Clerics call for strike today to protest murder

Sunni Wahdat Council calls for strike in reaction to killing of one of its leaders Maulvi Muhammad Ameen.

KARACHI: The Sunni Wahdat Council has called for a strike on Thursday, today, in reaction to the killing of one of its leaders Maulvi Muhammad Ameen.

The cleric, who was once a worker of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, was shot dead near Naurus Chowrangi by unidentified men on motorcycles as he was going to Jamia Binoria al Alamia. “We request all those who are coming to attend the funeral services of Maulana Ameen, to bring rations for two days with them,” said Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui at a press conference at Jamia Binoria.

Its principal Mufti Muhammad Naeem nodded in support.

Farooqui said that the Sunni Wahdat Council no longer trusted the administration. “We want documented, legal and constitutional promises,” he went on to say.

The funeral prayers for Maulvi Muhammad Ameen would be held at MA Jinnah road near Saeed Manzil today in the afternoon. Leaders of the council, a representative body of the Sunni (Deoband) scholars in the city, strongly condemned the killing.

“They are shedding blood of the Deobandi ulema and no one is taking any action,” said Farooqui, who also leads the Ahle Sunnat wal Jammat. The leaders of the council said they were no longer in a mood to help the administration.

Who killed Maulvi Ameen?

Though police officials said the reason behind the murder was not clear, Mufti Muhammad Naeem and Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui were sure that he was killed because of a tussle over Noor Mosque. Maulvi Muhammad Ameen was the pesh imam of the mosque. Noor Mosque is located in Jubilee and two groups have been fighting over its ownership since the inception of the Sunni Tehreek.

It was in 1992 that both groups signed a truce according to which both parties would use the mosque at different times. However, the pesh imam, according to the truce would remain a Deobandi. Since then, Maulvi Muhammad Ameen had been leading prayers there.

Two months ago, a fight broke out between activists. Dozens of men had surrounded the mosque and traded fire. They blamed each other for the attack.

“The government did not arrest the people who were involved in the attack on Noor mosque,” said Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui.

Maulvi Muhammad Ameen, who was killed on Tuesday, graduated from Jamia Binoria (Guru Mandir) and had been teaching at Jamia Binoria al Alamia for the last 15 years.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2010.