Shias protest western powers, Sunnis stay away

Varanasi, July 10 (UNI) Shia Muslims in large numbers took to the streets here today to protest what they alleged an evil axis of the US-Israel and Britain against Islam.

Led by Shia cleric Maulana Ahmad Hassan, Shia Muslims from Madanpura, Benia, Doshipura, Alaipura and took carried out a protest march to the Varanasi district headquarters.

The protest march turned into a public meeting at the district headquarters where the speakers alleged an evil axis of the US-Britain and Israel against Islam in the name of countering terrorism in Iraq.

''Our places of worship are being attacked only at the behest of the three nations who are working against Islam by conspiring the trifurcation of Iraq,'' Maulana Hassan said.

The speakers also took great exception to Britain awarding a knighthood to controversial novelist Salman Rushdie. ''By bestowing a knighthood on Mr Rushdie, who is detested by Muslims for his blasphemous writings, Britain has proved it is with the US and Israel in hurting the setiments of the followers of Islam,'' he added.

Later, the protestors handed over to City Magistrate K N Singh, a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister through Varanasi District Magistrate, demanding the country reconsider its growing ties with the three nations. The protestors also demanded the Government of India also raise these issues of Islamic concern at the United Nations.

Showing support to the cause of the Shia community, traders from the same community downed their shutters and also hoisted black flags atop their terraces.

The Muslim agitation, though, suffered a setback when the Sunni community which was to join the Shias in the massive protest, backed out from the agitation at the eleventh hour by claiming the Shia Muslims had changed the entire manner of protest by going for closure of shops and hoisting of black flags atop terraces.

Earlier, yesterday supreme Muslim cleric of Varanasi Mufti-e-Banaras Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani alongwith Shia clerics had announced to hold a massive demonstration of Muslims at the district headquarters today against the western powers.

''They did not protest as per the manner agreed at the meeting yesterday. It is for this reason that the Sunni community withdrew its support to the demonstration,'' Maulana Nomani maintained.

UNI