmi.org q

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