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India-Pakistan
Two dead as India mosque survey sparks clashes
2024-11-25
[GEO.TV] Indian Moslem protesters clashed with police Sunday with at least two people killed in riots sparked by a survey investigating if a 17th-century mosque was built on a Hindu temple.

"Two persons were confirmed dead," Pawan Kumar, a police officer in Sambhal in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, told AFP, adding that 16 coppers were "seriously injured" during the festivities.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted officials saying three people had died.

Hindu activist groups have laid claim to several mosques they say were built over Hindu temples during the Moslem Mughal empire centuries ago.

Street battles broke out when a team of surveyors entered the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on orders from a local court, after a petition from a Hindu priest claiming it was built on the site of a Hindu temple.

Protesters on Sunday hurled rocks at police, who fired tear gas canisters to clear the crowd.

Hindu nationalist activists were emboldened earlier this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a grand new Hindu temple in the northern city of Ayodhya, built on grounds once home to the centuries-old Babri mosque.

That mosque was torn down in 1992 in a campaign spearheaded by members of Modi's party, sparking sectarian riots that killed 2,000 people nationwide, most of them Moslems.

Some Hindu campaigners see an ideological patron in Modi.
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India-Pakistan
10 arrested for trying to vitiate peaceful atmosphere outside Jama Masjid: Police
2023-09-24
So unkind — and only the day after Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was released from house arrest to give the Friday sermon there, too.


Related:
Jama Masjid: 2022-04-30 Nobody cares: Hurriyat protests ban on key Ramazan prayers in occupied Kashmir
Jama Masjid: 2022-02-27 Anjuman Auqaf decries disallowing Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid
Jama Masjid: 2019-08-10 Indian Forces on High Alert after Kashmir Friday Prayers
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India-Pakistan
Nobody cares: Hurriyat protests ban on key Ramazan prayers in occupied Kashmir
2022-04-30
[Dawn] Kashmir
...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there....
’s All Parties Hurriyat Conference
...an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations formed as a united political front to raise the cause of Kashmiri separatism. In other words, a willing tool of Pakistan...
on Thursday appealed to the Indian government to let Moslem worshippers offer the important last Friday prayers of Ramazan — Jummat ul Vida — at Srinagar’s central Jama Masjid as per tradition, but there was no sign of New Delhi yielding.

India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s watch has come under severe criticism for abuse of its religious minorities, which includes censure of its treatment of Kashmiri Moslems. Secular and democratic lobbies in the US have urged US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to accept the report of the alleged mistreatment of Moslems filed in the annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The report for 2022 on religious freedoms and human rights
...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedom at the convenience of the state...
 the world over was released on Monday.

"Given the worsening human rights and religious freedom situation for minorities and the Modi government’s lack of actions, it is important that USCIRF’s recommendation to include India to be a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) be accepted by Sec. of State Blinken," American Moslem Institution said in an appeal.

The group said it applauded the decision of USCIRF to designate India as a CPC country, given that "religious freedom conditions in India significantly worsened in 2021." It said systemic intimidation and violence has moved from the real world and has substantially increased online by "both official and non-state actors...to spread hatred and misinformation."

Furthermore, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led "government, leaders emboldened Hindu-nationalist groups have advocated, instituted, and enforced sectarian policies seeking to establish India as an overtly Hindu state, contrary to India’s secular foundation and at grave danger to India’s religious minorities."

In Srinagar, APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, denounced the repeated closure of Srinagar’s central Jama Masjid by the Indian government.

"Not allowing congregational prayers on the occasion of Jumatul Vida at the central Jama mosque of the valley, which is thronged by lakhs of valley Moslems on this blessed day — when offering prayers at Jama Masjid has greater blessings for the namazis, is outrageous, and against the fundamental human right to religious practice."

The Mirwaiz said in a statement that the same holds true for barring people from praying at Jama Masjid on the holy occasion of Lailatul Qadr. APHC said that such orders against Moslems and circulars being issued by authorities in valley school asking the staff members not to wear hijab, "in a place where Islam is the religion of the vast majority is deeply distressing, causing great angst and hurt to people and further deepening the conflict."

The statement said Mirwaiz asked the authorities to revoke the ban on prayers and allow Moslems across the valley access to central Jama Masjid on these very important and holy days of Ramzan."

APHC said that, people as in the past, will observe Jumatul Vida as ’Youm e Quds’ and Youm e Kashmir’ to stress "the urgent need for a peaceful resolution of the lingering Paleostinian issue and the Kashmir conflict and the human lives they consume."
Related:
All Parties Hurriyat Conference: 2022-03-20 Turkey led OIC’s invite to Hurriyat chief for Pak event draws India’s ire
All Parties Hurriyat Conference: 2021-09-16 Masarat Alam will remain a non-starter in J&K thanks to Centre’s zero tolerance towards separatism
All Parties Hurriyat Conference: 2021-09-02 Senior Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani is no more
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India-Pakistan
Anjuman Auqaf decries disallowing Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid
2022-02-27
[GreaterKashmir] Anjuman Auqaf has expressed resentment against disallowing of congregational Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid here.

"Today is the 30th Jummah Mubarak and the last ten days of the holy month of Mehraj-Ul-Alam are going on. Still the authorities did not allow the Moslems of Kashmir to perform important duties like Friday prayers at the largest place of worship in Jammu & Kashmir — the historic central Jama Masjid Srinagar," Anjuman Auqaf said in a statement.
Could it be that the objection is to a large number of Muslims gathering to be whipped up during the Friday service sermon?
Related:
Srinagar: 2022-02-13 Four Al-Badr militants, three associates held in Rafiabad
Srinagar: 2022-02-12 Cop killed, four others injured in Bandipora militant attack
Srinagar: 2022-02-08 Militant killed in Awantipora gunfight: police
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India-Pakistan
Indian Forces on High Alert after Kashmir Friday Prayers
2019-08-10
[AnNahar] Indian forces across Kashmire were on alert to head off protests after Friday prayers at mosques, as tensions remained high over the ending of the disputed region's autonomy, residents and reports said.

A five-day-old lockdown with no internet or phone communications appeared tighter than ever though the region's police chief told AFP the curfew would be eased so the Moslem-majority population could pray.

Dilbag Singh, Kashmire director general of police, said people could go to mosques "within their neighborhood" but added: "They should not venture out of their local area."

The giant Jama Masjid mosque in Srinagar -- a longtime focus for separatist protests -- remained closed as the government sought to keep a lid on unrest after it cancelled the constitutionally guaranteed privileges of the former Himalayan kingdom, residents told AFP.

Protests against Indian rule have frequently broken out in Srinagar's old quarter after weekly prayers at the mosque, which can hold more than 30,000 worshipers.

"It's tense," one resident said after going near the mosque. "There are troops everywhere."

- CHINA'S SHADOW -
Tens of thousands of extra Indian troops were sent to enforce the clampdown imposed ahead of Monday's presidential decree to tighten central control on the region that is also claimed by Pakistain.

The reinforcements and the 500,000 troops already in Kashmire fighting a three-decade-old insurgency were put on "high alert" for trouble around Friday prayers, the Press Trust of India news agency reported from Srinagar, quoting a security official.

"There is apprehension of mass protests and accordingly necessary steps were taken," the official added.

Despite the huge security presence, sporadic protests have been reported in recent days in Srinagar and the Ladakh region which the government has split away from Jammu and Kashmire under the new measures.

Police have chased groups of pro-separatist demonstrators in Srinagar, many of whom gather at night, residents said. One youth died this week after jumping in a river to escape security forces, according to police.

In a sign of international concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move, Pakistain's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Wormtongue Qureshi
...a Pak political shape-changer. He is undistinguished except for his habit of periodically needing to have his lips reattached...
 went to Beijing for hastily arranged talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Pakistain has strongly condemned New Delhi's action in Kashmire. On Friday, some 3,000 protesters marched in Islamabad, chanting slogans against the move, such as "Kashmire will become Pakistain."

While Pakistain has expelled the Indian ambassador and suspended bilateral trade, Qureshi has said his country would not seek a new conflict with its neighbor.

China, which also controls a sector of Kashmire, protested this week after India reaffirmed its claim to China's territory on a Himalayan plateau.

India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is to visit Beijing from Sunday for talks with Wang.

- CRUCIAL TEST -
Friday prayers were the start of a crucial test of New Delhi's ability to enforce the decision by Modi's Hindu nationalist government. The major Moslem festival of Eid al-Adha is on Monday.

Modi said in a nationwide address on Thursday that people will "not face difficulties" celebrating Eid.

Media reports said, however, that authorities would only decide on curfew restrictions on Sunday.

In his speech, Modi strongly defended his intervention in Kashmire.

The right-wing prime minister called it a "historic decision" and added: "I have full belief that we will be able to free Jammu and Kashmire from terrorism and separatism under this (new) system."

He accused Pakistain of taking advantage of the region's special status to stir troubles there.

India and Pakistain split Kashmire after their independence and angry division in 1947. They fought two of their three wars over the former princely state.
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India-Pakistan
Court orders framing of charges against Bhatkal
2017-08-02
[PTINEWS] A Delhi court today ordered framing of charges against Indian Mujahideen
A locally recruited auxilliary of Pakistain's Lashkar-e-Taiba, designed to give a domestic patina to Pakistain's terror war against its bigger neighbor...
 (IM) operative Yasin Bhatkal and 10 others in the 2010 Jama Masjid blast case.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma, however, discharged three alleged members of the outfit, saying there was not enough evidence against them.

The court discharged Syed Ismail Affaque, Abdus Saboor and Riyaz Ahmad Sayeedi, who were named in the charge sheet by the police.

The case pertains to an kaboom near the historic Jama Masjid here on September 19, 2010 soon after two suspected IM operatives had fired at a bus from which foreign tourists were descending near a gate of the mosque. Today's order came on the blast incident.

The police had charge sheeted these suspected IM members, including its co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, in connection with the blast case and said these operatives had carried out the strike to dissuade foreign nations from participating in the the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

The police had also said IM operatives had planned that foreign tourists found near Jama Masjid would be randomly shot and a kaboom would be executed there for maximum casualty.

It had claimed that Bhatkal had prepared a pressure cooker IED, which was planted in the car parked outside Jama Masjid, and an kaboom had taken place.

The court had on July 18 reserved its order on whether to put Bhatkal on trial in four separate terror cases, including the Jama Masjid blast case, after concluding the hearing of arguments on charges in the cases.

Bhatkal was awarded the death penalty by a Special NIA Court in December last year in a case related to the 2013 Hyderabad kabooms, which had claimed 18 lives.
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Afghanistan
Explosion rocks Herat, dozens feared dead or wounded
2017-08-02
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A deadly kaboom has taken place in Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
 city in West of Afghanistan as there are fears that dozens of people have been killed or maimed.

The incident took place around 8:30 pm local time near Jawadia mosque in the city but the type of the kaboom has not been ascertained so far.

Preliminary reports indicate at least 20 people have been killed and around 30 others have been maimed in the kaboom.

No group or individual has so far grabbed credit behind the incident.

In the meantime, a security source said the incident took place after a jacket wallah detonated his explosives among the prayers in the mosque.

The source further added at least 25 have been killed and around 30 others have been maimed in the attack.

However,
corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds...
 the head of the provincial hospital Mohammad Rafiq Sherzai said the dead bodies of at least 20 people have been shifted to the hospital so far.

He said at least 25 others who sustained injuries in the attack were also shifted to the hospital for the treatment.
Al Ahram adds:
A suicide kaboom on a Shi'ite mosque in the western Afghan city of Herat killed more than 29 people and maimed more than 64 on Tuesday, officials said.

Abdulhai Walizada, a local police front man, said there appeared to be more than one attacker on Tuesday, with witnesses describing a jacket wallah who detonated explosives and at least one other, a gunman who threw grenades at worshippers.

"Two attackers entered the mosque and started shooting and throwing grenades at people," said Mohammad Adi, a worshipper at the mosque who was injured in the attack and taken to hospital.

Mohammad Asif Rahimi, governor of Herat, said at least 29 people were killed and 64 maimed in the incident which came two months after an attack on a 12th century mosque known as the Jama Masjid in Herat, in which seven people died.

There was no claim of responsibility. But the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
, fighting to install strict Islamic law and drive foreign troops out of Afghanistan, denied any involvement.

President Ashraf Ghani
...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money. ..
, whose government has been under mounting pressure because of deteriorating security across the country, condemned the bombing and called on religious scholars to "raise their voices against the terrorist attacks".

Afghanistan has traditionally been relatively free of the sectarian violence common in Iraq or Syria but hardline Sunni Lions of Islam from the local branch of Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 have repeatedly attacked the mainly Shi'ite Hazara minority in the past year.
Update from Al Ahram at 1:10 p.m. EDT:
Islamic State group has grabbed credit for a suicide kaboom on a Shia mosque in Afghanistan that killed and maimed dozens of people on Tuesday, the group's official agency AMAQ said on Wednesday.

"About 50 Shia were killed and 80 maimed in an attack by Islamic State murderous Moslems yesterday on a Husseiniya in the city of Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
 in western Afghanistan," AMAQ said.

Officials on Tuesday said the attack had killed more than 29 people and maimed at least 64.

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Afghanistan
Deadly explosion strikes Afghanistan's Herat
2017-06-07
[Al Jazeera] At least 10 people were killed and several maimed in an kaboom near police offices and a mosque in Afghanistan's Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
 province, police officials told Al Jazeera.

Abdul Ahid Wali Zada, police spokesperson, said the bomb was planted in a rickshaw that detonated near the Jama Masjid, a large mosque dating from the 12th century in Herat city on Tuesday.

"The corpse count coud rise," he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Zabihullah Mujahid, a front man for the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
, told Al Jazeera that the group was not involved in the attack.

Images posted to social media showed plumes of black smoke rising above a mosque complex.

Taliban claims the group is not behind Herat city bombing that left 7 dead

[Khaama (Afghanistan)] The Talibs group in Afghanistan claims that the group is not behind the bombing in Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
 city that left at least seven people dead.

The group’s front man Qari Yousuf Ahmadi in a statement said certain circles within the ’enemies’ are attempting to defame the group by carrying out such attacks.

He did not elaborate further regarding his claims about the ’circles’ and ’enemies’ involved in the attack.

The Ministry of Interior acting front man Najib Danish confirmed that the incident took place after explosives planted in a cycle of violence went off in Jame mosque.

Najib further added that 7 people were killed in the kaboom and at least 16 others were maimed.

No individual or group including the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
 snuffies has so far grabbed credit behind the incident.

This comes as the Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since the group announced its spring offensive late in April.

Taliban’s statements for rejecting role in major attacks mainly claiming civilian lives comes as the group is accused of incurring the most civilian casualties in the country.

The United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
 Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UANAMA) released its latest civilian casualties report in the month of April, covering a period of three months since the start of 2017.

According to the report, the Anti-Government Elements caused 62 per cent of civilian casualties ‐ 1,353 civilian casualties (447 dead and 906 injured), reflecting a five per cent increase compared to the same period in 2016.

The UN mission also added it recorded a 12 per cent increase in civilian casualties caused by pressure-plate improvised bombs ‐ 218 civilian casualties (86 dead and 132 injured).
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India-Pakistan
Clashes in Srinagar, Sopore
2017-03-25
[Daily Excelsior] Stone-throwing festivities broke out at many places in Srinagar and Sopore areas of Valley today after Friday prayers during which one youth sustained grievous hand injury.

Soon after Friday prayers, groups of youths after holding anti-election protest pelted stones on security forces in the premises of Jama Masjid in Old City area of Srinagar. However,
women are made to be loved, not understood...
 the security personnel deployed in large numbers chased away the protesters. The festivities between youth and security forces also erupted at nearby Rainawari area.

Intense festivities between youth and security forces erupted at Anchar locality of Soura in city here after Friday, prayers. Police lobbed teargas shells and stun grenades towards protesters who, however, remained unfazed and continued pelting stones.

One youth identified as Manzoor Ahmad of Baramullla district suffered grievous hand injury after a stun grenade he tried to throw towards police went kaboom! in his hand and as a result his thumb fell apart.

The post-Friday festivities also raged at Sopore town of Baramulla district. Police fired several teargas canisters towards rock-throwing crowd in Jama Masjid area. The festivities in the area continued for several hours but no one was reported injured in these festivities.
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India-Pakistan
Top HM militants trapped in Tral
2017-03-05
[Daily Excelsior] Fierce shootout is on in South Kashmire’s Tral area after security forces trapped at least three bandidos murderous Moslems of Hizbul Mujahideen in a village while equal number of bandidos murderous Moslems managed to flee from cordon in Shopian area last night after a brief shootout.

Security forces this evening cordoned off Oppo village in Tral area of Pulwama and launched searches. A local murderous Moslem commander, Aqib Molvi, his associates Sabzar Ahmad and a foreigner Hammas Bhai are believed to be trapped inside a house.

Security forces blasted off a portion of the house but the intermittent firing was going on. Sources said that Aqib Molvi made a phone call to his family and informed them that he has been trapped in the village.

Massive festivities erupted in Oppo village soon after security forces launched a search and cordon operation following an input about the presence of murderous Moslems.

Clashes also erupted at Tral Town after news about trapping of bandidos murderous Moslems spread. As the searches were underway, locals came out of their houses and resorted to heavy stone-pelting to disrupt the operation against bandidos murderous Moslems suspected to be present in the village.

However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things...
 the operation was on in the village when reports last came and additional contingents of security forces were brought in to tighten the cordon.

Security forces have also imposed curfew in the area to prevent bandidos murderous Moslems from fleeing the area.

The protesters pelted stones on police and CRPF during which they snatched an INSAS rifle from a CRPF officer, Sub Inspector Harjinder Singh, in Main Town of Tral near Jama Masjid.

At least three bandidos murderous Moslems who were trapped by security forces in Chillipora village of Shopian district in South Kashmire since last night escaped after a brief shootout.

Security forces launched search operation after receiving input about the presence of three bandidos murderous Moslems of Hizbul Mujahideeen including Saddam and Irfan in Chillipora. As the searches were started, the bandidos murderous Moslems fired upon the security forces, leading to a shootout. The exchange of fire continued till late last night but under the cover of darkness, the bandidos murderous Moslems beat feet from the village.

The locals had come out of their houses and pelted stones on security forces. The operation that was put on hold late night was resumed this morning but there was no fresh firing after which the operation was called off.

Due to massive stone-pelting, an armoured vehicle of 14 Battalion of CRPF skidded off the road and overturned, resulting in injuries to 11 CRPF men. Amid heavy stone-pelting on overturned vehicle, security forces opened fire and also used pellets to control the stone-throwers, resulting in injuries to three protesters. One protester identified as Inayat Ahmad was hit by a bullet in his hand and he was referred to Bone and Joints Hospital Srinagar.

The festivities in the area continued throughout the day intermittently and several other youths sustained minor injuries. Police used teargas shells to disperse the protesters. The situation remained tense in Heff and Chillipora throughout the day.
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India-Pakistan
IS has no role to play in Kashmir: Mirwaiz
2016-02-15
[Daily Excelsior] Chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has denounced the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 for "promoting terrorism" in the name of Islam.

Farooq, during his recent stay in the national capital, met the Shahi Imam of New Delhi's Jama Masjid Syed Ahmad Bukhari, Jamaat Ulama-e-Hind President Moulana Mahmood Ahmad Madani and other Muslims leaders and exchanged views on ISIS and Al-Qaeda, besides Kashmire.

After a series of meetings, the Mirwaiz said in a statement: "Groups like ISIS, who are promoting terrorism in the name of Islam, in reality have no regard for Islamic teachings and values. These people are just maligning the great religion for their own personal benefits."

He said, "Islam and terrorism are two opposite poles as the great religion of Islam is meant for the welfare of the entire humanity."

The Mirwaiz's statement followed a recent interview of self-styled 'Wali', which in Arabic means custodian or protector, of Khurasan, Shaykh Haridh Said, in 'Dabiq' magazine, a mouthpiece of ISIS, in which he criticised Pakistain and terror outfit LeT.

In his criticism of Pakistain and LeT, he said, "The apostate factions and agents of Pakistain, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba
...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI...
, do not have control over any territory in the regions of Kashmire because they proceed in accordance with the orders of the Pak intelligence as they are the ones who direct their work, pushing them forward when they wish and pulling them back when they wish.

"They also conceal their work when they wish, depending on the local and global atmosphere and based on personal material interests, without any consideration for the interests of the Muslims in Kashmire," he had said.

The self-styled Wali said there are specific arrangements and the Muslims will soon hear "pleasant news" about the expansion of Caliphate to those lands.

The Mirwaiz rejected suggestions that ISIS or Al-Qaeda had any role to play in Kashmire and said any such attempts were made only to malign the movement in the State. "Kashmiris want an amicable solution to the problem and that can be possible if India and Pakistain come together and take into confidence the people of the State," he said.

Noting that the struggle of the Kashmiri people is peaceful and political, based on principle of truth and justice, he said "Kashmire's resistance movement has no link with Daesh [Islamic State] (ISIS) or Al Qaeda".

Hardliner separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had also rejected the claims of ISIS, saying the chances of global terror outfit expanding its operations to Kashmire were "next to zero". He had questioned the credentials of the group, saying "If it had any planning and sincerity, they would have liberated the Al Aqsa mosque in West Asia."
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India-Pakistan
Delhi Jama Masjid's Shahi Imam attacked
2014-10-27
[DAWN] NEW DELHI: The Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, was attacked on Sunday by a man who tried to set him on fire during evening prayers, police and witnesses said.

The man was immediately nabbed by security officers and later handed over to police custody.

"The incident took place when the Imam was leading the evening prayer. A man suddenly threw a plastic bottle which had kerosene at him from behind. The attacker was caught by Imam's PSOs. He has been taken to the nearby cop shoppe," The Hindu quoted the Imam's official spokesperson as saying.

The attacker, identified as Kamaluddin, is reported to be a resident of West Bengal.

The Additional Commissioner of Police (Central) Alok Kumar said that the man is being questioned by authorities.

No further details were provided by officials as to the motive behind the attack.
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