By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: Member of Parliament and PDP member Muzaffar Hussain Beigh’s comments in a national paper saying that ‘madrassas’ were responsible for the current unrest has ensued a huge backlash in the valley.
Beigh had represented the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the all-party meeting convened by the Union governmnet to discuss the current unrest in Kashmir.
“I told (the all party meet) that there is a narrative of religious extremism. This narrative is created in madrassas. Our teachers and schools don’t have such commitment or reach. These kids are trained in the religious texts without context. Now there is a revival of Khilafat, which has taken the form of ISIS. It is bound to influence the youth of Kashmir,” he was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.
“ I told them (All Party meeting) that what is taught in Madrassa is not real Islam. They teach them politicized Islam. They (the students) get two sets of kameez pajamas from their families and these vulnerable minds are told that if you die in Jihad, you will go to paradise and if you survive you will be a hero. We should have had a counter narrative (in Kashmir),” the newspaper added.
National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah expressed shock at Beigh’s statement has and termed it as ‘perverse anti-Kashmir tirade and stereotypical Muslim bashing at the All Party Meet’.
“Not a single local young boy who has joined militant ranks in recent months has come out from a Madrassa-based educational background – this fact itself exposes the fallacy of what PDP is trying to peddle for its own vested interests,” Omar said.
“Some of these young boys were toppers in the mainstream educational system while a few of them were meritorious students in professional college programs. What PDP is trying to do by distorting the truth is extremely dangerous and perverse,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Union government has also declined the request of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to visit Kashmir to investigate cases of human rights violations during the ongoing unrest.
Independent MLA from Langate, Er Rasheed lamented the government decision and have said, “ Let India not forget that it had sought and ensured UN intervention on alleged human rights violations in Nepal but now when UNHRC had sought permission to visit J&K, the same propagators of Human Rights with the consensus of all parties refused to allow them the same.”
Jamat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir also denounced the government decision to decline the request of UNHRC.