Asalaam’u’alaikum everyone,
Below I have re-printed an interview with one of the Mujahideen in Kashmir because I thought as we do not have much access to their thoughts and condition these days (India has banned the international media from witnessing their atrocities) some of us with feelings for our brothers and sisters might find it interesting. I am not sure of how recent it is, but if anybody has any up to date news I would be glad to hear it.
Note: This is not meant for the Qadianis so you are free to ignore it. If you want to know how your struggle is going, go read the British Military Review or something.
The Amir of the Mujahideen Party:
“The People of Kashmir Are Determined to Continue The Jihad Regardless of The Price”
Interview Conducted by: Al-Thilal Correspondent
Brother Salahuddin. born of the Bloody events in a part of the Ummah which many do not know where on the world map it lies. Kashmir, a paradise on Earth as it has been described by some because of its appealing beauty, its green forests, its generous gushing rivers, which would flow with the blood of the Muslims if we do not hasten to it. 48 years and the Kashmiri people suffer under the fires of the transgressing Hindus, whose goal is to wipe the Islamic identity from Kashmir, and replace it with decadence, immorality, and intellectual and religious depravity.
In 1989, the people of Kashmir took their historic stance, and declared it a Jihad in the path of Allah to achieve one of the two honours, either victory or martyrdom. Jihad missions commenced against the Indian occupation, and the Mujahideen party emerged as a strike force in the midst of the occupation.
Nida’ul Islam: Would you please introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Salahuddin, the Amir of the Mujahideen. I graduated in 1970 from the University of Jammu and Kashmir, and joined the Kashmir Islamic Movement. I have worked in many roles in consolidating the movement, one of which was the Amir of the Muslim student Jama’at. In 1989 the people of Kashmir decided to commence the armed struggle against the Indian occupation. Hence, the creation of the Mujahideen party; our aim is the organisation and leadership of the Muslim youth. I found myself mixing in its ranks during my incarceration in the central prison. Since my release and to this day, I have been working as a leader for the Mujahideen.
Nida’ul Islam: What is the latest news from Muslim Kashmir?
At the present, and in the provinces with Muslim Majority in the state of Jammu, the Jihad is progressing in full strength through the blessing of Allah. Thousands of Mujahideen, side by side with the Kashmiri people, are fighting 600,000 Indian soldiers, in every field: in the mountains, the forests, the hills, the valleys, the cities and the villages. They stand face to face with the Indian enemy, fighting against them. The Mujahidun with the blessing of Allah - Exalted and Elevated - have achieved many victories, and much success. 12,000 Indian soldiers including three generals have been killed, more than 300 troop carriers have been destroyed, military storage depots and warehouses, and troop stations have been regular targets during the last 6 years. Morale amongst the Mujahideen and the Kashmiri people is very high despite the difficult conditions, and terrible treatment received by them, and the shortage of supplies and day to day goods, we feel that India is under increasing pressure. The Indian governors have begun to make enticing offers such as granting complete self rule to us, as also they have offered millions of Rupees to the youth to distract them from the course of Jihad. However, the Kashmiri people are determined to strive despite their captivity and regardless of the price, to liberate Kashmir from the hands of the Hindus, and will not accept less than this.
Nida’ul Islam: The outside world is completely ignorant of the nature of your Jihad and fight against the Hindu regime. Can you give us some idea with respect to the birth of the armed Jihad movement in Kashmir and its goals?
The problems in Kashmir began in 1947, when the Indian subcontinent was divided into two countries. The country of Pakistan emerged, and the agreement was that the provinces with Muslim majority were to be included with Pakistan under the rule of the same religion, same land. The Provinces with Hindu majority would be included with India. At this juncture the Kashmiri people wanted to join Pakistan; however, the governor of Kashmir in a secret agreement with the Hindus stood as an obstacle in the way of this union, knowing fully well that Kashmir is a strategic area in South East Asia. The union of Kashmir with Pakistan would have made the latter the strongest Muslim country in the region. The people continued their struggle on the political front until 1987 when they organised through political parties defending their rights to independence as people of Kashmir, and their right to control their own destiny.
Then in 1989, the youth, seeing that all constitutional, judicial, and democratic efforts failed, decided to pursue the armed struggle. The Kashmir Jama’at Islamia, which is one of the largest Muslim organisations, most hard working, and most well organised, moved to endorse, and support these youth through funds, education, and recruitment. It began talking to Muslim youth, and explaining to them that there is no way to liberate their lands except through Jihad, and every day which passes on Kashmir without Jihad, allows the Indian enemy to consolidate its position, and make life more miserable for the Kashmiri people. Then in 1949, after 43 years of Indian occupation, and upon a complete loss of faith in the Indian government, the Kashmiri people strode onto the path of Jihad.
Nida’ul Islam: What are the most urgent needs of the Mujahideen, and how do we get these to them quickly.
Currently India, through its troops is trying to demoralise the population of Kashmir, as the civilians present great moral support to the Mujahideen, as well as share in their struggle. For this reason, our movement is a popular people’s movement. In this respect the Indian government undertook terrorist policies to force an end to the pure spirit of the people, and to also devastate them economically. They have transformed entire villages to ashes, the houses of the Mujahideen were burnt or bombed, our women are being gang raped, our daughters, our sisters, our wives, and our mothers, approximately 3,500 of them were raped in scenes which are becoming daily occurrences, whilst 40,000 of our sons have been martyred, of these were 6,000 Mujahids, and the rest were innocent civilians.
Against this, the Mujahideen have killed 20,000 Hindu soldiers, however, the Indian soldiers in their rage, have vetted their revenge against innocent civilians. The number of refugees has now exceeded 300,000, who have nothing but the bare earth for beds, and the night skies for blankets, in the heat of the summer and the chill of winter. In my opinion, the most urgent need of the Mujahideen, and the population in general is medical aid, and money to maintain their spirits and morale, and to satisfy their daily needs of food, clothing, and general necessities. As for the Mujahideen, they receive their aid from the general population, however, when these are put to torture, and their homes are burnt, the Mujahideen become forced to adopt different policies. Of these is leaving the cities and villages, and hiding in the forests and hills in order to spare the Kashmiri people, the tortures and harassment of the Hindu soldiers.
The trip from the cities and villages to the forests and mountains takes approximately 25 days, during this period the Mujahidun collect what they can of provisions, which exposes them to being discovered, so some of the traitors relay information to the Indian soldiers leading the soldiers to comb the suspect areas and destroy the markets and houses, and to burn the produce as an act of vengeance against the people living in the area. The Mujahidun face great difficulties in ensuring sufficient food and other of life’s necessities, these create great financial pressure on the Mujahideen, they also have great shortages in weapons, ammunition, and funds.
Nida’ul Islam: How can the Umma offer assistance?
The Muslim Umma is obliged religiously, morally, and as a show of decency to support Kashmir and its people, as we are fighting to establish justice. The Kashmir people deserve the affection of their brethren in every place. They must donate to them and make them feel that they are a part of the single body of the Umma. It is not a game when 600,000 Hindu soldiers besiege the people of Kashmir, pouring on them many different kinds of tortures and degradations, and in spite of this, the Muslims of Kashmir are not being supported by any, none talk about their plight, and none place any pressure against the Indian government to repel it, or stop its crimes and repressions against the Kashmiri people. Unfortunately the role of the Muslim Umma has not appeared thus far. Muslim nations are able to place pressure on India through the cutting off of diplomatic relations, and boycotts of other dealings with India. I believe that it is incumbent on the Muslim Umma to collect money and support the oppressed Kashmiri people, we must take a united stance in the face of India, cutting all trade and diplomatic relations with it. The Umma must apply the words of Allah the Exalted and Elevated:
“And what stops you from fighting in the path of Allah, and the weak of men and women and children who say ‘our Lord take us out of this township whose people are oppressors, and provide for us from you a protecting friend, and provide for us from you a succourer’”
Who is this protecting friend, and who is the succourer if it not be the Muslim Umma.
Nida’ul Islam: We heard of the presence of a large number of Kashmiri militias and organisations - Islamic, Nationalist, and others - could you please shed some light on this issue?
There are more than 23 Kashmiri organisations, all of these are symbolic with the exception of two or three of them. With the blessing of Allah firstly, and with the help of the call amidst the brotherhood, the Islamic movement in Kashmir established the Mujahideen Party, which is the strongest of the organisations, the biggest and the most organised. Its base is inside Kashmir and it represents approximately 92% of the fighters in Kashmir, it is possible for you to enter the camps and conduct your own surveys to prove this. Although there are other parties, however, these are very small. There are also some of the nationalistic groups such as the “Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front”, who have declared that the rifle has served its role, and that it no longer has a role on the political arena which must now be pursued by all. We in turn have rejected this view and declared our innocence from it, and any who support it. We are certain that the solution in Kashmir will only be realised through the barrel of the rifle. If the political arena was able to provide a solution, it would have done this during the 43 years of political battles which the Kashmiri people lived through without any result. On the contrary, India has taken advantage of this opportunity strengthening its choking siege on the Kashmiri people.
Nida’ul Islam: What is the nature of your relationship which bonds you with Pakistan, and does Pakistan provide strong support to the Kashmiri issue?
We are linked to Pakistan through historic, social, geographic, and religious ties. For this reason, it was expected of Pakistan to provide considerable and effective assistance to the Kashmiri people in Jammu and Kashmir. However, and unfortunately, to this day, the assistance is only political, diplomatic, and moral support. It should have provided military and financial support. From one side you see the Indian government attempting to aNida’ul Islam:ihilate the Kashmiri people with 600,000 trained soldiers, and from the other side we find the Pakistani aid whether political or moral support is not sufficient to face this attack.
Nida’ul Islam: Do you have any comment with respect to the negative stance of Pakistan in the United Nations concerning Kashmir?
Many compromises and capitulations have occurred since the Geneva agreements, and we know that the Pakistani government has not come forward to assist the Kashmiri people because it is a puppet in the hand of the west, and the American Imperialists. We no longer expect anything or any type of assistance from the Pakistani government, we have lost faith in it. All they seem to do is leave the matter to the United Nations for finding a solution, and debate over the matter. This has been going on since 1947, and to date, the UN has not offered any justice, or viable solution to our case.
Nida’ul Islam:Are there any links between you and the Mujahideen in Afghan-istan?
There are strong links between the two, the Kashmiri Mujahidun have poured their blood in the land of Afghanistan in defiance of the Russian Imperialists. Hundreds of them had been martyred there, and after the liberation of Afghanistan from the grip of the Russians, they returned to Kashmir, as have many Afghan Mujahidun poured their blood inside occupied Kashmir. However, we are saddened by the fighting taking place amongst the Afghans, the underlying causes of which are the external imperialist, and some of the Mujahideen forces have been lumbered with. The enemies of this Umma are benefiting from this division, and especially India. The media continually comment that as soon as Kashmir is liberated, the same fighting as occuring in Afghanistan will take place in Kashmir. This misrepresentation has effect on the common people, we pray to Allah to establish a strong government in Afghanistan, and unite them in the light of Islam. We regard the Afghan Jihad as the mother of Jihad, many Jihad movements in the Umma have sprung from it, it has moved the spirit of Jihad inside Kashmir without doubt.
Nida’ul Islam: What are the effects of the cooperation between the Afghan leader Burhanuddin Rabbani and the Indian government concerning your struggle?
We have not felt any direct negative effects from this cooperation. Our situation is relative to the people of Kashmir, and we fight with the help of Allah . However, we believe that what is taking place inside Afghanistan of external interference, and infiltration into the ranks of the Afghans, to be a very serious concern for us, as it may happen tomorrow in Kashmir, and for this reason we have taken precautions to prevent such interference in Kashmir.
Nida’ul Islam: We know that there are many breaches of human rights perpetrated by the Indians in Kashmir, could you explain the policies and strategies which India is pursuing in its war against Islam in Kashmir?
After the Indians entered Kashmir, India exerted much effort to Indianise the Islamic heritage of the Kashmiri people as they have been denied their Islamic identity. This was done through establishing many cinema networks, shameful television telecasts, and the stopping of Islamic education. They attempted to replace the Islamic education amidst the Kashmiri youth with Communist, socialist, and secular beliefs. They encouraged coeducational institutions, and established thousands of Pubs through government and private support. They also published many immoral books which incite sexual thoughts, and the transformation of the landmarks of natural beauty into brothels. The Indian empiricism also attempted through its occupation to transform the pure Islamic heritage of Kashmir to a sexual heritage, one which is materialistic, in order to prevent Kashmir from keeping its Islamic identity. The Jama’at Islamia in Kashmir was formed with the aim of fighting the occupation. It immediately began to establish in excess of 300 Islamic schools, with standards of primary, medium, and secondary education. One of their efforts was teaching thousands of Muslim Kashmiri youth Jihad in Islamic law. Despite its limited means, the Jama’at Islamia, as well as other Muslim organisations undertook to fight the Indian invasion in order to safeguard the Islamic culture in Kashmir.
Nida’ul Islam: Any word you may wish to direct to the Muslim readers?
Our message to the Muslim people outside is that the Kashmiri people are a part of the Muslim whole and can not be severed from the Umma. The Umma as a whole is required to raise its baNida’ul Islam:ers against the Barbaric Indian brutality. They must exert pressure on India through whatever means, until it submits to the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their own fate. Our brothers outside must also realise that the people of Kashmir are suffering from the severest kinds of oppressions, and are in need of their moral, financial, and diplomatic support. If the Muslims outside do not feel for the suffering of their brethren inside, who do you think will. The people of Kashmir await the support of their brethren, they began their struggle with the hope that the Umma will not let them down either through moral support or financial aid. Either victory, or martyrdom, either we live as free Muslims, or we die as martyrs with our dignity intact, there is no other choice.
[This message has been edited by Mr Xtreme (edited April 27, 1999).]
[This message has been edited by Mr Xtreme (edited April 27, 1999).]