Siege in Sydney

The 17-hour hostage drama at a café in the heart of the Central Business District in Sydney is a shocker (Dec.16). One can imagine the horrendous moments the hapless customers went through when, out of the blue, they were held at gunpoint. The Christmas spirit did give way to horror. One must compliment the Australian Federal Police for ending the siege. The incident should not be treated as an isolated event. When will the day ever dawn when one can walk about freely feeling secure?

Geenu Mathew,Thiruvananthapuram

The series of incidents, in Canada, Bengaluru, Sydney, and now Peshawar, cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents. It is clear that the widespread indoctrination of jihadi elements is going to cause havoc. All like-minded countries have to get together and tackle the issue. As far as the Sydney incident is concerned, the Australian police could have played a waiting game and won the battle of nerves.

A.V. Narayanan,

Tiruchi

Whenever I have visited Australia, I have not felt insecure. I still remember visiting the CBD. The way the hostage crisis played out shows how unpredictable the life situation can get. Man Haron Monis’s depraved act shows his deep disrespect for a country that provided him shelter since 1996.

Preethi Amaresh Rao,Bengaluru

The Sydney siege exposes the vulnerability of all global cities and raises the question of security available to a common man even in the advanced world. The authorities must be congratulated for their efficient handling of the situation. It is a clear message to India that unless enough precautions are put in place, things can spiral out of control.

G. Ramachandran,Thiruvananthapuram

Having a Muslim name doesn’t mean the community is behind extremist acts. Islam never permits violence. Terrorism is a threat to the world and we need to put it down ruthlessly.

Gowher Naz,Lolab valley, J&K

The acts of terror, which include the terrible attack on schoolchildren in Peshawar, have to be the last straw for any moderate and civilised Muslim. Enough of this madness, murder and mayhem. Senseless and inhuman carnage, the indiscriminate blowing up of innocent people and general bloodletting have not only set Islam back to the Dark Ages but shamed every right-thinking Muslim. Several Muslim scholars have said the acts of these militant groups are anti-Islamic. So why have they not been declared non-Muslims, or excommunicated?

No longer should we suffer this disgrace in silence. And it is not enough to voice one’s disgust and disapproval privately. The time has come for all moderate Muslims to denounce these barbarians publicly and vociferously and tell the world that what they do is not in our name.

Mohammed Khan,Mumbai