Iftar Dinner in Washington to Remember People of Kashmir
Washington, DC: The World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF) organized an Iftar dinner to express its appreciation to the brethren of Azad Kashmir ancestry, Pakistani Americans and friends of Kashmir for their continued support.
The event was held at Namak Mandi Restaurant, Falls Church, Virginia where the leadership of Kashmiri and Pakistani community was in attendance.
Umer Khalil recited verses from Qur’an and Javaid Kousar, a well-known journalist in DC metropolitan area, offered salutation on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Imam Naeem Baig, National Coordinator, Religions for Peace USA, highlighted the importance of Ramadan. He said, “We thank Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, for blessing us with another Ramadan so that we become closer to Him, our Creator. This month-long training program that we know as Ramadan is to intensify our relationship with Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. We abstain, which is the literal meaning of Sowm from eating, drinking and spousal intimacy from dawn until sunset because Allah has commanded us to do so. That is what Ramadan is all about, learning the art of abstaining from committing haram, learning how to control and discipline ourselves from not harming others with our words, actions and/or behavior.
Imam Naeem added that one of the names of Allah, is As-Samad, The Self Sufficient, that means that Allah is not in need of anyone but everyone needs Allah. Imam Al Ghazali, says that fasting produces a semblance of the divine quality of samadiyyah (freedom from want) in a human being. And we build in ourselves this quality of serving others, standing up for their rights if they are being oppressed and persecuted. So let us strive for the freedom of our brothers and sisters in Kashmir and Palestine. Let us stand against oppression and fight for justice and peace.
Dr Ghulam N. Mir, President, World Kashmir Awareness Forum, thanked the guests and said tonight we want to acknowledge a very special and unique relationship between the people of Azad Kashmir and Indian Occupied Kashmir. No two communities in the world enjoy such a loving relationship. People in Occupied Kashmir are ever so grateful to the people of Azad Kashmir and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the people living under Indian tyranny. Together we will continue our peaceful struggle for freedom and Indian decolonization of occupied Kashmir. We need to redouble our efforts.
Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of WKAF, also thanked the audience for their support and guidance during the past more than four decades in the United States. We salute your selfless commitment and dedication to the cause of Kashmir, he said. Today, the world powers do not utter a word to stop brutality and viciousness prevailing in the Vale of Kashmir – once known as paradise on earth. Therefore, we feel compelled to knock the corridors of power in Washington, and elsewhere and urge them to explore all humane and reasonable avenues to deliver the people of Kashmir from a suffering that has lasted now for more than seven decades. We cannot do it without the support of our Azad Kashmir brothers and sisters, Fai added.
In his remarks, Mowahid Hussain Shah, Attorney-at-Law, Of Counsel to late US Senator James Abourezk, highlighted the significance of never giving up and the dangers of a defeatist mindset which can lead to indifference and inaction. Mowahid said despite heavy odds the spirit of Kashmiri resistance movement is unbroken. Its struggle is essentially a relentless striving for Fairness in that Right is Might. Mowahid said that youth has to be mission-ready as reliance on paid lobbyists seldom delivers the goods. Mowahid cited the example of a brave 17-year-old girl, Darnella Frazier, who filmed on her phone the senseless killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 which sparked a worldwide civil rights protest movement leading to police accountability. The lesson, Mowahid emphasized: The importance of small steps and to individually do what you can do.
Dr Imtiaz Khan, Professor at George Washington University Medical Center, thanked the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for their presence and being in the forefront for espousing the cause of the people of Indian occupied Kashmir. Dr Khan emphasized that the Azad Kashmir diaspora flocked along with their children and women to the rallies and seminars organized to support the legitimate cause of Kashmir. The enthusiasm expressed by the Azad Kashmir community is exemplary and their leadership deserves plaudits for standing behind people of IOK.
Mongi Dhaouadi, President, Tunisian United Network highlighted the meaning of fasting and its relevance with the oppressed people all over the world. The month of fasting makes us feel compassion and empathy towards the needy, destitute, poor, hungry, and the less fortunate in our community. When a person is fasting and feels the pain of hunger, he should reflect on those who have been in this situation not only for days but often for weeks and months. Islam wants to inculcate this feeling among Muslims to become helping hand for all those people irrespective of their religion, culture or creed. This is the time to remember our brethren in Palestine, Myanmar, Kashmir, and beyond.
Dr Zahid Bukhari, National Director, ICNA Council for Social Justice, said that we must stand to promote global awareness of this situation and the acceptable solution of the Kashmir issue. During the month of Ramadan, we may better understand the rights of others with empathy. He suggested the launching of a comprehensive reach out campaign in America for the cause of Kashmir which is so dear to us all.
Dr. Akbar Khawaja, Strategist and Educator;
Sardar Zubair Khan; and Shoaib Irshad, General Secretary, Kashmir American Welfare Association (KAWA) also spoke on the occasion. Sardar Zarif Khan, Emcee of the program, thanked the audience for their participation. He applauded the role of the leadership of Kashmiri and Pakistani American community and said it was a fact that whenever we gave you a call you always responded in the positive. Thereby, you have become the symbol of compassion, humanity and kindness for the cause of Kashmir.
Those who attended included among others Malik Hamid, Shoaib Irshad, Sardar Zubair Khan, Moazzam Aftab, Akram Butt, Aftab Roshan Khan, Gul Sher, Johhny Bashir, Rana Saadat, Mohammad Akbar, Mazhar Chugtai, Ziaul Hussain, Raja Liaqat Kiyani, Shafiq Shah, Umer Khalil, Syed Adeeb, Atif Raja, Shahbaz Shaw, Shahid Abbasi and representatives of the media fraternity.
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