Cleric slams killing of civilians

A top Muslim cleric has condemned the killing of political workers and civilians in Jammu and Kashmir and called it un-Islamic.

Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah, president of Jamait Al Hadees, said the Quran teaches that killing one human being is equivalent to killing the whole of humanity. “There is no justification for killing a rival political worker or anybody else. If you have a political difference with someone, deal politically. Blood-letting is not the answer,” he said.

In the past week, the Shopian-Pulwama belt has been shaken by the murders of a 20-year-old woman, Sheeraza, and National Conference worker Mohammad Iqbal Dar. In the past few months alone, eight civilians have been killed in the area.

The Jamait’s central executive has decided to speak out against incidents which are bringing Islam into disrepute. “We condemned the rape and murder of the two women in Shopian. Similarly, we condemn the killing of Sheeraza.

There is no justification for killing people. We also denounce the human rights violations and political killings by security forces,” said Moulana Shah. The jamait’s executive body also demanded investigation into the killings of Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, the father of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone and former Jamait president Mohammad Ramzan.

The National Conference has welcomed the Shah’s statements. “You can’t kill a political worker just because he subscribes to a different ideology. It [Shah’s statement] sends positive signals. Imams too should preach the same,” said NCP president Ali Mohammad Dar.