In India Mumbai Muslims donate blood to Hindu wounded

(13 July 2006): On Wednesday Muslims lined up for hours to donate blood to Hindu citizens who were wounded in Tuesday’s train explosions in Mumbai, industrial capital of India on the west-coast. It was a rare signal of harmony just as fears were increasing that the attacks – likely the responsibility of Kashmir separatists – had re-ignited religious tensions. Abdul Khan, one of dozens of Muslims waiting to donate blood in the lineup in front of the Siddarth hospital in the Mumbai suburbs, Jogeshwari, where one of seven explosions took place, said - “We do not care if a Muslim or a Hindu receives our blood, the important thing is that it saves lives.” Pasha Mian Sheikh who opened the doors of the ‘Islamia Arabia’ mosque to offer shelter, food and water, said - “Whoever tried to break our harmony has failed. Hundreds of Muslims showed courage and harmony yesterday helping their Hindu brothers,” he added. This feeling was shared by a Hindu, Manohar Kargaonkar who said, “Hindus and Muslims yesterday walked hand in hand. Reading a newspaper, you always find that Muslim terrorists are responsible for subversive activities. But these people are showing us what brotherhood is”.