Minneapolis, MN. (May 25, 2007) – The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) condemned last week’s bombing of the 17th century Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, India in a statement released today. The explosion killed 11 people, and injured dozens. At least five more were killed by police in subsequent riots in the city.
Hyderabad is a city of 9 million, 40 percent of whom are Muslim. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. HAF commended the work of the police as they began investigation into what the media are terming an attack carried out by international terrorist networks. This attack, aimed at unsettling the delicate balance of amity between Hindus and Muslims in India, follows last year’s bombing of a mosque in the town of Malegaon in Maharashtra state, which killed at least 37, and which was traced to a banned student Muslim group with connections to Islamist terror networks operating out of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“The destruction of places of worship and slaughter in the name of religion is never justified and such actions violate the ancient values of our traditions,” said Ishanaa Rambachan, member of the HAF working group. “Attacks that target places of worship arouse fear and suspicion among neighbors, and we are confident that this attempt to instigate division in the religiously plural community of Hyderabad will fail.”