'Who says Osama was a terrorist?' - Times Of India

'Who says Osama was a terrorist?' - Times Of India

NEW DELHI: The most wanted terrorist of the world, Osama bin Laden's killing by American operatives in Pakistan has not pleased all in India. A section of prominent Indian Muslim leaders have come to question the claim that Laden was a terrorist.

As the news broke of Osama bin Laden's death in an American operation in Abbotabad in Pakistan, Muslim organisations in India initially reacted with incredulity, citing US operations in Tora Bora as a precedent where claims of Osama's death had later been proved to be false.

It took statements from home minister P Chidambaram and Pakistani MP Sherry Rehman to convince them of the veracity of these reports. Once the news sank in, the prominent Muslim leaders said that Bin Laden was definitely not a terrorist but a one-time American ally with whom relations had soured because he had lost his utility.

Syed Ahmed Bukhari, Imam of Jama Masjid said: "When did any court of law in the world convict Laden of terrorist activities. It is only America's assertion and that of the NATO that he was one. Why should we believe them. As for the government of India's reactions, I would want to know their views on what is happeninhg in Palestine even now when thousands of Muslims are being killed by Israel with the American help. The killing is a continuation of the US interference in Libya, Iraq and Palestine."

Maulana Arshad Madani, president of one faction of the Jamiat-ulama-i-Hind said: "Who created Osama? Americans did to exterminate the Russians. Now that their need has been fulfilled they term Osama who was at one point their best friend, a terrorist. It is symptomatic of the American way of functioning."

There was however some resentment about the fact that he was in Pakistan. Imam Bukhari says it proves the contention that ISI gives shelter to terrorists. "I am not saying Osama was a terrorist but the fact that outfits like JEM and Let have bank accounts in the US show that the Us and ISI jointly sponsor the acts of terrorism in India."