In the last few days, India bombed Pakistan, and Pakistan has struck back. Both countries have nuclear weapons. Scientists say even a limited nuclear war between the two will cause famine around the world.
While the media is focusing on India and Pakistan, what is being ignored or underreported is the core of the issue: Kashmir, Kashmiris, their rights, and their aspirations for freedom and peace.
The latest conflict should not overshadow the fact that while India would like to frame the latest violence as a mere issue of responding to terrorism, it is in essence about the people of Kashmir’s rights of self-determination. These were promised to them by the United Nations. At the time, India accepted this. However, it no longer does and is now moving full steam ahead with its goal of occupying all of Kashmir under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
The vicious cycle of war-terror-hate has killed at least four million Muslims as per Brown University research. It is the rhetoric of the two decade-old “War On Terror” that is used as a blueprint by Israel to commit genocide in Gaza, denying freedom and self-determination to Palestinians. The same rhetoric is used against Uyghurs by the Chinese government and Rohingyas by Burma’s. Now, it is being used against Kashmiris.
Although there are 700,000 Indian soldiers in Kashmir, they failed to stop an attack on Indian tourists on April 22. These tourists were then given refuge by Kashmiris in its aftermath. However, since that incident, Indians have been attacking Kashmiris in and outside of the region.
- Throughout India, Kashmiri students and laborers are being hunted, beaten and attacked.
- The Indian army has blasted off dozens of Kashmiri homes without any due process, accusing them of being connected to the April 22 killings.
- India has arrested at least 2,000 Kashmiris, accusing them of being connected to the incident.
- Several hundred Kashmiris have been forcibly relocated to Punjab without any reason after this incident.
- India has shut down almost all Kashmiri media.
Repression has always increased militancy in Kashmir whereas openness has reduced it.
Talking Points
It is critical to respond to media reports and social media conversations which are essentially ignoring Kashmir and Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom and justice.
- The UN must grant Kashmiris what it originally promised, and Indians and Pakistanis agreed to: A right to self-determination. Allow a vote to decide if they want to remain in India, join Pakistan, or become an independent nation.
- India should allow an international investigation of human rights violations in Kashmir as requested by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
- India must allow international observers in Kashmir as does Pakistan.
- India must immediately release all Kashmiri prisoners who are not convicted of any crimes, reduce the presence of Indian armed forces from Kashmir, and protect all Kashmiris in India.
- Here are some statistics from the last 30 years of India’s oppression in Kashmir:
- Kashmiris Killed by the Indian army: 94,479
- Custodial killings by Indian army: 7,048
- Disappearances of Kashmiris at the hands of Indian police: 10,125
- Gang rapes by Indians in Kashmir: 10,283
- Kashmiris blinded by Indian firing: 188
- Kashmiri children orphaned: 20,085
- Kashmiri women widowed: 20,005
- Kashmiri buildings destroyed: 106,071
- Kashmiris must be part of all talks, not just Indians and Pakistanis.
- Almost 70 years of Indian subjugation of Kashmiris has proven that no amount of force can quell their freedom movement.
- Kashmir, according to the Indian scholar Arundhati Roy, was never a part of India.
- Here is a link to the UN’s first ever report on Kashmir.
- The world must differentiate between terrorism and legitimate freedom movements by oppressed peoples.
- The rise of Hindu fascism called Hindutva is fueling the fire in Kashmir, and India as a whole.
- Indian law provides soldiers effective immunity from prosecution for serious human rights abuses in Kashmir.
- Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and Sikhs, all Indian minorities, are facing serious challenges in India at the hands of the Hindutva government, which many consider a form of Hindu fascism that attacks minorities with armed militias.
India bombing Pakistan and Pakistan bombing India in retaliation will not bring peace or help Kashmiris. It will only divert attention from the real issue: Their right to self-determination enshrined in human rights law and promised by the UN.
Thinking Points
- Why does the world ignore India’s violence in Kashmir?
- Why do most Muslim Americans, who work on almost all issues of the world, remain silent about Kashmir? There is hardly even a dua.
- While there are many human rights issues, can some of you adopt the Kashmir issue for education and advocacy?
- Does your mosque, church, or temple remember the people of Kashmir in your prayers?
- When was the last time you organized or attended a program about Kashmir?
- If you are working on a cause, great! If not, perhaps you should adopt Kashmir as a cause for yourself, your family, or for your congregation
Struggling against oppression is a duty (Quran 4:135). Speaking the truth is an obligation. This is why we must not remain silent about this.
Prophet Muhammad, God’s peace and blessings be upon him, always prayed and strived for peace and justice. In his last sermon, he assigned us the Prophetic mission of peace and justice.
So, let’s pray for peace.
Let’s strive for justice.
Peace,
Sound Vision team
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