Muslims, too, victims of serial blasts

JAIPUR: The dark memories of the serial blasts refuse to fade for Muslim professionals, who say they too were victims of terror. Many of them were illegally detained for weeks by police in connection with the blasts. A year has passed but they are still struggling to regain their respect and dignity. For Amanullah, a government ayurvedic doctor at Pali (Bagri Tehsil), life turned upside down when he was detained by police. Later, he was let-off for want of evidence. "My neighbours stay away from my family, they don't even recognize our presence when we are around. It is difficult to work under such conditions, which include lewd comments from my colleagues, patients and neighbours," said an agonized and long-suffering Amanullah. Another victim, Rashid Hussein a former IT employee who was illegally detained by the police. "Nine days of captivity in police custody has destroyed the professional success and reputation I had earned in the past 19 years," said a devastated Hussein. He was interrogated for nine days before the Special Investigation Team released him. The joy of freedom lasted only for a week, when his company asked him to leave on ineffectual grounds. "I was about the get a senior position in my organization. But after my detention their attitude changed and they sent me on a forced leave for two weeks, before they terminated my services," said Hussein. He was among the volunteers who had rushed to the hospital to help the blast victims unaware that he too, could become a victim. "I met almost 150 blast victims in our camp at the SMS Hospital and shared their pain," said Rashid. "It was disheartening when people without knowing the truth branded me a terrorist and a traitor. Though, I was given a clean chit, many of my near and dear one's have kept away from me," added Rashid. His relatives who stay abroad, insisted that he migrate to the Middle East for better prospects. "I refused their offers. I wanted to live here and I will fight till I regain my lost position," said the confident IT engineer. He has managed to get a job of a teacher in a private college but alleged that the victimization of educated Muslim youth is part of a larger conspiracy against the Muslim community to alienate them from the mainstream. A similar treatment was meted out to other Muslim educated youths who had to face double victimizationlabelled as terrorists by the police and harassed by their colleagues and employers. The doctor duo Abrar Ali and Anwar Hussein's arrest was considered a big success by the investigating agencies who claimed to have solved the blasts case. Later, they were released due to lack of evidence. Abrar and Anwar appeared for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences exams. They demanded that the real culprits be arrested. "The police should think of the implications before they arrest innocents," they said. Both said that their friends had stood up for them in their hour of need.