Hundreds Gather at the UN Demanding Freedom from Indian Occupation

New York: “The right of self-determination which was promised to the people of Kashmir by both India and Pakistan and was endorsed by the UN Security Council needs to be fulfilled. The Kashmir dispute has no military solution. It can only be resolved through peaceful negotiations between all parties concerned – India, Pakistan and the people of Jammu & Kashmir.” This was stated by Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, newly elected President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir at a rally organized by the Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum and supported by US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), Majlie As Shura, New York and ICNA/Council for Social Justice. The protest was organized against prime minister, Narendra Modi as he was addressing the UN General Assembly.

Barrister Choudhary said that international attention is now focused on Kashmir, and he called for unity among people as they push for freedom from the Indian yoke. He said that the world powers have the moral duty to intervene to bring justice and peace to the people of Kashmir who are being systematically brutalized by the Indian fascist regime.

Holding banners and placards in their hands inscribed with “Wake UP Wake UP UN WAKE UP” “Indian Army Out of Kashmir” “We Demand Human Rights” “India: Free Kashmir” the participants expressed total solidarity with the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Dr Ghulam Nabi Mir, President, World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF) said, “We are here today specifically to protest the visit and the speech of the Prime Minister of India, Mr Narender Modi. With all due respect to the office of the Prime minister of India, we believe he and his government do not deserve to be speaking at this august forum representing 193 countries of the world. We further believe that the region of South Asia faces an existential threat from the aggressive Hindu Nationalist regime which is based on Hitler and Mussolini’s Nazi ideology. We believe his regime is a threat to its neighbors and world peace.

“World leaders would be ill-advised to ignore the danger posed by the Hindu Nationalist regime led by Narendra Modi, just as it was a grave mistake to ignore the warning signs of Adolph Hitler’s threat in 1940s. The world knew Mr Modi supervised Muslim pogroms in Gujarat and Delhi. He is now doing the same in Assam. His military and paramilitary forces are actively engaged in massacres and forced demographic change in the state of J&K...’

Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, (WKAF) said that the president of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, must know that Prime Minister Modi, who spoke on Saturday, was declared as 'butcher of Gujarat'. Within the past two years, Fai said, Modi has made Kashmir a hell for its people. The people of Kashmir have always been hostile to the presence of India’s troops on their soil and have resisted to such oppression, and over hundred thousand Kashmiris have died within the past 30 years alone. 

"The world powers and the saner elements in both India and Pakistan need to realize that the participation of Kashmiri leadership in the dialogue process with India and Pakistan is the sine qua non that will help to achieve the lasting peace and tranquility in the region of South Asia," Dr Fai added.

Imam Saffet Catovic, former Bosnian diplomat and Board Member, Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) said, “Someone asked me, what are you doing here, you are not from Kashmir or Pakistan or other Asian nation.  I replied, yes that is true, my background is from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Europe.  I am here because as a Muslim and person of faith I am commanded by God in the Qur’an to stand up for justice and against tyranny and oppression (Qur’an 4:135). Beginning in 1992 our Bosnian people were the target of ethnic cleansing and genocide, orchestrated by religiously driven ethnic chauvinists and ultranationalist who sought to erase our historic presence and very existence from the face of Europe, not unlike what has been happening to the Kashmiri people for far too long, under Indian occupation, even more so now than ever before under this Modi regime. By the grace of God, the just nature of our cause and through our heroic struggle and the support of allies and people of conscience across the world we survived and became free and independent and so shall the courageous people of occupied Kashmir  as God reminds us in the Holy Qur’an (3:139) "Do not lose hope nor despair for you shall be victorious if you remain true to who you are and your faith" 

Dr Imtiaz Khan, Professor George Washington University Medical Center said, “The presence of Narender Modi at United Nations compromises the sanctity of this august body which was created to establish a fair world order. Modi terrorizes his neighbors and has subjugated people of Kashmir. Under his watch atrocities against Kashmiris have increased manifold. Occupation forces enter the houses of inhabitants with impunity. They kill the youth, molest the women, and steal the valuables before razing the houses to the ground. “Kashmiris want to express their sincere gratitude to PM Imran Khan for exposing the human rights abuses by Indian forces,” Dr Khan said.

Sardar Sawar Khan, former Advisor to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir called on the UN to decisively move towards implementing its resolutions that pledged the right of self-determination to Kashmiris. The nation of Kashmir is at the brink of extinction due to the demographic changes taking place in the State which need world attention. “History testifies that all international conflicts were ultimately resolved through negotiations, including Afghanistan; Kashmir should be no different,” Sarwar Khan added.

Dr Amerjit Singh, President, Khalistan Affairs Center said, ‘India’s Modi led regime is based on RSS ideology which is inspired by Nazi ideology of Hitler’s Party. Sikhs, Muslims, Christians and Dalits are being subjected to the worst kind of persecution. UN should intervene and implement UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu & Kashmir.

Dr Atif Nazir said that ICNA/Council for Social Justice strives to systematically facilitate assertive Muslim involvement in the field of human struggle for the rights of the poor and the oppressed in the United States and across the globe. He said that ICNA/CSJ initiated various campaigns in the last few years for the oppressed people of Kashmir, like, “India end the communication blockade and the curfew on Kashmir,” “India end the occupation of Kashmir” “India grant aazadi (freedom) to Kashmir,”. Dr Atif said that ICNA/CSJ will be always there whenever people of Kashmir, Palestine, Myanmar, elsewhere need them.

Ejaz Sabir, Esq. said, “The Indian establishment has lost its moral and political grip to establish the writ of State. It is evident from Indian commandos burglarizing the home of the Late Syed Ali Shah Gilani and taking away his dead body, kicking, punching, and leaving his wife bleeding. 

  The protest lasted for over four hours, and the protestors dispersed after offering prayers for martyrs of the world, including Kashmir. -  gnfai2003@yahoo.com