[Reader-list] FW: Attacks on Minorities in Kashmir Valley

[Kashmir Affairs]

Sonia,
I would like to take this opportunity to expressly condemn Vijay Sazwal for yet again playing mischif against Kashmiri Muslims. In his 'appreciating guise' on Kashmiri Civil Society, he is carrying on his propaganda against Muslims and cooking up stories about imaginery harrassement. Pandit groups, mainly believed to be working for IB, have been doing this for more than two decades now.
If Vijay is telling the truth, which i don't believe, he must mention the incidents rather than spreading false stories. As much i appreciate personal contact with him i have had with with for few years now, I have to condemn him for his mischief and spreading lies against the Kashmiri Muslims majority at the behest of I don't know who. By doing it once again, he has sided with rabid-anti-Kashmiri forces including various Pandit groups, who are allegedly being spreading rumours and propaganda against Kashmiris. A personal friend, Prof. Rattan Lal Hangloo, is on record about Vijay Sazwal launching a campaign against Prof. Hangloo for not blaming Kashmiri Muslims and Islam for the current trouble in Kashmir. Moreover, Vijay has been part of propaganda brigade that has been spreading lies about Kashmiri Muslims and talking about so-called Holocaust of Pandits when only 209 Pandits died in the crisis as compared to 150,000 Muslims majority of them by the
 Indian army and paramilitary forces.

I don't see any appreciation in Vijay's letter. It is all venomous propganda against the Muslims.
best,
Murtaza

--- On Sat, 30/8/08, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
From: S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>
Subject: [Reader-list] FW: Attacks on Minorities in Kashmir Valley
To: "Sarai" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Saturday, 30 August, 2008, 7:56 AM

A note of appreciation from a Pandit organisation for the appeal sent out by
Khurram and others.


------ Forwarded Message
From: "Dr. Vijay Sazawal" <sazawal at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:41:58 -0400
To: <vks at kashmirforum.org>
Subject: Attacks on Minorities in Kashmir Valley

Dear Friend,
 
I am sending this note to just a few friends in the valley to let them know
that the minority community currently residing in the valley - which is down
to a few thousand now - greatly appreciates the following gesture by the
civil society in Kashmir (see attached story in the Kashmir Observer).
 
I have spoken to valley based Kashmiri Pandits almost on a daily basis. Even
though the local media did not highlight the fears of the minority community
earlier, the reality is that last week they had a very rough time. There
were numerous incidents in Pulwama, Anantnag, and Srinagar and Baramulla
where Pandit homes or persons were surrounded by a few ruffians and
subjected to oral threats ranging from, "Are you still here - when are you
going away to Jammu," to "time has come to burn your place and we
will not
let you or your family escape."
 
Again, I want to make it clear that I hold no one among you or any leader
among the majority community responsible for it. But the reality is that it
did happen and it is to the credit of a few Pandit leaders who calmed the
community down. I will appreciate if journalists would mention in their
columns that harming or even mildly threatening Pandits is not helpful to
their cause whatever that may be.
 
Thank you for your help in this matter. If anyone needs further details, I
will be glad to provide the same.
 
Regards,
 
Vijay Sazawal
www.KashmirForum.org <http://www.KashmirForum.org>
Washington, DC
 

Kashmir Civil Society Calls For Ceasefire
Srinagar, Aug 29- Kashmir civil society has expressed concern over reports
in New Delhi based media about possible attacks¹ on minorities in Kashmir
and have urged upon the governments and the militant leadership to implement
a comprehensive ceasefire in the wake of present peaceful people¹s movement
to realise the right of self-determination.
They have also urged the community and religious leaders, political parties,
militant leadership and government to ensure the utmost respect and
tolerance for the minorities.
²We the conscientious people of Jammu and Kashmir believe and uphold that
the human life and its dignity are sacrosanct and in this regard we feel
deeply concerned and aggrieved over the news story carried by sections of
Indian media on 28th August 2008, in which it is reported that the Indian
Intelligence agency has expressed fears about the possible attacks on
minorities in Kashmir², a signed statement by several prominent citizens and
groups said today. 
³Since 1989 there have been some massacres of minority communities under
mysterious circumstances, which created an atmosphere of fear and mistrust
amongst the communities. It is surprising that every time these killings
take place, the people¹s movement of Kashmir is at a critical phase. The
killings of Kashmiri Pandits in early 1990s or the massacre of 36 Sikhs at
Chittisingpora in 2000 (during the visit of US President Bill Clinton) or
killings of innocent Hindus at Kulhand and other places creates an aura of
mystery around all these cold blooded killings. Investigations ordered by
government to probe these killings have always been inconclusive. Bill
Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States in his foreword to Madeline
Albright¹s book titled ³Mighty and the Almighty² has clearly accused Hindu
fanatics of massacring innocent Sikhs at Chittisingpora², the statement
said. 
The statement is signed besides others by  Grand Mufti, Mufti Mohammad
Bashiruddin, Mirwaiz Riyaz Hamdani of Shah Hamdan Mosque, Agha Syed Hassan
Mosavi of Anjumane Sharie Shiayan, Islamic Study Circle, Jammu Kashmir
Coalition of Civil Society, Chamber of Commerce and Industries Kashmir,
Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owner¹s Federation, Valley Citizens Council,
Chairman Kashmir Traders Federation and Noor Ahmed Bilal ­ President Kashmir
University Teachers Association. ³In the present scenario where the
non-violent mass uprising for the attainment of right to self-determination
of people of Jammu and Kashmir is resonating not just in India but also in
the International media and institutions, the reported threat to minority
communities whether Hindus or Sikhs is a serious concern for the civil
society of Kashmir², it said.
³In view of the above mentioned concern, we urge upon the community leaders,
religious leaders, political parties, militant leadership and government to
ensure the utmost respect and tolerance for the minorities and refrain from
any such act which makes the lives of minorities uncomfortable. The
minorities should not be treated as the cannon fodder to carry out the
agenda of vested interests in sabotaging the people¹s movement of Kashmir.
In the wake of present peaceful people¹s movement to realise the right of
self-determination, the only democratic process for peace making, we urge
upon the governments and the militant leadership to implement a
comprehensive ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir. We the people of Jammu and
Kashmir while welcoming the United Jihad Council¹s recently announced
statement, in which they promised to halt their activities within civilian
areas, request them to broaden the scope of their statement into a
comprehensive ceasefire covering the entire Indian administered Jammu and
Kashmir. This would also mean their respect and primacy to the people¹s
movement.² 
The statement further urged the government of India to halt the brutal use
of force against the people and respect the people¹s right to assembly and
freedom of expression both in Kashmir and Jammu terming the arrests and the
killings unacceptable.
³We consider this as the testing time for all of us as humans. We certainly
have been victimised but the challenge for the conscientious people is
always to be humane besides being politically correct², the statement said.
³In the present situation where the political leadership has been arrested,
communications blocked, curfew imposed, there is every likelihood that
situation may descend into chaos. It is therefore we urge international
community to take cognizance of the situation where in the whole population
of Kashmir is being pushed towards the wall. For international institutions
it is the time to intervene for preventing the catastrophe and for the
restoration of people¹s rights², the statement added.
³We take this opportunity to assure our Hindu and Sikh brethren who form the
inseparable part of our cultural and political mosaic that they will find
their Muslim brethren besides always. Whatever be the circumstances we have
lived and suffered together and would continue to strive together for our
political emancipation².
Others who have signed the statement include prominent physician, Dr. Altaf
Hussain, columnist Arjimand Hussain Talib, academics Dr Hameeda Bano, Prof
Shaikh Showkat Hussain, Dr Noor Ahmed Baba and poet Zareef Ahmed Zareef.


------ End of Forwarded Message

_________________________________________
reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
Critiques & Collaborations
To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in
the subject header.
To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list 
List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>