AN OFFICIAL ceremony involving three Asian school children pretending to blow-up a high street has been condemned as "unbelievably insensitive".
Fierce criticism has been levelled at an Eid lights switch-on in Rochdale which featured the three children pressing a mock detonator with the word "BOOM!" prominently displayed.
The council-backed ceremony presided over by Rochdale Mayor, Councillor Ashley Dearnley, has been condemned by Asian community spokesmen and councillors.
The annual event took place in Rochdale's Milkstone Road, which is lined by Asian restaurants, takeaways and other businesses.
Said Mohammed Shafiq, the spokesman for the Ramadan Foundation, which tackles crime, including drug dealing, in the area: "If this was some kind of joke, it's the sickest I have ever heard.
"It was unbelievably insensitive, in today's climate, after 7/7, to have Asians, and Asian children at that, pretending to blow things up. Eid is a time of peace and charity, to introduce the theme of violent explosions in the midst of a Muslim community simply beggars belief.
"It shows the organisers of this event are completely out of touch with the feelings in the Muslim community, especially the young."
Councillor for the area, Mohammed Sharif, joined in the criticism.
He said: "I think to have a pretend explosion was very wrong, especially at a time when we are all mourning over the loss of life in the Pakistan earthquake.
"Personally I did not attend because I think the lights celebrations should have been cancelled this year in favour of further fundraising for the victims."
Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, who represents central Rochdale said the 'joke' set a "very bad example" to young people.
"This should not have been done. It sends out entirely the wrong message. What has explosions got to do with Eid? After what happened last July this was a very offensive thing to do."
But Councillor Dearnley said the critics of the ceremony were being "oversensitive".
"Sometimes we can see things that are just not there. These children were just switching on the lights they did not have explosives strapped to their bodies in preparation for blowing something up."