SRINAGAR, Aug 17: Dozens of Muslims in Kashmir took to streets after Friday prayers to show their support with Palestine on the International Quds Day.
Chanting religious slogans, the group of Shia Muslims led by Islamic scholar Maulana Abid carried placards reading ‘Death to America’ and ‘Stop killings in Burma, Palestine and Bahrain’ from Abi Guzar near Lal Chowk area of Srinagar.
The Quds Day or the Yaum-e-Quds was started by revolutionary Iranian scholar Ayotallah Khomeini in 1979 against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The Khomeini declared “liberation of Palestine” a religious duty upon all Muslims.
The protestors also chanted slogans against America and Israel and called for unity among Muslims against “killings and oppression in Islamic countries”.
“Be it Pakistan, Bahrain or Burma or anywhere else, I appeal to all the Muslims that it is time to stay united. We condemn the killings,” Maulana Abid told reporters.
The scholar also made a mention of the killings in syria where the president Bashar al-Assad is facing heat from armed protestors, although Iran has , many a time till now, appeared offensive to any appeal to end alleged human rights violations in that country.
Meanwhile women’s separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Milat (Daughters of Faith) staged a protest against the alleged massacre of Muslims in Myanmar (Burma).
Asiya Andrabi, who heads the women’s separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Milat, led dozens of her supporters in Srinagar carrying placards and raising slogans.
“The Muslim world is watching the massacre of innocent Muslims in Myanmar as mute spectators. The rulers of these countries have become stooges of the West,” Andrabi was quoted as saying by news agencies.
“We appeal to the world conscience to rise in one voice against the massacre of Muslims in Myanmar,” she said and also criticised the alleged killings of Muslims in Assam.
“Let them come to Kashmir, we will throw open our homes for them”, she added.
