I MISSED my Friday prayers at my block’s mosque recently and so I decided to head for the main mosque in North Nazimabad, Faruq-i-Azam.

It was comforting to hear the imam repeatedly pray for peace in the city and peace all over the world. However, I was shocked to witness something which was an exact violation of the Imam’s words. At the exit, I noticed not less than six Jaish-i-Muhammad representatives proudly announcing their association with the militant outfit and openly asking believers to contribute to their ‘noble cause of Jihad’. Sadly, there was no shortage of contributions.

Why do we continue to support such groups despite their having spilled so much blood? Are we so blind and naive to such hypocrisy in the name of religion?

I hope for the day when imams leading prayers would actually have the courage to openly condemn such elements and have them escorted out of the mosque or turned over to the police.

Taking such a stand I believe is what jihad actually stands for; not the cowardly act of killing innocents and non-Muslims.

I hope the imam is reading and wondering why his prayers for peace have not been answered yet.

ADEEL JAWAID Karachi