Protests In Mumbai To Condemn Kashmir Killings, Citizens And Religious Groups Unite In Grief And Outrage

Citizens gathered across the city to mourn and condemn the killing of tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam in Kashmir on Tuesday.

Muslims asked mosques in Mumbai to condemn the killings by broadcasting their statements on their public address systems. He said that mosques in Kashmir have been using loudspeakers to declare their empathy with the victims of the attack. "Kashmiri mosques have called the incident 'Qabil E Muzammil' (regrettable). Such statements have been issued before, but rarely broadcast on loudspeakers. This is a big thing. We ask mosques in Mumbai to do the same," said social worker Altaf Patel.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad released a statement expressing their condolences to the innocent people who lost their lives in this attack. "We pray that all the innocent people who have been injured recover soon. Many secular people are saying that terrorists have no religion, so the same terrorists have shot people after asking their name and religion," the VHP said, adding that they have faith in the Indian Army, which will provide justice to the innocents who have lost their lives by killing the terrorists responsible.

The Sunni Jamiatul Ulema and Raza Academy condemned the attack on unarmed tourists who were part of the large flow of visitors into the Kashmir region in recent months. Maulana Syed Moinuddin Ashraf Moin Mian, President of All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema, and Alhaj Muhammad Said Noori, president of Raza Academy, expressed deep sympathy with the affected tourists and their families, praying for their speedy recovery. They also appealed to the nation to maintain peace, unity, and brotherhood.The Wisdom Foundation said that the attack on innocent people was shocking and brutal. "The assault of terrorists violates principles of peace in Islam that instructs if you take an innocent life it is as if you kill all mankind and if you save an innocent life, it is as if you save mankind (5:32)  As angonised citizens we demand that those behind these heinous acts must be brought to justice immediately," said Zeenat Shaukat Ali, director general, Wisdom Foundation.

The Inter-Religious Solidarity Council, representing different faith groups, said that the heinous act has deeply wounded the collective conscience of our society, cutting across all religions, castes, and communities. We must remember that no religion—including Islam—condones violence. On the contrary, all faiths, including Islam, uphold values of compassion, love, peace, and justice, the IRSC said in a statement.The terrorists who killed innocent people have gone against the Quranic verse 5:32, which states, “That is why We ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity", the statement added.