MUMBAI COPS GET LESSONS ON UNDERSTANDING MUSLIMS

Mumbai Police is now making systematic efforts to understand the Muslim community. As a result, all personnel of the Muslim section of Special Branch I at the city’s police headquarters and two staffers of this branch from each zone attended a recent day-long workshop at Police Club hall. The initiative was taken by additional commissioner (Special Branch I) Sunil Ramanand even before the Ahmedabad blasts. The task of Special Branch I is to gather political intelligence. Ibrahim Tai, a noted social Muslim social worker and trustee of the Muslim Council Trust, collaborated with the police. “I got Maulanas from Barelvi, Deobandi, Ahle Hadees and Shia schools of Islam to talk about their respective sects. Policemen asked several interesting questions about the intricacies of Islam,” an English daily on July 31 quoted Tai as saying. “It was a welcome exercise which I hope will help the police understand the Muslim position on many issues confronting the community.” More such workshops will be conducted in the months to come and also help the police network better with the community and understand various undercurrents.