The community was worried when some girls from a madrasa shouted slogans seeking revenge outside a police station a few months ago. “That really got us worried. We immediately contacted the madrasa, which is run by Abdul Aleem Islahi and told him to restrain and counsel the girls,” Qureshi said.

“We monitor youths, keep a watch on them during public functions and move into action if we find youths getting friendly or hobnobbing with strangers who arrived in the city recently,” said Abdul Latif, a social activist of Mughalpura.

Muslim groups have also started organising seminars and lectures, especially on terrorism and how the community should deal with it. “Many find it surprising, but we tell our youth that there are democratic ways to seek justice if they have been wronged by the police or the Government,” added Latif Mohammed Khan, secretary of Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee.

Khan said that he interacts with youth who are angry over police atrocities, illegal detention, torture in police custody and want to avenge all that. “When they complain that they have been wronged, we dig out instances of people who have gone through similar circumstances and dealt with it peacefully. We counsel them that they are not the only victims,” Khan added.

The oft-repeated example is that of Unani medicine student Ibrahim Ali Junaid who was picked up for questioning after the Mecca Masjid blast and allegedly tortured. “He is a perfect example of a youth who was illegally confined by police without any evidence due to which he lost one academic year and faced the stigma of being labelled as a terrorist. He was seething with anger and would have easily fallen prey to terror groups looking for recruits. But we counselled him and provided emotional and psychological support. On his behalf, we filed a petition against the police and claimed damages,” Khan said.

... contd.