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The News International, Jan 03, 2001
Curfew imposed after mosque
burnt down in Kashmir
HELD SRINAGAR: Indian forces have burnt down historical
Jamia Masjid in Kishtwar, a town in Doda south of occupied
Kashmir. The mosque was gutted in fire during the
intervening night of January 1-2 when the whole town was under
curfew.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the gruesome event triggered
strong protest demonstrations and people raised slogans against
India and in favour of Kashmir's liberation. According to
eyewitnesses, the Indian forces prevented fire-fighting trucks
from extinguishing the fire.
A complete strike was observed in the town. Shops were closed and
traffic remained off the roads. Indian authorities have imposed
curfew on the town. Forceful demonstrations preceded the
imposition of curfew. Some protestors set afire the office of SDM
and damaged his vehicle and a portion of his house. The
protestors also stoned an army camp. Shops were also remained
closed in Doda, Bhaderwa, Thatri and Banihal in protest against
the burning of mosque.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has strongly condemned the
dastardly act. APHC Secretary Information Shaikh Abdul
Rashid in a statement in Srinagar said that the Indian troops had
let loose a reign of terror in the area for a long time and the
burning incident surpasses all of their terrorist activities.
It is noteworthy that burning of Muslims' sacred places
including mosques and Khanquas had always been a part of Indian
leaders conspiratorial policies. In 1992 the historic Babri
Mosque was demolished in Ayodhya and subsequently in occupied
Kashmir the mausoleum of Shaikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani at
Charar-e-Sharif, Islamic library at Dargah Hazratbal, Khanqah
Shah Hamdan at Tral and a number of mosques and Islamic religious
centers were burnt down.
Muslimedia, January 16-31, 1998
Shrine destruction part of
Indian policy to erase Islamic heritage in Kashmir
By Zia Sarhadi
The burning of the 700-year-old Shah-e Hamdan shrine in
Tral, Indian occupied Kashmir, on December 16 was no accident.
This was the third 'accidental fire' that has destroyed an
important Islamic monument in Kashmir.
In May 1995, the 600-year-old shrine at Charar-i Sharif
was destroyed by what the Indian occupation forces described as
'cross-firing' with a group of mujahideen who allegedly had taken
shelter there. No mujahid was found when the shooting stopped.
Three years earlier, the library at Srinagar's main mosque was
set ablaze. A large number of priceless manuscripts were
destroyed.
After the Shah-e Hamdan fire, home minister in the Kashmir puppet
administration, Ali Mohammed Sagar, was quoted by the AFP on
December 20 as saying that the government would investigate the
cause thoroughly, adding: 'We have nothing to hide.' The people
of Kashmir have no faith in such pronouncements who consider the
Farooq Abdullah administration as unrepresentative and a puppet
of Delhi.
While the Kashmiris held rallies to protest the latest outrage
against their heritage, such activity is unlikely to dissuade
India from its brutal policy. It is part of a larger scheme whose
aim is to undermine the uprising through military might,
sabotage, political and religious subversion as well as
demoralisation of the people by resorting to gang-rape of
Kashmiri women and the destruction of Islamic monuments.
While the latter two - gang-rapes and destruction of monuments -
have no military significance, their psychological impact is
immense. In a deeply religious society, the violation of women's
honour is considered a great insult. Hundreds of women, unable to
bear the shame, have committed suicide.
The destruction of the wooden structure dedicated to Shah-e
Hamdan, the great sage who brought Islam to Kashmir, was meant to
deliver the message that India want to wipe out the very origins
of Islam's history in the Valley. The people's attachment to
Shah-e Hamdan shrine in Tral, 50 kms south of Srinagar, is very
real; their shock equally deep.
Since the latest uprising began in December 1989, more than
60,000 people have been killed by the 700,000-strong Indian
occupation force. That India should maintain such massive
military presence in a state which it calls its integral part is
ludicrous. Even more insulting is its claim that the uprising is
instigated from Pakistan.
India, which claims to be the 'largest democracy' in the
world, has drawn an iron curtain around Kashmir. Human rights
organisations, especially Amnesy International, have been barred
from entering the state since 1978. Even so, reports have
trickled out painting a grim picture. Freedom House, a New
York-based non-profit organisation, described on December 21
India's occupation of Kashmir as the 'worst of the worst' where
basic human and political rights were denied to the people.
In its annual report on Kashmir (December 1997), Human Rights
Watch/Asia said that since the induction of the Abdullah
government, there has been a marked 'increase in extrajudicial
executions,' in Kashmir.
Brutalities in Kashmir have also been condemned by Indian human
rights groups. The Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee,
Hyderabad; Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights,
Mumbai, and Peoples Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi, issued a
stinging rebuke of Indian forces' practices in Kashmir following
a visit to the state by their fact-finding team last year.
The Indian team was particularly scathing in its attack of random
killings of civilians by the occupation forces. Their report
listed a large number of incidents in which innocent civilians
were simply grabbed and shot dead. The purpose behind such
brutality is to terrorise the civilian population. An even more
insidious practice is the burning alive of innocent people by
Indian-backed militants. On December 12, Bashir Ahmed Ganai, a
17-year-old youth, from Sundo village near Achabal, was burned to
death by Indian-sponsored militants.
In recent weeks, the puppet administration has resorted to two
other tactics. First, an unnecessary controversy has been created
by declaring the Qadianis as 'Muslims.' This has upset the
Muslims and created irrelevant arguments within the community.
Second, the puppet administration has imported a maulana Inzar
Ali Shah from Deoband who goes around telling Muslims that they
should not mix religion with politics. This government-sponsored
maulana says there is no room in Islam for resistance activity.
The passive version of Islam this Deobandi maulana is advocating
is contrary to the teachings of the Qur'an and the sunnah of the
noble Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace. Both urge people to
stand up against injustice and oppression. The maulana has not
uttered a single word against the gang-rape of Muslim women by
the Indian occupation forces. Perhaps, he does not consider these
to be a crime.
India's aim is to tie people in irrelevant issues while it
tightens its military grip on the state. The creation and support
of its own militants is part of this strategy. By their
un-Islamic activities, these Indian-sponsored hooligans have
undermined support among the masses for genuine mujahideen.
People are no longer able to distinguish between them.
Kashmir Index
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