Meerut, March 2 -- Members of the Shia community staged protest marches and mourning gatherings across parts of western Uttar Pradesh on Sunday following reports of an attack on Iran and the death of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with members of his family. Demonstrators expressed anger against the United States and Israel while also calling for peace and harmony worldwide. In Muzaffarnagar, a procession began from Zainabiya School in Kidwai Nagar under the city Kotwali area and moved towards Fakkarshah Chowk. A large number of participants, including women and children dressed in black, joined the march as a mark of mourning. Black flags and posters were displayed in several neighbourhoods. The procession remained largely peaceful, though slogans grew louder at Fakkarshah Chowk. In Meerut, hundreds gathered in localities such as Abdullahpur, Railway Road Masabiya and Mawana, carrying black flags and portraits of Khamenei. Special prayers were offered at mosques and imambaras, while authorities maintained security. No major untoward incident was reported till late evening. Meanwhile, All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use India's diplomatic ties with United States, Israel and Iran to mediate and prevent escalation of tensions, asserting that "war is not the solution." Speaking in Bareilly, Razvi stressed that dialogue was the only way to resolve conflicts and praised Iran's posture in the ongoing tensions. htc...