HYDERABAD: This past Sunday, Hyderabad’s St George’s Church saw a rather unusual guest addressing the 300-odd Christians assembled for the morning worship service. An Imam was speaking of peace, more precisely, condemning the ghastly terror attack in Sri Lanka that killed over 200 -- mostly Christians and international tourists.
As many churches in the city wore a gloomy look after the suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka, the city’s Muslim clergy and scholars came together and spoke of religious harmony at various churches in the city.
While the sermons delivered by fathers and pastors were of unity and peace, the Muslim leaders expressed solidarity and condemned all forms of terrorism. During the worship service, Shaikh Mirza Yawer Baig, an Imam of Masjid Mahmood Habib in Banjara Hills along with other Muslim clergy and scholars, visited the church.
With flowers ready for distribution, as a symbol of peace, and placards that read of spreading ‘unity’, the group thought to meet the members of the church after the service. However, the pastor of the church invited the Imam to address the congregation.“God is one, whatever name you call or however way you worship. But as far as this world is concerned, we are brothers and sisters to one and other,” said Baig, during his address.
“We must stand firm and together and if we allow hate messages of the terrorists to reach us, they will succeed. We cannot let them succeed,” a determined Baig said, while recounting his school days at St George’s Grammar School, when he learnt The Lords Prayer, a customary prayer of the Christians.Resident presbyter of St George’s Church, M Prashanth Babu, said, “They (Muslim scholars) came in the morning and asked if they could meet the members. But we invited them to speak. They were extremely sad with what happened in Sri Lanka and preached the message of peace.”
Even US Consulate General, Katherine B Hadda, was present during the service as she spoke about, “...evil that is striking people as they worship,” and asked people to stand together.The Muslim group was led by Mecca Masjid society vice-president Iqbal Jaweed, architect Khaja Asif Ahmed and members from student Islamic organisation. They are planning to hold a candlelight vigil at St Mary’s Church on May 5.
Meanwhile, members of Christian churches in the city demand of door frame metal detectors to be placed for security checks.