Conflict
Arba’een Walk: TeH Chief Sehrai thanks pilgrims for ‘spectacular solidarity for oppressed Kashmiris’ in Najaf, Karbala
Srinagar: Chairman Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Mohd Ashraf Sehrai expressed his gratitude to the silent protests against ‘the oppression in Kashmir’ carried out by pilgrims from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Nigeria including many Kashmiris, who were part of the annual Arba’een walk that took place in Iraq to commemorate the martyrdom of one of the Islam’s most prominent leadership figures, Hussain Ibn Ali, the grandson of the Last Prophet, a statement issued by the party stated.
Arba’een is considered as one of the largest annual gatherings that take place in the world, attracting millions.
In October, participants from aforementioned countries had staged silent protests and raised slogans in Arabic and Persian, which read, ‘O God help the people of Kashmir’, and ‘Kashmir is not alone’.
Sehrai also expressed tremendous solidarity with Kashmiri people in Karbala and Najaf, the statement read.
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“When we study Karbala, we observe how it has social, political and religious factors that made Imam Hussain (RA) rise to challenge ‘Yazid’. A key factor was the violation of the principles of humanity,” he said.
“The way people shared our pain and raised their voices in our support is commendable and such advocacy to the subjugated Kashmiri people is very encouraging for us,” he said, adding that it has provided new life to the freedom sentiment of the people of the nation.
He said that during the holy pilgrimage journey, the way millions had demonstrated and displayed play cards in favor of Kashmiris and paying tributes to the valiant struggle of Kashmiri people was meant to convey to the world in emphatic terms that the Muslim Ummah would never leave their oppressed Kashmiri brothers and sisters alone in their just struggle, come what may.
In a statement issued to the press, Sehrai said that for the past 30 years, Kashmiris had been facing the event of Karbala on repeat.
“For us, ‘Karbala’ never passes away and as we have to face “Yazidiyat” every day and facing since decades now,” he said. “Imam Hussain (RA) and his associates while sacrificing their precious lives, conveyed that believers should in no way hesitate to offer sacrifices and support in order to save human beings from oppression and suppression.”
He urged the entire Muslim community in the world ‘to shun political, strategic and economic expediencies and to continue supporting us at this point in time, when we are facing the worst kind of outrageous atrocities by Indian occupational forces’. He also urged the community to highlight the region’s rights and plights on every occasion.
He further called for ‘this great solidarity and eye catching demonstration’ to not be reduced to ‘mere symbolic gesture’, noting that it only encouraged ‘brutal occupational forces to further intensify and inflict more atrocities, suppression and barbarism on innocent defenseless Kashmiris.’
This comes after a slave of killings were reported in the previous month, with the recently concluded Municipal polls recording victory for the BJP in four south Kashmir districts.
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The killings included slain scholar-turned-militants, Mannan Wani, Sabzar Sofi, and recent civilian killings in the Kulgam carnage, which led to widespread condemnation from resistance leaders and intense clashes throughout the region.
