Muslim trust hopes to build mosque in Ayodhya

By: Irfan Malik

NEW DELHI, India: The chief of the Ayodhya Mosque Building Trust S.A.A. Rizvi expressed his hope the government would allow him to build a mosque on undisputed land in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya in a bid to resolve the temple-mosque row.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency quoted Rizvi as saying that his proposal had the strong backing of Hinduism's four top shankarcharyas (priests).

Rizvi said he had also managed to gain the support of the Hindu hardline Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) and the Rashtriya Swayangsevak Sangh (RSS), a rightwing Hindu ideological mentor of the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party.

“We hope the Trust's proposal will get the union government's nod, paving the way for laying the foundation stone for the Jama Masjid in March,” Rizvi told PTI.

In 1992, the 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya was torn down by Hindu zealots, sparking nationwide riots that left about 2,000 people dead. Hindu activists say Muslim rulers built the mosque after razing a temple marking the birthplace of the god Ram. The dispute is pending before the courts.

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