Tamil Nadu Muslim mob runs amok over cartoon of prophet

Muslim youth in Vellore protest against publication of cartoon
Staff Reporter

It leads to violent incidents; stones hurled at six government buses

Protestors who gathered in front of the office of a Tamil daily on the Chennai-Bangalore Road in Vellore.

VELLORE: Tension prevailed in Vellore as scores of Muslim youth staged a protest against to condemn the publication of a cartoon of Prophet Mohammed in one of the Tamil dailies here on Tuesday. They pelted government buses with stones.

The protestors, who had gathered in large numbers on the Chennai-Bangalore Road, said publication of the cartoon had hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community.

Initially, the protestors staged a “road roko.” The incident took an ugly turn when the protestors pelted stones at the daily’s office. This provoked the police to lathicharge the mob. As the protestors were on the road for more than four hours, normal traffic on the Chennai-Bangalore Road was affected.

25 arrested
Police said they had arrested 25 persons for causing damage to six government buses.

In one of the incidents, three children travelling by different government buses were reported to have sustained injuries. Police said the injured were treated at the Government Hospital at Adugamparai. The police had to resort to lathicharge more than five times to restore normalcy.

The protestors also pulled down the barricades that were put up to control the mob.

Vellore District Collector Dharmendra Pratap Yadav came to the spot and tried to pacify the protestors. Vellore MLA C.Gnanasekaran was present.

Vellore Range Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) T.P.Sundaramoorthy and Superintendent of Police (SP) N.Arivulselvam were present.

Employee arrested
Police said that they have arrested Dilip Kumar, one of the employees of the newspaper, for hurting the religious sentiments of the community.

In Tiruvannamalai, Muslims belonging to various political parties and religious associations gathered in front of Gandhi Statue to condemn the Tamil newspaper.

People belonging to various ‘Jamats’ and those who affiliated to TamilNadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam gathered in front of Gandhi Statue and raised slogans against the newspaper.

Similarly, large number of Muslims staged a protest in Chengam.

Extremist Muslim TMMK to enter Vellore Mosque forcibly

Note: The agitating organization is “Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, whose president, Prof. M.H. Jawahirullah, and treasurer, Mr. Bakker, are ex-SIMI office- bearers”. source

From Wikipedia The TMMK is believed to be controlled by former Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) cadres, who have been implicated in many terrorist acts.[7] The TMMK urged the Union government (the government of India) to lift the ban on SIMI in 2005.[8] Haifa University political scientist David Bukay lists the TMMK as a “fundamentalist and subversive group.”[9]

Activists of the TMMK and the Islamist al-Umma have been known to express communalist sentiments against Hindus in riots and protests. They are regarded as part of a covert network of Islamic Fundamentalist political outfits established in the region.

Security beefed up for mosque in Vellore

Special Correspondent

TMMK delegation urges the ASI to throw the mosque open for worship

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Hindu Munnani to oppose move to permit worship

“Decision could be taken only after a public hearing”

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— Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan

PRECAUTIONARY STEP: Security being provided to the mosque inside the fort in Vellore. VELLORE: Police protection has been provided to the centuries-old mosque inside the fort here for the last one week, following the announcement by the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam that it will organise namaaz (worship) in the mosque on May 9.

The mosque has been out of worship for nearly two centuries, and is a protected monument of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The TMMK announced recently that since there were a temple and a church, both of which were under worship inside the fort, the ASI should throw open the mosque for worship by Muslims. It had also put up boards in different parts of Vellore, announcing its decision to organise namaaz in the mosque on May 9.

S. Vellaiyappan, divisional organiser, Hindu Munnani, Vellore, said the Munnani would oppose any move to permit worship in the mosque since it would lead to breach of peace in view of the presence of the Sri Jalakanteswarar Temple nearby. The Munnani felt that any move to permit worship in the mosque would obstruct procession of deities of Sri Jalakanteswarar Temple inside the fort. Besides, any move to permit worship would be in violation of an assurance purported to have been given by then MP A.K.A. Abdul Samad in the presence of the then Collector D. Gangappa in 1981, that Muslim organisations would not demand permission of worship in the mosque.

Meeting

A delegation of representatives of the TMMK met the Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI in Chennai on Saturday and requested her to permit worship inside the mosque. She has conveyed their request to the Director General of the ASI, New Delhi, who is yet to take a decision. When contacted, Mr. Gangappa told The Hindu over phone from Bangalore that Indian Union Muslim League leaders, A.K.A. Abdul Samad, M. Abdul Latheef and K.A. Wahab, met him in the Collector’s bungalow here after the revival of worship in the Sri Jalakanteswarar Temple in 1981. They requested him to take steps for the revival of worship in the mosque during his tenure as Collector of the then North Arcot district. He told them that according to historical records, the mosque was built for worship by Muslim soldiers of Tippu Sultan.

“I asked them to furnish evidence about the mosque having been in public worship. But at that time, there was no evidence.” Mr. Gangappa said before any decision was taken on permitting worship in the mosque, the ASI should submit a plan to the Collector, who should invite the views of the public. A decision could be taken only after a public hearing. “As far as I am concerned, in my capacity as Collector, I could not pass orders on allowing worship in the mosque at that time, since the IUML leaders did not furnish any evidence.” __END__

Fort prayer row hots up

Tuesday May 6 2008 10:23 IST

VELLORE: The 258-year-old Nawab Mosque, a monument since 1921 under the control of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) at the Vellore Fort, has become a bone of contention between Hindu and Muslim outfits here.

The ultimatum given by the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) that its cadre would enter the mosque forcibly, if ASI failed to allow them for prayer on May 9, has added fuel to the issue.

Police intensified security in and around the mosque on Monday to avert any untoward incidents even as rumours of a bid to conduct prayers before the deadline was flying thick and fast in this Fort City.

The 138-acre Fort houses around 48 government offices, including the Tiruvalluvar University, the famous Jalakanteeshwar temple and the St John’s Church. The ASI has been maintaining the Fort under the Ancient Monuments Preservation and Maintenance Act of 1904.

Local Muslims have been lobbying for the conduct of prayers inside the mosque for many decades, especially as prayers have been held in the church for many years and in the Jalakanteeshwar temple since 1981.

The issue took a political turn when the Vellore Municipality passed a resolution last week supporting the long pending plea by the Muslims. Barring opposition by the MDMK, majority of the parties in the council voted in support of the resolution, which was passed last week.

The parties, including the ruling and opposition Dravidian parties, however, have not yet come out in the open in support of the Muslims or the Hindus, fearing political fall-out.

The Hindu Munnani has already staged a protest against the municipality’s stand, while the Viduthalai Chiruthai Katchi has lent its support for the cause of Muslims.

The Janata Party has demanded the intervention of the Chief Minister in the issue. The tense situation has put the ASI, district administration and the police in a tight spot. – End-

Further information on Extremist TMMK

Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (Tamil Nadu Muslim Progress Conference) is a Muslim non-governmental organization established in the state of Tamil Nadu in India in 1995. Also called the TMMK, it has described itself in news releases as “a mass based” organization.[1]

Activities

In February 2005, the TMMK urged the then-Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram to direct the Wakf Board to send all its communications only in the Tamil language to the administrators of mosques.[2]

A March 2007 rally organized by the TMMK in New Delhi drew support from the Association of Indian Muslims (AIM) of America.[3]

The TMMK has campaigned for the reservation of seats in educational institutions and the ear-marking of entrepreneurship schemes for Muslims in Tamil Nadu as per the recommendations of the Sachar Committee.[4]

A TMMK spokesman, in March 2007, expressed support of the practice of stoning.[5]

The Tamil Nadu Thawheedh Jamaath (TNTJ) has been termed “a breakaway group” of the organization.[6]

Criticism

The TMMK is believed to be controlled by former Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) cadres, who have been implicated in many terrorist acts.[7] The TMMK urged the Union government (the government of India) to lift the ban on SIMI in 2005.[8] Haifa University political scientist David Bukay lists the TMMK as a “fundamentalist and subversive group.”[9]

Activists of the TMMK and the Islamist al-Umma have been known to express communalist sentiments against Hindus in riots and protests. They are regarded as part of a covert network of Islamic Fundamentalist political outfits established in the region.[10][11]

After the 1998 Coimbatore bombings and the communal violence that ensued from it, members of the TMMK were arrested following the banning of the related Jihadist group al-Umma (listed in Extremist Groups) who were directly behind the blasts. Leaders of the Jihad Committee and the TMMK were arrested in a State-wide crackdown. Among those arrested were the TMMK president M.H. Jawahirulla and treasurer G.M. Pakkar. Over the next few days, many activists of the TMMK were arrested at Keezhakkarai, Devakottai, Dindigul, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Nagercoil, Melapalayam and Udumalpet as a precautionary measure.[7][12]

On December 6, 2003, 450 activists of the TMMK were arrested for attempting to instigate a communal riot.[13] Similar arrests were made earlier in 2000 where TMMK members were implicated.[14]

After the 11 July 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings, the TMMK and other Islamist organizations are being closely monitored by authorities for terrorist links.[15]

Suggested Readings

Article on Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam Hindu October 02, 2001,

Jihad in Tamil Nadu

Growth of Islamic fundamentalism in Tamil Nadu