Harmony Foundation Condemns Delhi Red Fort Blasts, Urges Medics to Uphold Ethics

Investigators revealed on Wednesday that Dr Muzammil Ganaie, recently arrested in connection with a white-collar terror module, and Dr Umar Nabi had visited the Red Fort in January, according to phone records. Dr Umar is believed to have been the sole occupant of the car that exploded near the historic monument.

“It is shocking that the perpetrators of this crime were well-educated and medical professionals in the making,” said Dr Abraham Mathai, chairman of Harmony Foundation and former vice chairman of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission.

Dr Mathai stressed that “the safety and security of the common man is threatened by members of a profession that is expected not only to provide healthcare but also to uphold human rights.” He emphasised that involvement in acts of terror is fundamentally “contrary to the ethics of the medical profession, whose practitioners are expected to save lives.”

He further suggested that Dr Zakir Naik, a medical doctor by profession, may have served as an inspirational role model for the accused, citing his history of delivering hate speeches. Dr Mathai also criticised the “red carpet welcome” Dr Naik recently received in Bangladesh, contrasting it with the previous regime’s ban on his entry.

In his statement, Dr Mathai called on the entire medical community, as well as the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO), to condemn the attack, which he described as diametrically opposed to medical ethics. “What a shame that safety, security, and communal harmony are compromised by medical doctors engaging in acts of terror,” Dr Mathai said. He urged a thorough investigation to determine if the medical students involved in the Red Fort blast were influenced by Dr Zakir Naik’s preachings.