By TCN News,
New Delhi: Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH), one of the most influential organizations of Muslim clerics, has written an open letter address both to the Prime Minsiter and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, criticizing the methods adopted in terror convict Afzal Guru’s execution.
Condemning the “denial of opportunity of legal remedy to the condemned prisoner by willfully and cunningly blocking information to his family; siege of the whole population of Kashmir and denial of all civil liberties,” JUH General secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani sought to convey the outraged sentiments of Indian Muslims in this regard.
The text of the letter is as follows:
To,
Respected Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji,
Chairperson UPA Government &
The President of AICC
New Delhi
Respected Dr. Manmohan Singh ji
Hon’ble Prime Minister
Govt. of India,
PMO, New Delhi
“The very collective conscience of the society,” which was supposed to be satisfied by imposing the death penalty upon Afzal Guru, appears to be outraged by the manner and procedure of its execution. The letter of 200 eminent academics, legal luminaries, journalists, writers, social workers and human rights activists -constituting the core of the collective conscience of the society- written to the president of India 'in deep anguish, despair but outrage as well', bears testimony to this. In fact the criticism of the jurists, prosecutors, court officials and leaders of political parties, pointing out the gross legal misconduct on the part of the executive, is in marked contrast to the consensus built up over the years for showing no mercy and zero tolerance to the perpetrators of terrorist violence. The various aberrations and contemptuous disregard to established norms of justice, demonstrated by the authorities responsible for carrying out execution the way they have done.
Namely, the denial of opportunity of legal remedy to the condemned prisoner by willfully and cunningly blocking information to his family; hasty and surreptitious execution; denial of last wish; denial of rights of survivors to perform last rights; siege of the whole population of Kashmir and denial of all civil liberties, are charges too serious to be missed by a leader of your stature.As a leader whose sensitivities to the issues of human rights and civil liberties is acknowledged by both friends and adversaries. What an irony that your advocacy of commutation of the death sentence of the killers of India's beloved leader, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, a highly humane and noble gesture, is now being made out to be the mark of double standard and discrimination against a particular community.
Despite being the front line supporter of zero tolerance towards terrorists, irrespective of their religious identity, I feel urged to pass on to you our true feelings and reaction because we feel we have been let down in our struggle against terrorism. As well as in our initiative to build bridges with Kashmiri people and integrate Kashmir.
We believed our humanist Prime Minister, Shri Manmohan Singh Ji, and the symbol of self sacrifice as well as flag bearer of justice and equality, Smt Sonia Gandhi, and stood up with all our might to raise our voices against terrorist violence, to deliver justice to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters.
However, at this juncture, the ominous hanging has burst in our face, entailing fear of terror in times to come.
No one can reproach the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India or the President of India. Their judgment and order is binding, but to implement the judgment in a wrongful manner and show of cunningness, to curb the due process of law, is as contemptuous to the hon’ble court as disobeying its commands.
To further emphasise, let me quote from the same judgment of the honorable Supreme Court, which upheld execution of Afzal Guru:
"The quality of a nation's civilisation can be largely measured by the methods it uses in the enforcement of its criminal law. Of course the means must be as good as the ends and the dignity of the individual and the freedom of the human person must not be sacrificed by resort to improper means however worthy the ends."
We keep looking towards you to see how you ensure that justice is not only done, but it is also seen to be done.
With sincere regards,
Yours sincerely,
Mahmood A. Madani (Ex. MP/RS)
General Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind
1, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,
New Delhi-110002