Mehran Bhat
Clerics in several parts of the Kashmir valley have expressed support and solidarity with the families of the civilians killed in the last few days and appealed the majority community to stand with the minorities in their hour of grief.
During their sermons, clerics from various parts of their valley asked Muslims to stand up for Sikhs and Hindus of the valley. Various Religious seminaries (Dar ul Uloom) reciting verses from Quran and hadith of the Prophet have drafted letters to their clerics in various parts of the valley to announce support for religious minorities.
Mosques from South to North were abuzz with support and solidarity with the bereaved families. A Cleric, Irshad Hyderi speaking to The Kashmiriyat over phone said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against the injustice committed against non-Muslims and diminishment of their rights. He vowed to be the opponent of their aggressors.” We have asked the Ulema (clerics) to call upon people (Muslims) to stand in support of the bereaved families.
On Sunday, Various Muslims including Mufti Nasir ul Islam and Yasmin Raja of Muslim Khawateen Markaz visited the house of Supinder Kaur, the Sikh woman principal of the Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Eidgah in downtown Srinagar, who was shot dead on Friday.
Expressing condolences with the bereaved family, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said that all the Muslims of Kashmir stand with the Kashmiri Sikh community “who had always stood for us.”
He met the relatives of the deceased woman and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family. Various other members of the civil Society visited residence of School Principal at Alochi bagh Srinagar to offer condolences to the family.
Meanwhile, Yasmin Raja spent time with the grieving women of the house and said that every Muslim woman of Kashmir stands against the killings. She told the family that every Kashmiri stand with the family in the hour of grief.
Twenty-eight civilians have been killed in Kashmir this year, amid a series of targeted attacks this week, the Inspector General of Jammu Kashmir Police said.
Seven civilian lives were claimed in the targeted killings that took place in the past week, triggering panic in the region.
Vijay Kumar, the Inspector General of Jammu Kashmir Police addressed media persons and said, “Out of 28, five persons belong to local Hindu/Sikh community and two non-local Hindu labourers.”
He said that the killings were a result of frustration due to the killing of militants, especially their leaderships, destruction of their support structures and continuous and effective maintenance of law and order.