New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Al-Qaeda must keep away from Indian Muslims, said Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, president of the All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, India's senior Muslim organisation, in response to Ayman Al-Zawahiri's announcement that he plans to set up a South Asian branch.
In an official press release, Dr Khan said that Muslims "are loyal citizens of their country and they will fight Al-Qaeda if it ever tried to create a presence here."
"Indian Muslims," the statement said, "are protected by the Constitution and laws of India and do not need the dubious help of a foreign terrorist outfit which has caused so much destruction and destabilisation in the Middle East."
For this reason, "Indian Muslims reject the statement of the al Qaeda chief and consider it a disservice to the cause of the Muslims of South Asia who do not require such meddling in their affairs by a foreign terrorist outfit."
Likewise, the statement "appealed to the Indian Muslim youth to be careful and chase away any dubious character trying to propaganda Al-Qaeda thoughts which do not belong to the enlightened and moderate mainstream Islam."