Silent protest, supplications in Hyderabad mosques for Palestinians

Hyderabad, Oct 13 (IANS) Silent protests to show solidarity with Palestinians and special supplications during Friday prayers were held in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana.

A group of students from English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) staged a protest at Ambedkar statue in central Hyderabad. Police detained the protestors who were raising slogans denouncing Israel for attacking Gaza.

The protestors were carrying placards carrying slogans like ‘Long live Palestine’, ‘Gaza will never die’, ‘Boycott Zionist Israel’, ‘From river to the sea Palestine will be free’.

Police detained the protestors saying there is no permission for the protest.

The city also witnessed silent gatherings by the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) to show solidarity with the Palestinians. The gatherings were held in Toli Chowki, Seven Tombs, Yousufguda, Borabanda, Khilwat, Santoshnagar and Rajendranagar areas.

SIO workers also held a silent gathering at Osmania University. They were carrying placards. ‘Zionism is genocide’, ‘Hand off Al-Aqsa’ and ‘Occupation is the crime, not resistance to it’ read some of the placards.

SIO Hyderabad unit said in a statement that it stands firmly in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance in their struggle for liberation and dignified life.

“We condemn the flagrant mockery of international laws, countless killings and repeated desecration of Al-Aqsa by the apartheid Israel state, which are the causes of the current escalation in the region,” it said.

The SIO urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for the enormous crimes it has been committing against the Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, there were special dua (supplications) during Friday prayers at mosques to pray for Palestinians. In response to a call given by Muslim organizations for observing Friday as ‘Youm-e-dua’, imams during their sermons and after namaz prayed for the people of Gaza and for Al-Aqsa mosque.

Supplications were held at the historic Mecca Masjid, Shahi Masjid and hundreds of mosques in Hyderabad and other towns in Telangana.

An Israeli flag was trampled by the worshippers at a mosque in Saeedabad area. The flag was laid on ground outside the entrance of the mosque and people coming out after prayers were trampling it.

Police had made tight security arrangements near Mecca Masjid. Large number of police personnel and Rapid Action Force were deployed to maintain law and order.