Religious groups step up anti-violence campaign amid Hyderabad murders

Religious organisations and community elders in Hyderabad have launched meetings and awareness programmes urging people to shun violence amid concerns over recent homicides. Friday sermons and community gatherings are stressing Islamic teachings, tolerance, brotherhood and peaceful resolution of disputes.

HYDERABAD: Amid concerns over a series of homicide cases in the older parts of Hyderabad, religious organisations and community elders have begun holding meetings and awareness programmes to discourage violence and remind people of Islamic teachings against killing.

The All India Majlis Tameer-e-Millat has launched an awareness campaign stressing that killing is prohibited in Islam and urging families, community members and the police to take steps to prevent violence. Several other religious groups have also been holding meetings and using Friday sermons to call for greater brotherhood, tolerance and peaceful resolution of disputes.

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Speaking at a meeting organised under the theme “Islam Mein Qatl Haram Hai” (Murder is prohibited in Islam) at Tolichowki on Sunday, Tameer-e-Millat president Syed Ayub Hussaini said Hyderabad had traditionally been known for its culture of love and harmony and stressed the need to prevent violence from becoming a feature of city life. He said families had an important role in shaping the behaviour of youngsters and urged parents to pay greater attention to their children’s conduct and upbringing.

At the Shahi Masjid, Bagh-e-Aam, khateeb Dr Ahsan Al Hamoomi has also been speaking about the recent murders and urging people to shun violence. In his sermons, he has stressed the need for differences between individuals to be resolved through dialogue and for people to uphold brotherhood and mutual respect.

Mosque committees have been inviting eminent personalities to reinforce the message. Journalist Naseer Ghyas recently delivered a sermon at a mosque in Bandlaguda, urging community members to stay away from vices and teach their children the right understanding of Islam. He said every citizen had a responsibility to ensure the safety of communities and called for disputes between individuals to be resolved through dialogue rather than violence.