Ajmal Kasab should have been hanged long time ago: Muslim groups

MUMBAI Muslim groups across Maharashtra welcomed the hanging of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and claimed that action against a person who kills innocent people should have been taken a long time back. "People who come from across the border and murder innocent civilians deserve no mercy. Keeping him alive for so loan after a guilty verdict was passed was in our view a murder of justice. We however welcome this belated measure that was taken by the government," Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind\'s Maharashtra unit Secretary Gulzar Azmi said.

Residents in the Muslim dominated areas of the city including Behrampada and Mohammed Ali Road were unanimous in their opinion that the perpetrator of the carnage that Mumbai witnessed deserved what he got.

"In Islam it is said that killing one innocent man is equivalent to killing of the entire humanity. In this case this guy killed countless helpless individuals. He deserved to be hanged," Shaikh Dabir a retired teacher said.

Meanwhile many Islamic scholars also said that Kasab had not only violated the laws of the country but was guilty of violating the Islamic code of conduct as well.

"Islam says that any individual who spills the blood of an innocent should also receive the same fate. As a Muslim and as an elected representative I am happy that Kasab was punished under the laws of this nation as well as the laws of my religion," Independent MLA from Malegaon Mufti Mohammed Ismail said.