APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that the incident that happened in Nowhatta outside the historic Jamia Masjid which has always been a centre of spiritual and moral upliftment, is most unfortunate.
He said, “I am deeply disturbed by this brutal act. Mob violence and public lynching is outside the parameters of our values and religion”.
Mirwaiz said that the violence that the state has wreaked on us is largely responsible for this kind of brutalization, as the police is being used against the people in the most brutal ways which leads to brutal reactions.
He said it is very important and imperative for us that we do not allow our social fabric to be brutalised and keep our basic values intact.
“We cannot allow state brutality to which we are subject to each day as we see the bulleted and chatted dead bodies of our children and youth, snatch our humanity and values. What will be the difference between them and us then? Such incidents are detrimental for our movement and our just freedom struggle”, he said.
Mirwaiz said repeatedly we keep asking the Indian state to address the Kashmir dispute and initiate steps to resolve it rather so that bloodshed of Kashmiris and those killed at LOC is stopped but to no avail. Mirwaiz said if GOI really wants an end to tragedies in Kashmir let it initiate steps to address the dispute and it will find resistance leadership and people most forthwith in joining that endeavour.
Mirwaiz said, as usual, most Indian propaganda media mill has found grist in this sad death to further its propaganda against the resistance leadership and the movement. They are even reporting falsely that when the incident happened I was present in the mosque. I reached the mosque at 12:15 am while the incident had happened before that.
Mirwaiz said that it is for the first time in the living memory of people that they are being barred from offering Juma-tul-vida prayers at Jamia Masjid by the authorities. Mirwaiz said that for the whole year Muslims of the Valley are waiting to offer prayers in Jamia Masjid on this most important last Friday of the holiest month of Ramadan to earn reward and seek forgiveness of their almighty. And even that right has been snatched from us by our oppressors
Mirwaiz said such anti-Muslim and oppressive moves now come as no surprise to the people of Kashmir, who each day are subject to various forms of human right violations and abuse which include infringement and upon their religious rights all of which is the hallmark of being under occupation.