By IRNA,
Srinagar, India : Former Chairman of Kashmir’s Hurriyat Conference and prominent Shia cleric Maulana Muhammad Abbas Ansari while congratulating Barak Obama for winning the US presidency in historic elections has expressed hope that Washington under him will change its anti-Muslim policies.
“The world expects that the US policy of warmongering, occupation, bullying and deceit to end’, Maulana said in a statement from his residence where he has been placed under arrest by Indian police since Thursday.
“The policy of successive American governments of humiliating other nations has only generated hatred for the previous US rulers around the world and it is now expected that the behavior of new rulers will be based on justice, respect for the rights of other peoples and nations and noninterference in others’ affairs,” the statement quoted Maulana as saying.
He also expressed hope that Obama would fulfill his commitments and return the genuine rights of people US governments have snatched.
“I hope the democratic rights of the Iraqi and Afghan people and those of Palestine under Zionist occupation be restored.”
Maulana Ansari hailed Mr. Obama for showing interest in helping resolve the six decade old Kashmir dispute. Maulana hoped that the Kashmir issue would become the center of attention on a priority basis after the transfer of power as it continued to pose a real danger to billions of impoverished people in this part of the world.
“If Obama seriously desires to restore peace in this part of the globe, we want to make it clear to him that the peace, progress and security would continue to elude South Asia until the Kashmir issue was resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of its people.” He said.
“We welcome the announcement of Mr. Obama that he wanted to start the diplomatic efforts for solving the Kashmir issue and a special envoy will be deputed for this purpose”, Maulana said.
“Kashmir is not a border dispute but an issue concerning the right of self-determination of 13 million people which has been promised to them in the relevant United Nations resolutions and by Indian leaders,” he added.