This is for the first time that such bullets have been used in any militant attack across India, India Today reported
In what could send security agencies in a tizzy in Jammu and Kashmir, the three militants who carried out Fidayeen attack in Lethpora on December 31 had used bullets that pierced the body armour of the troopers.
This is for the first time that such bullets have been used in any militant attack across India, India Today reported.
Quoting Inspector General of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Ravideep Sahi, the report said that three Jaish-e-Mohammed Fidayeens who attacked the CRPF installation in Pulwama had used steel-core bullets, which can pierce body armour.
“The bullet pierced the shield and hit him (trooper). Though the CRPF personnel killed the attacker, we lost one man,” Sahi said.
The hardened steel penetrator, encased usually in a copper jacket, in such bullets is a pointed mass of high-density material which retains its shape and strikes the target with maximum energy, said the report.
“In fact, one of the bullets penetrated the bullet-proof gypsy of the Assistant Commandant hitting a CRPF man,” mentioned the report.
The bullets, according to the report, have been sent for forensic examination.
The bullets used in the Pulwama attack, which are undergoing forensic tests outside the state, have set alarm bells ringing in the security establishment.
The use of armour-piercing rounds by militants could be a major security nightmare as several VIPS use bulletproof vehicles, added the report.
In the attack, three militants and five CRPF men were killed. Three troopers were in the firefight that lasted 36-hours.
“As many as 18,100 bullet-proof jackets and 550 different vehicles, which also include bullet-proof vehicles, have been purchased by the police department during the year 2017 for the safe and secure mobility of officers and jawans in the state.”
Jammu: Over 18,000 bullet-proof jackets and 550 vehicles were purchased by Jammu and Kashmir Police during the year 2017, JK Director General of Police (DGP), S P Vaid said here Wednesday.
He added that over 23,000 bullet-proof patkas (turbans) were also purchased during that period.
“As many as 18,100 bullet-proof jackets and 550 different vehicles, which also include bullet-proof vehicles, have been purchased by the police department during the year 2017 for the safe and secure mobility of officers and jawans in the state”, Vaid said.
The DGP said 18,100 bullet-proof jackets have been purchased by the police department in 2017, and that 6,100 of them have already been received and distributed.
Similarly, of the 23,000 bullet proof patkas purchased, according to Vaid, they have distributed 7,500 out of the 12,000 received so far.
Vaid also informed about the Ministry of Home Affairs granting approximately Rs 2400 crore for construction of police colonies of in Srinagar (3000 quarters) and Jammu (2000 quarters).
SRINAGAR: At a time when coaching institutes are charging hefty amounts from students, a teacher from Nawa Kadal locality of Srinagar is providing free coaching to students from poor backgrounds, even though he has to pay a heavy rent for the tuition centres.
Muneer Ahmad Changoo, 32, began to offer free tuitions to poor students in Nawa Kadal soon after he finished his studies. Now he runs two centres, one in Nawa Kadal and another in Soura, where he teaches around 70 students for free.
“I started teaching poor and orphan students because I still remember my childhood days when my family could not pay for my tuitions,” Changoo told Kashmir Reader.
“My father worked as a casual labourer, his earning was spent on daily requirements of the family. My mother would earn two rupees from needle work and she would spend this amount on my studies.”
Changoo says that most of the students from poor backgrounds have a desire to achieve something in their life. “I don’t consider my initiative as charity. My aim is to provide them education in a way similar to those who can afford coaching,” he said.
Changoo first started offering tuitions at his home in Nawakadal, but as the number of students increased, he hired a large room in his locality. Later in 2010 he took another room on rent in Soura.
“I have many students from Soura, Ganderbal and adjoining localities. They cannot reach Nawa Kadal and many times due to shutdown and stone-pelting they suffered, so I hired another room in Soura for which I pay Rs 30,000 rent yearly.”
For the two rooms, Changoo has to shell out Rs 70,000 yearly from his pocket.
He serves as head of mathematics department at Presentation Convent School Srinagar. Besides, he teaches at another private coaching centre in Bemina where he is paid.
He says, more than 500 students have availed free coaching from him so far. His students also find his teaching techniques different.
Mahira Fayaz, a BCA student, says she was asked to pay Rs 8000 by a coaching center in Srinagar. The amount was unaffordable as Fayaz’s house was damaged in a fire incident last year.
“I had decided to quit studies because I was unable to afford tuition fee. One can arrange notes and prepare for other subjects but in Mathematics a mentor is a must,” she said. “I was frustrated but once I heard about this centre I spoke to the teacher and he welcomed me. I have been here from last year and he has not charged a single penny,” she said. For Sehrish Jan, a commerce undergraduate, Changoo is a savior. The 20-year-old once belonged to a financially sound family, but that was before her father fell ill.
“My father is suffering from nephrology ailments. He is undergoing dialysis thrice in a week that costs around Rs 25,000. I cannot afford to pay tuition fees,” she said.
Shakir Nissar, a former student says that Changoo once arranged late evening classes for students of XII standard and he was one among them.
Changoo says winning the hearts of students is his achievement in life.
“In 2015, we had an emergency. A family member required 16 pints of blood. I was so much depressed and worried how I could manage 16 pints of blood but within one hour, I saw a queue of my students, ready to denote their blood,” Changoo said.
Changoo wants other teachers to follow suit so that no one terminates studies midway. He also has a request for the government.
“I don’t want to take anyone’s help but I want to appeal the government that registration of tuition centers, which are solely run on voluntary basis and not for commercial purposes, must not be made compulsory,” he said.
SRINAGAR: Veteran Congress Leader and Ex- MLA Banihal & Ramban Mohd Akthar Nizami who was admitted to SKIMS Srinagar died today. The Ex-MLA breathed his last around 6 pm on Wednesday evening. Akthar Nizami joined politics in the year 1965 and in 1967 on NC’s ticket he won assembly election from Banihal Constituency. In 1972 he left NC & Joined Congress and won from Ramban Constituency. Nizami was classmate of NC Patron Dr Farooq Abdullah and close friend of Member Parliament Dr Karan Singh. His condition worsened with doctors putting him on ventilator support on Wednesday. Nizami’s grand son Salman Nizami is also in Congress & at present active on National politics. Akthar Nizami is survived by his wife and three daughters. The deceased leader will be laid to rest in Rajbagh, Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik on Sunday wrote a public letter to Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj to highlight the miseries and harassment faced by Kashmiri political prisoners while invoking alleged Indian spy Kulbushan Yadav and his treatment in Pakistan.
Yadav’s family was last week allowed to meet him in a move, Pakistan described as “humanitarian” and India called a “publicity stunt”.
Here is the full text of Malik’s letter:
Respected Sushma Suwaraj Jee
Minister for Foreign Affairs, India.
Madam Sushma Jee:
In public life, from time to time, it becomes necessary to converse one’s insights, apprehensions and worries to others in public life on the imperative issues of our time in an open and honest manner. It is in this long tradition of public communication between individuals and in a spirit of honesty and frankness, that I address your good self through this open letter. I am penning down these lines not as a political campaigner but as a common individual, a prisoner, who has served many years of his life in Indian jails and is still forced to endure this torment on daily basis here in Jammu Kashmir. On 28th December 2017, I was listening to your emotional speech you made in Indian parliament wherein you in your own words illustrated the ordeal of Indian prisoner Kulbushan Yadhav’s meeting with his family in Pakistan on 25th December. Madam Suwaraj, believe me, your words touched the chords of my heart and as a person who has seen the miseries of jail life; I could envisage the tribulation Yadhav’s wife and mother had to go through. A human being has feelings and he/she displays these feelings in melancholies as well as in his/her exhilarations. This is what makes us distinct from the animal world. Being an advocate of human dignity, rights of prisoners and ascendancy of kindness over cruelty, I stand for the rights of Kulbushan Yadhav too. No matter who he is and what he has done or what he has been condemned for, he is a prisoner, a captive and every religion, international covenants and human norms endow him and his family certain rights which no one can and should deny. Allow me to use this occasion to call upon Pakistani authorities that Pakistan being a Muslim state has to be more heedful as the Holy Book of Islam and hundreds of sayings of our Prophet (PBUH) on the rights of prisoners and welfare of their families, their right to mutual meetings and a fair trial are well established facts that need to be pursued in letter and spirit.
Madam: as a prisoner, I can comprehend the pain of Yadhav family and when during your speech you said that Yadhav’s mother wanted to hug her son after 22 months of long separation but was not allowed to do so, my eyes got wet. My old wounds got scratched too by your poignant lexis. It recalled me of my old mother’s ordeal, who not once but many a times, in the same manner, after her repeated pleadings to jail authorities, was denied a chance to hug me, her only son, at many Indian jails especially at Tihar .This reminded me of the tears of my sister who could not tolerate to see me from behind a glass wall, talking on an intercom just like Yadhav. Her plea to touch me was also discarded on the pretext of security reasons. I recollect my little sisters’ tears rolling down her cheeks at Indian notorious Jhodpur jail in 1999, when the then superintend of jail rejected her plea with a strange argument that only blood relation was allowed a meeting and brother sister relation was not a blood relation in his view. As a dignified woman you can envisage the trauma my little sister “Aamina” had to pass through when she had to leave and travel thousands of miles again back to home without meeting her brother.
Madam: I and everyone who has some empathy left in him went into tears when you quoted Yadhav’s mother saying that on seeing her without Mangalsutra her prisoner son asked about the welfare of his father assuming that he might have died because mother was without a Bindiya on her forehead and Mangalsutra. I could visualize the situation as hundreds of times during my jail Yatra these kinds of thoughts haunted me too.
Madam: the ordeal of Indian prisoner and his family is painful for them but allow me to remind you that the records of your country in this context are also not so dazzling. It is India that hanged Kashmiri freedom fighter Muhammad Maqbool Butt without allowing him a last meeting with his family members. His younger brother late Ghulam Nabi Butt, who wanted to travel to Delhi to receive his elder brothers corpse, was arrested at Srinagar airport. Maqbool Butt in absence of his family members was buried inside the Tihar jail. It is India that, without proving his guilt and just on the pretext to ‘satisfy the collective conscience of India masses, hanged another Kashmiri youth, Muhammad Afzal Guru in 2013. It is on record that he not only was denied a last chance of meeting his 12 year son, 80 year old mother and a wailing young wife but even his proper burial was denied by the Indian authorities. The families of these two Kashmiris are still waiting for their mortal remains to be handed over to them. Isn’t it a grave Be-Adabi of humanity too? Moreover, Madam Suwaraj; there are thousands of Kashmiris who have disappeared after being picked up by Indian forces from their residences and their families are yet clueless of their whereabouts. Their wives have been named as ‘half widows’ (a newly introduced terminology) by well reputed international human rights organizations. The continued agony of these families is too worth consideration.
Madam: you raised some legitimate questions in your speech about the rights of a prisoner and his family and I also agree with you especially about the right to hug a mother, to touch his wife and to see his children. But this principle should hold same for every prisoner be he a political prisoner, a freedom fighter, a criminal, or any other lawbreaker. I recently met with the families of some prisoners from Kashmir who are in Tihar jail, held for their political beliefs. During my meeting with their kids and wives, they narrated before me the stories of same malice and humiliations. Daughter of one of these asked me to do something so that she is permitted to touch her father’s face. Innocent heart of her other sister is wrecked to the extent that she no longer longs for a meeting with his father through glass wall. This is what poor families of your prisoners have to face; A meeting with their loved ones behind a glass wall, a chat on intercom, without mother’s hug, without a physical touch by a daughter and without a close meeting of a wife with her husband, pains a lot. Stories of Syed Shabir Ahmad Shah to that of Ayaz Akbar, from Altaf A. Shah to Shahid-ul-Islam and from Peer Saifullah , Raja Meraj-ud-Din to Farooq Ahmad Dar @ Bitta Karatay and Zahoor Ahmad Watali to Naeem A. Khan and many others remains the same. Madam, I wish to put names of all those here who are languishing in Indians jails from many years ,whose families are facing a continued persecution, but lack of space and time is impeding me from that but believe me, Jails from Kashmir to Kanya-Kumari share same kind of horridness and tyranny.
Madam, as I have held before, I did not write this letter as a politician but as an eyewitness to miseries of jail life. I remember that in 2004, I was sent to Tihar Jail for I had failed to attend few hearings of my case at a Delhi court. The jail authorities removed all my attire and asked me to remove my trousers for a shameful rectum check-up. I resisted this undignified torture which was not meant for me alone but for every prisoner. My refusal to accept torture was reciprocated with an attack on me with bamboo sticks and Gun-butts which fractured my right arm. My sympathies with every prisoner are for these kinds of revulsions and miseries and I will always stand for the welfare of inmates whosoever and wherever they are. In-fact it was this conviction which enthused me to go against tide and plead in favor of late Sarabjit Singh at a time when I was sitting on hunger strike in Islamabad in 2013 against Muhammad Afzal Guru’s illegal and merciless hanging by India.
Madam, the tale of thousands of young Kashmiris and students, who are facing the wrath of your state from last many years is also worth consideration. During recent months and years I as a prisoner got a chance to witness the ordeal of these young Kashmiris at various police stations . I witnessed tribulation faced by these young boys and their families. Arrested during peaceful protests, these youthful Kashmiris are beaten ruthlessly in police stations and whilst their mothers and sisters visit them at police stations, the abusive language used by police officers against them and profanity faced by their mothers and sisters is actually beyond description. Regrettably this torment and mortification is responsible for pushing many of these young Kashmiris to a hard line path.
Madam: when you lashed out at a section of Pakistani media who according to you harassed Yahdev family in Islamabad Pakistan by asking unethical, provocative and abusive questions, I too felt dismayed. The family of a prisoner should not be harassed in such a manner. This is against normal human instincts, against Islamic ethics and our sub-continental morals. How could we be such cold-blooded? But madam! Let me remind you that this kind of unethical behavior is also not cartel of anyone alone. I was in Delhi with my wife and two year old daughter, to see them off. We had made a prior hotel booking but as we entered hotel premises, management refused to let us in. I pleaded with the hotel management but they refused to take a Pakistani (my wife and her little daughter) in. I was thrown out of hotel with my little daughter in my lap. I repeatedly contacted DIG Kashmir of that time Mr.Ifhadul Mujtaba, asking him for help. He assured me of aid and shifted my plea to ADG-CID with no respond. I contacted authorities in Delhi but how could they help me, as we had been thrown out of hotel at their behest. I along with my family had to take shelter at Dargah Nizam-ud-din for hours before a friend could host us for a night. It was not the first harassment; earlier your party activists also attacked me and my family at late Khawaja Abdul Gani Lone’s residential flat in Delhi. We were even not spared during our visit to Ajmer Shareef shrine. I got injured while saving my wife from stones thrown by the same people who stand with a slogan ‘’Ateethi Devo Bawa” (guests are like gods). In fact these nonstop attacks have left inerasable scars on the hearts and minds of my family and may haunt us forever and this is why I strongly feel for the unfortunate Yadhev family too.
Madam, antagonistic attitude towards each other has actually taken away humanity and humility from humans. Humans’ especially the divergent states often lay blame on one another for tyrannies and cruelty. In fact the whole world has turned a blind eye on human rights and human dignity now. How can one ignore Abu Ghareeb and Guantanamo bay jails set out by the mighty human rights champions, where humans dignity and pride was trampled callously, setting out a bad example for the rest of the world.
Madam: as a human being I stand for the ascendance of humanity in every aspect of life. Someone has rightly said that “failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough and that no success is final and no failure fatal, it is courage to continue that counts”. Let us take a leaf out of this present disappointment and tread a path that can make our lives more civilized. Difference in political perceptions, ideologies and endeavors of life shall not turn us away from what makes us distinct from flora and fauna. We have our religious teachings, international covenants and pledges, moral and social bindings that govern our individual and public lives. Let us all pledge to follow these promises and regulations at least in case of prisoners and make their lives and the lives of their families’ better. This couplet of Allama Iqbal’s describes this yearning fabulously and I hope one day this will become every human’s desire;
“Khuda kay banday tou hain hazaroon Banoo main Phirtay hain Maray Maray
Main us ka banda banooga jis ko khuda kay bandoon say Piyaay Hoga”
Decades of conflict notwithstanding, Kashmir has had a rich history of music and singing. Traditionally, Kashmiris have embraced Sufi music and songs. But with the time, singers have evolved both in terms of their style as well as content. The conflict has played its part too, with the new crop of singers deeply moved by what is happening around them, and moving towards new genres to convey their feelings.
With gen-next at its heart, rap music – an alien concept in the Valley not too long ago – is one of the genres that has found a voice, both powerful and trendsetting. MC Kash (Roushan Illahi) introduced it way back in 2010, at a time when Kashmir was in the middle of unrest. His song, ‘I Protest’, became the unofficial anthem of those protests. He became a household name and inspired many others to become hip-hop artists.
Seven years after ‘I Protest’, the hip-hop scene in the Valley has evolved, and there’s an unlikely artist at the forefront of the scene. Mehak – an Urdu word for fragrance – is a student of class 11 in Srinagar, and she’s making waves as the Valley’s first female rapper. Going by the stage name of Menime, her songs about the pain and agony Kashmiris have suffered during the decades-long conflict have really resonated with a large audience.
In this free-wheeling conversation, Mehak talks about how she began rapping, the influence of Kashmir’s crisis on her music, and how she wants to be a voice for oppressed. These are the edited excerpts:
Auqib Javeed: You burst onto the scene with your rapping. Tell us more about you?
Mehak: My name is Mehak, but I go by the stage name of Menime. It’s a reverse of Eminem’s name. I got into hip-hop at the age of 12. Currently, I’m studying in the eleventh grade at Kothi Bagh Higher Secondary School, Srinagar. I live in the outskirts of Srinagar which I’ve heard was not only a hotbed of militancy then but a centre stage of some violent protests.
AJ: What is hip-hop to you and how did you choose it?
M: Hip-hop is a movement, a culture, as well as a genre of music. It’s a medium through which we can express our feelings and thoughts. Hip-hop means reality. When I was 12-years old, I listened to Eminem’s songs and rapped on them. He is my inspiration – his rapping style, vocabulary, accent. Then I started writing my own stuff and started to rap.
AJ: Tell us about your label?
M: AHM Dexterity Records is the very first hip-hop record label of the Valley. It was started by my friends – Aamir Ame and Husteer – and I. Aamir and Husteer started their career in music when they were in the class 10. They are into this genre for the last eight years and have always been at the top of the hip-hop scene.
The record label was created to promote and push hip-hop culture in the Valley. This record label has its own set up for recording audio and video. We have our team. The aim of the record label is to provide a platform to all local rappers in the Valley. Local studios charge them a huge amount which they are not able to afford. This record label provides them everything professional at affordable prices, plus tips to improve as well.
AJ: How much has the Kashmir conflict affected you?
M: Conflict does affect everybody in one way or the other. I am a victim of the conflict.
AJ: As you told us that you are a political rapper, what is your view on the Kashmir conflict?
M: As you know, many people have been killed, tortured, blinded, and arrested in Kashmir. We have faced a lot of problems which make us unhappy with the administration. I think people’s voices need to be heard and resolved. We surely want a solution which is peaceful and brings normalcy back.
When I have to write a political song, I read the stories about the conflict and then I decide to write my lyrics. I am doing it for my own people. I am a Kashmiri citizen. I am born here, we are politically oppressed, and I am doing my best to speak on behalf of our people through my rapping.
AJ: Does singing help you to vent out your anger?
M: Yes, obviously, when I experience anger I like to listen or song to extreme music that can match my anger. Rap helps me to explore what I feel and I freely express my anger and emotions through it. People resort to music as a form of protest in fearful and intimidating situations
AJ: How difficult is it for you to rap in a society where it is unacceptable, especially for girls?
M: It’s really difficult, but I have to do it, and I’ll do it regardless of what anybody has to say. This society is the mixture of various thoughts – some are supportive, some are not. People appreciate, but some even hate.
What I have to do is to look at the positive things around me and not give a damn to haters and those who oppose me. They are to be ignored and I have to move forward, like they say, “Haters make me famous.”
I don’t care whether society accepts me or not. I know what I’m doing and I’m sure they are going to support me too. However, these days more and more youngsters from our generation are breaking stereotypes to give it a try.
AJ: How did your parents react to your rapping?
M: In the beginning, I didn’t have any support from my parents. They used to scold me, because they knew that if I chose rap it’ll be difficult for me to become a rapper in a conservative society like Kashmir, which prefers women in conventional professions.
Still, I didn’t give up. I was very passionate towards my work and I made them understand that girls have every right to do when men could do. Now they’re supporting me and have no issues with what I’m doing.
AJ: How have Kashmiris reacted to the message you put out with your rapping?
M: I’m glad they are appreciating me. I really wasn’t expecting such a huge positive response from the people. I don’t only rap about one theme. As I told you, I am a political rapper as well as an entertainment rapper. So I rap about different themes like revolution, human rights violations, deception, gangs, love, motivation, life stories, etc.
AJ: How do you see your future in rapping?
M: Umm, well it’s a pretty tough question. I don’t know what’s gonna happen next, but I will work hard, and I hope I can, one day, see myself as a successful rapper.
The interview was first published in the CatchNews
“There is no issue that he has got married in abroad, it is his choice but for a honeymoon the most beautiful place which is called ‘Heaven on Earth’ is Kashmir.”
Srinagar: A Kashmiri BJP leader has questioned Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma’s honeymoon destination choice.
Rafiq Wani, a BJP leader from Anantnag, said that “We have such a huge country of 125 crores citizen. If he wanted to get married he could have got married here.”
“There is no issue that he has got married in abroad, it is his choice, but for a honeymoon the most beautiful place which is called ‘Heaven on Earth’ is Kashmir. So they should have had their honeymoon here. Then our tourism would have also got a boost,” Wani said.
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma got married at a private ceremony in Tuscany, Italy, last week.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala later took a swipe at the BJP, saying young men and women should seek approval of the saffron party before getting married or deciding on the venue.
Out-of-favour India opener Gautam Gambhir today said politicians shouldn’t meddle into personal affairs of anyone, a day after national cricket team captain Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma were criticised by a BJP MLA for marrying in Italy.
Reacting on the issue, Gambhir asked politicians to refrain from commenting on anyone’s personal life.
“It is completely their personal matter and choice and nobody should comment on this. Politicians should be more careful while making such comments,” Gambhir told ‘Timesnow’ channel.
Gambhir’s remarks came a day after a BJP legislator in Madhya Pradesh, Pannalal questioned the patriotism of Kohli and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma for not getting married in India.
Istanbul: High-level representatives, including some heads of states from the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), will come together on Dec. 13 in Istanbul at a summit to consider a joint stance against United States’ recent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Turkey, as the term president of the OIC, will host leaders from Muslim-majority countries on Dec. 13, with a joint position of Muslim countries to be announced under the title of the Istanbul Declaration.
The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump instructed the State Department to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in line with the 1995-dated Jerusalem Embassy Act.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will preside over the OIC meeting in Istanbul and will address the opening and closing ceremonies of the summit.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Bangladeshi President Abdoul Hamid and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani are among 22 heads of state and government who will be present at the summit.
Some 25 foreign ministers will also be represented, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Kazakhstan. Saudi Arabia will be represented by Islamic Affairs Minister Salih bin Abdulaziz al-Shaikh.
In the morning session, the foreign ministers of the OIC counties will come together to discuss recent developments before giving the floor to the presidents and head of states and governments.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told private broadcaster NTV on Nov. 12 that some Arab countries have failed to sufficiently repudiate Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital because U.S. President Donald Trump “scares them.”
“It seems that some Arab countries refrain from challenging Trump,” Çavuşoğlu said.
However, he promised that a “strong statement” on Jerusalem would emerge from the OIC extraordinary summit in Istanbul on Dec. 13.
‘Strong Message To Be Issued’
“A very strong message will be delivered from the summit,” Çavuşoğlu said, adding that this message will stress that the decision taken by the U.S. unilaterally breaches international law, and will call all nations to stand against it while also calling nations to recognize the State of Palestine.
“If we don’t defend Jerusalem today, when will we defend it? If we don’t defend Jerusalem, one of the three most sacred places of Islam, what will we defend?” he stated, hinting that the text would cite East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine with pre-1967 borders.
At the end of the 1948 war the armistice line divided Jerusalem in two: The Israel-controlled Western part, and the Jordan-controlled eastern part, which included the old walled city containing important Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious sites. Since the Six Day War in 1967 the whole city has been under Israel’s control.
OIC leaders will conclude ongoing talks over the technical details of the declaration on Dec. 13.
I am writing this letter from the valley of Kashmir and I hope this message goes to all the Muslim clerics of the world who have been enjoined a sublime job of leading and preaching the Muslim Ummah.
I am not a religious scholar or a political activist. You are more aware about the religion and world happenings than me. I am just writing this letter with an intention to request you to use your deep and profound knowledge for the better cause of Muslim Ummah and for the liberation of the blessed land of Palestine which belongs to Palestinians not to Zionist occupiers.
We are living in times where your mere ‘slip of tongue’ reaches even to the person sitting millions of miles away from you. So your selection of words can make or mar the Muslim Ummah. You have your share of followers. They listen to your lectures and sermons with the belief that you are guiding them on the right path. So their bright future prospects lies on your guardianship if it is in line with the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Holy Quran.
Its crystal clear that you have a huge responsibility on your shoulders to take the Muslim Ummah on the path of righteousness and salvation. You should stop preaching the British Shiasm and American Sunnism which is funded and backed by MI6, CIA and Mossad on the pulpit of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). This pulpit is not to serve the interests of America and Israel but for the Wahdat (unity) of Muslim Ummah.
Holy Quran, the final revelation to mankind, has quite emphatically and unambiguously stressed the importance of unity and peaceful co-existence. “And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not divided” (Surah Aali Imran, Verse No. 103). When the Holy Quran lays such strong emphasis on unity, how can those creating discord and spreading venom claim to be the true followers of Islam?
We have got trapped in a distressing situation now. Very frequently we see different clerics challenging other clerics for a Munazira (discussion) on trivial issues through social media. Our enemies are making plots against Islam and Islamic countries and we are wasting time on cursing each other.
The fault with us is that we listen more to that cleric who divides us than the one who unites us. For instance, Yasser Habib who is a paid agent in Shia attire and is fully backed by MI6 in UK. He always spits venom against the Sunni brethren and the same stuff is circulated through social media and is used by the clerics in Sunni attire backed by CIA to foment hatred against the Shia brethren.
You are aware about the recent irresponsible and unjustified statement of US President Donald Trump. His unrealistic dream of recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel and moving the US embassy to Jerusalem has come at a time when there are reports of some Arab countries are hand in glove with them like Saudi Arabia. They will release some statements of condemnation just to hoodwink the Muslim Ummah. But you have to aware the Muslim Ummah that the rulers can sell their faith to America and Israel but we have to stay steadfast on our right path. We have to utilize all our available resources for the liberation of holy land of Palestine and Quds from the illegal occupation of Zionist forces. Palestine belongs to Palestinians and Inshallah it will be free very soon as predicted by Imam Khamenei.
You might be knowing that there was no mention of Jerusalem or Palestine in the Friday sermons at Makkah and Medina aftermath the Trump’s statement.
The first thing in the pursuit of Palestinian cause is to force your respective countries to shut the US and Israeli embassies in your countries. Moreover, you should persuade the heads of your respective countries to call back the respective ambassadors from America and Israel and you can play a pivotal role in pursuing your followers why it is important to snap all ties with America and Israel. For the liberation of Palestine, everyone has to sacrifice like Iranian wrestler Alireza Karimi who refused to compete with Zionist contender at Under-23 Wrestling World Championship in Poland.
Mere statements won’t achieve anything for the Palestinian cause. Islamic countries need to take pragmatic steps now. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan makes beautiful statements but he needs to deliver beautifully on the ground. He needs to close down the embassies of America and Israel in his country and call back his ambassadors from America and Israel. Other Muslim countries should follow the suit.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said, “ If Saudi Arabia, our neighbouring country, stops bombing Yemen from tomorrow and stand up against Israel and relies on its own people, we do not see any barriers in front of improving our relations with them for the Palestinian cause.”
I urge Saudi regime to grab that opportunity as relying on America and Israel will achieve nothing for them. They will only use you as long as they need you and once they will attain their ulterior motives then they will dump you.
We hope and wish that 41-Muslim Countries Islamic Military Alliance led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman will back and support Hezbollah and Hamas for the liberation of Palestine and if not then we have every reason to believe that this alliance was made to serve the interests of America and Israel and not for the Islam.
Let me conclude with the wish and prayers that our religious scholars and clerics will use the pulpit of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) for the just cause of Palestine and not for cursing fellow Muslims.
May Allah Almighty bless you all.
-The author is a freelance writer and can be reached at [email protected].
Aijaz Bund, the author of the first ethnographic study of the Valley’s transgender people, explains why discrimination against them is endemic.
Transgenders Abdul Rashid, left, and Shabnam Subhan at the book launch | Photo Credit: Aijaz Bund
The government thinks there are only males and females in Kashmir, Shabnam Subhan, a transgender Kashmiri, told a gathering of academics, journalists and civil society figures in Srinagar. “No one cares about us, as if we don’t exist,” he said.
Transgender Kashmiris speaking publicly about the discrimination they face is rare in the Valley. But on November 30, a group of them addressed a gathering at a book launch organised by the Kashmir Women’s Collective. Hijras of Kashmir – A Marginalized Form of Personhood has been touted as the first ethnographic study of the transgender community in the Valley, based on interviews by Kashmir University scholar Aijaz Ahmad Bund.
Bund is an uncommon Kashmiri who describes himself as an LGBTQ rights activist. He spoke to Scroll.in about the difficulty getting his book published, the Valley’s taboos about sexuality and the struggles transgender people face in the predominantly Muslim society. Excerpts from the interview:
Has there ever been a study of the transgender community in Kashmir before Even in history there is no mention of their existence. This is the first study of its kind, and I had previously done a small empirical study for a journal. These are the only two. Academia has completely ignored this community.
At the book launch, you mentioned that the publisher was apprehensive about “unwanted content”. What content was that? The publisher is very apprehensive about reactions to some things in the book, such as hijra sexuality and sex work. They wanted me to compromise on these, which I refused. I said if the book is to be published, it will be as it is. Eventually, the publishers consulted someone and agreed.
Why would they think talking about sexuality was problematic? Because they think it is attacking the larger discourse of Islam. The problem is the society pretends transgender people are invisible, therefore it denies their existence. But they have a well-established sexuality and ways of expressing it.
They have relationships that are not only physical but sexual. They claim it is spiritual because it’s not just about sex but emotions as well. But the society is not ready to accept their sexuality.
Why is the society not ready to accept their way of life? Ours is an inclusive movement. We are talking about only not transgender people but also lesbians, gays and bisexuals. But when we talk about LGBTs, religion comes in. And with religion, you know that killing or going to any extent is easy because you can rationalise it.
When it comes to sexuality, most people have a knee-jerk reaction. Are we in a position to talk about sex openly? Do we talk about it at home? No. Because we consider sex a taboo. When it comes to homosexuality, “tauba, tauba” is the response. It doesn’t exist.
What is Islam’s position on transgender people? Islam is accepting of the gender and it talks about the rights of the transgender people. They are mentioned in the Quran in Surah Al Shura verse 49-50. They have their rights. The problem is people are using distorted information as a tool to oppress these people in the name of Islam. Transgenders have property rights.
According to the Islamic law, a sister’s share in the property is less than her brother’s. What is the share fixed for a transgender person? It depends on the jurist. If the transgender person is more feminine, she would be entitled to a female’s equivalent of the share and a male’s equivalent if he is more masculine.
Is the situation of transgender people in Kashmir different from their communities elsewhere? They have greater social acceptability in Jammu although they are ostracised there as well. There, because of their connection to Hindu mythology, they are called to confer blessings, which gives them social acceptability. Hijra gharanas outside the Valley are organised. The guru-disciple system exists here as well but it is not as organised.
Do you see common patterns in the lives of Kashmiri transgender people? Most transgenders migrate from rural areas to the city. The spaces where they can actually vent their feelings are not available in villages, which are more conservative. In the city, they can at least be associated with each other and no one will know.
At home, they are accused of bringing disgrace to their families. In some instances, they are allowed to stay at home but with conditions. Most of them say they wanted to cross-dress but the society wouldn’t allow it. Abuse often starts at home.
When does the abuse begin? At the age of five or six (when the transgender identity becomes apparent). Initially, family members dismiss it as childish silliness, but when the child reaches prepubescent age, they are told to behave like a boy or a girl. Then it starts. Verbal first, then physical. In the meantime, there is often sexual abuse as well.
If you ask someone how they perceive transgender people, you will hear they are aggressive and ill-mannered. That’s the general societal attitude.
Do they have access to public healthcare? They don’t. They don’t have the resources for private consultations, and government hospitals are overcrowded. They fear they would be harassed in hospital waiting lounges; they would have to bear people laughing at them or spanking them. Many doctors have a transphobic attitude. They don’t even touch them, making them feel dirty, othered. Health professionals believe a transgender must have HIV or a venereal disease.
What about access to public spaces and facilities? They are often not allowed to pray in mosques. Generally, mosques are a male space. When anyone tries to lay claim to that space, social restrictions follow. But you will see them at shrines because shrines also accept women.
You won’t find them in exclusively male spaces. They are trying to get that space but unfortunately, because of societal attitudes, nothing is happening.
In schools, they have no acceptance. They report physical, verbal and sexual abuse from peers but also from staff, teaching and non-teaching. Schools have no transgender welfare policy. Teachers and administrators aren’t sensitive either.
We had a case of rape of a transgender child in a government school washroom some years ago. The child reported it to the administration, only to be told he was “behaving this way and inviting this kind of treatment from others”. He stopped going to school from the next day. It also happens that children report (abuse) at home and the families say there is no need to go to school. They drop out or are removed from school early on, leaving them without a chance to get white collar jobs.
Why has the transgender community in Kashmir been ignored to this extent? The conflict has overshadowed all social issues. Besides, people hardly talk about these things in conservative societies. If you do, people say there are more pressing issues and this is not a problem.
Why did you choose to work with transgender people? I found people talking about the rights of women and others but no one was talking about transgenders. They are human beings with worth and dignity, and they are suffering. In the larger human rights paradigm, if you are talking about the rights of people and a gender-inclusive society, it won’t be possible if you are segregating people.
My aim is to work for a gender-inclusive, sexual minority-inclusive society. Human rights are for everyone. This book is part of a movement that was started in 2011 and which is still going on.
What were the difficulties you faced while doing this study? Working with them is very challenging because the first question you get is, “Why?”. Not from members of the transgender community, but from other people. They accuse us of having an agenda – Western agenda, Zionist agenda, etc.
While I was writing this book, I was also studying for my PhD and had limited resources. They are also a busy people; they must struggle through the day so they can eat in the evening.
When the book was finally written, there was no money to hire an editor. So, the book isn’t edited. There will be typos and repetitions but that is alright because I just wanted to tell their stories even if in broken English.
How has working with transgender people affected you personally? Initially, I was scared that people might think I was a transgender. That hardly matters now. Associating with transgender people made me more comfortable with myself. I started recognising my feminine side, which every man has, and also started taming it. It was important as it made me human. Thinking about gender beyond the heteronormative discourse of masculine and feminine was a new thing for me.
How did you become an LGBTQ activist in Kashmir? Every society, no matter how conservative, has [sexual minorities]. I won’t say they don’t exist for me because they don’t fit in with my faith. Our endeavours are beyond the scope of religion or social constructs. We respect societal values but we also know when a person comes to us, we don’t see them as gay, lesbian or transgender but as a person with a problem.
We don’t propagate or promote it but we support it. If there are people who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, asexual or whatever else, they are people first. It is about their right to live. If we help them accept themselves, what is wrong with that?
There is an Islamist section of the society which deems even government employees in Kashmir non-Muslim. That is absolutely correct.
Is this conservatism worrying for the future of the transgender community? Leave aside the community, it is difficult even for people like us who are trying to give voice to a voiceless community. We too want political freedom, but not the Islamist kind. In the end, everything is politicised. Islam is too. Everyone is using it for their own benefit.
