Date:10/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/10/stories/2008101060221300.htm

National

Attacks on minorities condemned

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Speakers at a meeting on the attacks on minorities expressed concern over the increasing number of violent incidents against Christians and victimisation of Muslims in the name of terrorist activities.

The speakers, including Centre for Story of Society and Secularism head Asghar Ali Engineer, former Minister Basheeruddin Babu Khan, Federation of AP Churches representative Anthony Raj Thumma, Harmony India executive committee member A. Faizur Rahman and High Court advocate L. Ravichander, participated in the meeting organised by CSSS here on Wednesday. Siasat daily editor Zahid Ali Khan chaired the proceedings.

Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer expressed concern that the behaviour of the police did not change in the past several decades.

Education reform

The situation would not change until there was a complete overhaul of the education system preventing text books from promoting bias against Christians and Muslims.

Mr. Rahman said it was time the Hindutva ideologues studied the life of Rammohan Roy whose exemplary response to attacks against Hinduism was to reform it.