Jammu, 8 May 

The doors of all mosques and madrassas in the Jammu region are open for the displaced border residents, prominent Muslim scholar Mufti Sageer Ahmad said on Thursday, as he joined dozens of youngsters to donate blood for the victims of Pakistani shelling here.

The blood donation camp was organised by the Madrassa Markaz-ul-Maarif at Bathindi, near here, following an appeal by social activists after intense Pakistani shelling in Poonch district on Wednesday left 13 people dead and 44 injured.

"We have set up this camp in view of the tense situation on the borders so that there is no shortage of blood in our hospitals.... Islam teaches us that saving one life is like saving the entire humanity," Ahmad, who is also the head of the institute, said.

He said the country and its people need them at this crucial juncture and they have come forward to donate blood for those injured on the borders.

"We have kept our madrassas (Islamic seminaries) and masjids ready for the border residents if they are to be relocated. It is the teachings of Islam and we are adhering to it. If we can save a human life, we are saving the humanity," Ahmad said.

He said both teachers and students are voluntarily donating blood and more than 50 units have so far been collected which will be deposited in the blood bank of the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu.

"We are ready to extend our support to people irrespective of their religion. We are there to cooperate with anyone, whether it is someone from the administration or from the public," he said.

Many mosques and madrassas across the Jammu region are affiliated with the Markaz.

Volunteers and political activists organised blood-donation camps at different places over the past two days, while the Jammu High Court Bar Association is also planning to hold such an event in the district court complex here on Friday.

"In this current time of conflict, understanding its responsibility towards humanity, the association is organising a blood-donation camp to meet the shortage of blood in the blood banks at Jammu," the lawyers' body said, requesting members to come forward and voluntarily donate blood.

Meanwhile, the Jamia Zia-ul-Islam, an educational institute, is providing accommodation to about 50 people, mostly border residents who were evacuated amid intense cross-border shelling the previous day.

"The Jamia Zia-ul-Islam stands by the people of the country in this difficult situation. If any person living on the border needs any help, the institution is there to help," its spokesperson said.