Shakeel Ahmad Bhat is the new face of "Islamic anger". He never misses a chance to protest in Kashmir against "anti-Islamic" forces
Shakeel A Bhat is the new face of ‘Islamic anger’; he never misses a chance to protest SRINAGAR: His crooked nose, shaved head and cluttered beard was enough to make him "famous" in the West. For the past 10 years, he has hardly missed a chance to participate in protest demonstrations in Kashmir against the "anti-Islamic" forces of the West and Israel. But among thousands of protesters, he stands out because of his physical appearance. And he has been photographed several times by foreign news photographers and shown on foreign news television. So much so that he is a familiar face in the West.
Meet Shakeel Ahmad Bhat, 30, the new face of "Islamic anger". Bhat caught the attention of bloggers and the media after his pictures, with tight fists and gnashing teeth, were flashed in different newspapers across America and Europe protesting against the forces of Islam.
The irony is that he has become a matter of discussions in the West, but in his home town he lives in obscurity. The former militant turned political activist of hard-line Hurriyat Conference has no qualms about his activities which he says is "to champion Islamic causes and protest against the anti-Islamic forces".
"I have dedicated my life to Islamic causes. That is why I have been seen often on roads protesting against the enemies of Islam. I may have been arrested 300 times for holding protest demonstration in Kashmir. And every time I had to spent two to three days in police station," said Bhat.
Be it the atrocities against Palestinians or Afghanis or even the blasphemous Danish cartoons, he was seen in every protest demonstration held in Kashmir. "I do not have the means to board a taxi or auto. If the protest demonstration is within the radius of 10 kilometers I foot the distance. If it is too far then I board a bus or take a lift. I feel it as my duty to protest against any tyrant government," said Bhat
Bhat's transformation from militancy to politics has been smooth. A school dropout from the old city area, he joined militancy in 1991 and went to PoK for arms training. After his return he joined Al Umar militant outfit and remained underground till September 1994 when he was arrested by the security forces.
"I was booked under TADA and spent three years in jail. By the time the Hurriyat Conference was established and I joined them. Later, I realised Syed Ali Shah Geelani's polices were based on truth. So when Hurriyat spilt, I backed the hardliners," he said.
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