BOMBAY, 19 July 2006 — The Hindu fundamentalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which has kept a low profile following the Tuesday’s train blasts, took everyone by surprise by extending a hand of friendship to the Muslims.

Following statements by RSS chief K. Sudarshan that RSS was receiving good support from “patriotic” Muslims, the Nationalist Muslim Front, a newly formed RSS Muslim outfit, is hoping to build bridges of understanding between “patriotic” Muslims and the Saffron brigade in Pune.

The convener of the meeting, Latif Magdum, a former youth Congress leader told “Arab News” that a meeting of RSS leaders and Muslims has been organized on July 20 in Pune, a first fledgling step in helping to bridge the gap between the two communities.

Meanwhile a three-day high profile RSS convention kicked off here yesterday and more than 200 key officials attended.

Surprisingly, the BJP an ally of the RSS, was not even aware of the convention. Several BJP leaders, who otherwise are enthusiastic to demonstrate their RSS links, were kept in the dark about the meet. “It’s a convention of the RSS officials and the BJP has no business to be here,” said a RSS official.

RSS chief Sudarshan and General Secretary Mohan Bhagwat are to address the convention. The RSS chief is expected to pronounce a new framework for the party workers in order to strengthen the organization at its grass root level and may also make clear the RSS stand on the recent bomb blasts.

A RSS official said that though the convention is just a routine meeting of the organization, the issue of rising terrorist activities would definitely be discussed here.

Meanwhile city Muslim leaders while condemning the Bombay blasts said that it was unfair to point fingers at Muslims. “It would be unfair to brand Muslims as “terrorists” based upon mere speculations that a few suspected involved in the blasts belonged to the community” they said.

Munawar Peerbhoy, chairman of Haji Ghulam Mohammed Azam Education Trust, termed the acts of terror to be against the true spirit of Islam and called for strictest punishment to those found guilty in the gruesome blasts. Peerbhoy said: “There is a lurking fear that the entire community might be targeted owing to recent blasts. Muslims are law-abiding citizens and devoted to cause of their motherland.”

Stating that Islam is a religion of peace and denounces terrorism in any form, Peerbhoy said, “Terrorism is a crime against humanity and Islam is a religion that means “peace”.

Syed Saeed Ahmad, president of Raabta Foundation, said “As Muslims we strongly condemn the terrorist attacks in Bombay and offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed. However, the government should take ample steps to ensure that innocent Muslims are not targeted.

Eminent educationist P.A. Inamdar, president of Maharashtra Cosmopolitan and Education Society, said: “The feeling that community is jittery is completely false. So far no one has been caught. Criminals don’t have religion and how can a community be held responsible for these acts? Only those who don’t have knowledge about composite culture say that the community is jittery.”