In the wake of the recent car explosion, jamaat and the office bearers of Kottai Easwaran temple met this morning to maintain communal harmony in Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: The Jamaat has appealed to political parties not to use religion for politics as no one can separate the Hindu-Muslim unity in Coimbatore.
The office-bearers of the three Jamaats, including the big mosque, the small mosque and the Kerala Jamaat, in Kottamedu area of Coimbatore, met with the officials of the Kottai Sangameshwarar temple, where the car blast took place, and held discussions this morning.
Earlier, Jamaat functionaries who came to the temple were greeted with angavastram by the temple authorities. Subsequently, Jamaat functionaries interacted with the temple executive officer and the temple priests.
Speaking to reporters later, Coimbatore District Sunnat Jama'ath Federation General Secretary Inayatullah said:
The 100-year-old Fort Big Mosque, the small mosque and the Kerala Muslim Jamaath, the three Jamaat functionaries, who are located in Kottaimedu, met the office-bearers of the Kottai Sangameshwaran temple and interacted with them as part of a visit to communal harmony.
We are aware that a tense situation has arisen among people from different communities following the car blast incident and as Muslims we have been living in Kottamedu for 7 generations. There are mosques on the street where Sangameshwara temple is located in the area.
We have been living together for nearly 200 years by providing hospitality during every festival. In this context, the Kottaimedu Jamaath strongly condemns the incident of the car explosion. Islam is never a religion that incites violence. We preach peace.
We want the people who live here to live in brotherhood as brothers and sisters and live in harmony with the minority majority.
Following this incident, we will work together with the Jamaats in Coimbatore to work together on various commercial issues and with the minority majority people.
We are very clear that we should not be subjected to any kind of religious conflict and politics. With you, we are going to work together to carry forward the motto of 'You with us'. The Jamaat members who came to speak to the temple authorities today were accorded due respect and welcomed.
Let us all come together and make Coimbatore an example of religious peace and communal harmony in Tamil Nadu. We will not allow any kind of terrorism. We will not allow terrorism to happen in any way.
We shared our memories of the priests of this temple playing with us here as a child. They recalled that during special occasions like the chariot, they had fully shut down shops in the area and cooperated.
We recalled that five years ago, when the car festival was held, we had given full cooperation after the car festival had not been held for a long time.
We are used to being brothers and sisters. We've all grown up playing together here. The temple authorities will also come to the mosque soon. In Coimbatore, Hindu-Muslim unity cannot be divided by any force. Political parties said, "Please don't use religion for politics, we are peaceful and let us live peacefully."