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Bukhari pledges support to Taleban

Basharat Peer in New Delhi

Amidst anti-American and pro-Taleban slogans, Delhi's chief Muslim cleric, Shahi Imam Syed Ahmad Bukhari pledged his support to the Taleban of Afghanistan.

Bukhari who had earlier called America the biggest terrorist, was venomous in his rhetoric directed against the United States and Israel.

He was addressing a gathering of a few hundred Muslims before the Friday prayers at Jama Masjid, the biggest mosque of Delhi.

He criticised the attacks on Afghanistan, claiming that hundreds of women, men and innocent children were being killed in these attacks by the American and British forces.

"These attacks on Afghanistan broke all the records of previous records of brutality and savageness. They can be rightly termed as terrorism," Bukhari said.

Terming the attacks on Afghanistan as attacks on Islam, Bukhari said that he was of firm belief that Afghans would foil such attempts, 'meant to defame Islam and Muslims in the disguise of suppression of terrorism'.

Bukhari also urged the Organisation of Islamic Conference to send a delegation to Afghanistan, to examine the loss of lives and properties and present the report to the Muslim world.

OIC had sent a delegation recently to the United Nations and America.

He urged the OIC not to support the attacks on Afghanistan.

Bukhari made references to Palestine and Iraq and questions as to why America cannot see terrorism anywhere except in Islamic countries.

"In Palestine three generations have been spoiled by the continuous terror and tyranny during the last fifty years. But America goes on supporting the Israel monetarily and militarily," he said.

He invoked Afghan history to predict that Americans would perish in Afghanistan in the same fashion as Russia did.

He also criticised Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his stand on the current crisis.

Bukhari alleged that while justifying the attacks on Afghanistan, Vajpayee had said that those who criticise the attacks would have to face consequences.

"I ask, if there is any clause in the Indian constitution that mentions that the opposing America is anti-national. If there is not a clause like that then every citizen of India has a right to differ with the government on any issue," Bukhari said.

Bukhari and his supporters were also disallowed from taking out a protest march to the US embassy.

Delhi Police refused permission to the imam who planned to march from Old Delhi's Jama Masjid on the ground that it might create a law and order problem. A heavy police deployment was made in the entire old city area and the Jama Masjid and its peripheries virtually cordoned off.

Everyone going towards the mosque was searched as the police personnel in riot gear maintained a strict vigil to prevent any untoward incident.

However, a protest demonstration was held inside the premises of the Masjid

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