'Do not want any other child killed': Asansol Imam who lost his son in violence has message for all

Asansol, 31 Mar 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: For the past few days, Asansol in West Bengal has been in the news for communal violence that broke out over Ram Navami celebrations. While politicians have made irresponsible statements instead of brokering peace, it is the heartbreaking appeal of an Imam, who lost his son in the violence, that has brought tears in the eyes of the nation and helped restore peace in the region.

Clashes broke out during Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal on April 25. On April 27, Sibtulla Rashidi, son of Imam Imdatullah Rashid went missing in the clashes. His body was found the next day at the Asansol district hospital, with injuries on his head and throat. As per reports, he was taken away by a mob and beaten to death, even as police failed to respond on time to the family's call for help.

Tension gripped Asansol as police vehicles were attacked, houses vandalised and buildings torched. The police and the state government seemed helpless as Asansol burned.

It was the words of Imdatullah Rashid that struck a chord with the Muslims who had gathered to retaliate. The Imam addressed a congregation of thousands at the funeral prayers of his son. With his 16-year-old son’s body lying before him, the Imam pleaded for peace in a brief address that left the entire crowd in tears, so much so that all of them returned to their homes.

"I have lost my son. I have not lodged any police complaint. Do not make it an issue. If you love me, then restore peace," Noorani Masjid Imam Imdatullah Rashid said.

The Imam made the impassionate appeal on Thursday when the body of the 16-year-old, who had recently appeared in this year's Class 10 board examination conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, was laid to rest at a burial ground in Asansol in the presence of about 1,000 people.

"My son has died, but I don’t want anyone else to lose his child. If you strike back, I shall leave this town," the Imam told the crowd.

Speaking to The Citizen website, the Imam said he did not want any other child to be killed and for peace to prevail. "My child has lived the life that Allah ordained for him. Now please ensure that no one else's child is killed, that there is peace and amity. If you love him, and me, do not turn to violence, but keep peace.

"It was clear to me that my child had died, there was nothing we could do about that, and it was thus my duty to ensure no other child died, no house was torched, no family bereaved," he said. "Islam is a religion of peace and amity, it does not preach violence and revenge."

The locals, touched by the appeal by the bereaved gather, decided to honour the Imam's words and worked on restoring peace and speaking to both the communities.

"If he could utter those words in such a state of shock, disobeying him would amount to dishonouring him," Prabal Roy Chowdhury, sub-divisional officer of Asansol said.

The industrial towns of Raniganj and Asansol hit the headlines after clashes between Hindus and Muslims erupted in West Bengal since Ram Navami celebrations on March 25.

A man was killed and several injured after Ram Navami procession allegedly tried to enter a Muslim-dominated locality in Raniganj on March 25. Three others also lost their lives in related incidents across North 24 Parganas and Purulia districts around that time.