Kashmiri religious leaders have again denounced the recent attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Anantnag district, during Friday prayers across mosques in the Valley. The second consecutive week of condemnation highlights the widespread grief and anger over the violence, which reportedly left several tourists dead and many others injured.
Leading the call for peace, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed the incident a violation of Kashmir’s ethos. “Kashmir has always embraced visitors with love and warmth, and such brutality has no place here,” he said. “This kind of violence not only defames our land but also deeply wounds the spirit of our people. We have suffered too much to allow hatred and bloodshed to define our future. Violence cannot be the answer—it only pushes us further into despair.”
Speaking to worshippers at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid, Mirwaiz demanded swift punishment for the perpetrators. “We want justice for the victims of the Pahalgam killings. All of Kashmir stands united in grief and protest. Such violence must end if we are to reclaim our dignity as a people of peace.”
At the historic Jamia Masjid in Anantnag, clerics also strongly condemned the attack. “Kashmiris reject the killings in Pahalgam in the strongest possible words,” said a statement from the mosque’s pulpit. “But at the same time, the targeting of Kashmiris in other Indian states in the aftermath of the attack is equally condemnable. Violence cannot be met with more violence.”
Renowned Shia cleric Aga Syed Mohammad Hadi expressed his outrage on X (formerly Twitter), calling the attack “inhuman and irreligious.” He added, “No matter how much we condemn this barbarity, it is not enough. This incident has also exposed the hollow claims of those who portray Kashmir as secure and peaceful after August 5th.”
Mufti Nasir ul Islam echoed the sentiment, calling the attack “highly condemnable.” “Such acts of terror and violence are unacceptable and have no place in our society. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” he said.
Kashmiris have for the second consecutive Friday shown a unified stance from the religious community has sent a clear message: Kashmir rejects violence in all its forms.
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
