J&K bandh on September 18 to protest US film

The Muslim clergy in Kashmir has called on all Islamic countries to boycott US goods to protest the anti-Islam film, Innocence of Muslims. Clerics and traders have also called for a valley-wide bandh and protests on Tuesday against the blasphemous movie.

Jammu and Kashmir Muttahida Ullemai Ahle Sunnat (MUAS), a federation of 42 religious organisations, is sending a three-member team to New Delhi later this week to meet the ambassadors and high commissioners of Islamic countries to ensure that there is an official stamp on their call to boycott US goods.

“Muslims constitute 20% of the world’s population. We will meet the ambassadors of all Islamic states in Delhi and solicit their support for boycotting US goods in the Muslim world,” said Qazi Yasir, spokesman of MUAS.

Qazi will be part of the three-member delegation, comprising chairman Moulana Ghulam Rasool Hami  and Hamidullah Haqqani, that will visit New Delhi this week for their diplomatic campaign.

“I do not think that the apology is going to help now because the blasphemous clip has gone viral. The US looks at the world as its business constituency. Therefore there is a need to take some drastic measures. We have made a small beginning by giving a call for boycotting US goods from Kashmir,” Qazi said.

The MUAS spokesman said they are currently chalking out plans to enforce the boycott of US goods in Kashmir. “We will be consulting our legal cell for their guidance in enforcing a ban on US goods in Kashmir. Broadly, the US goods which come directly will be boycotted without any hitch. We have to see how we can implement a boycott of US goods that are manufactured in India,” he said.

The MUAS has also given a call for hartal in Kashmir on Tuesday to protest the anti-Islam film. “Besides Kashmir bandh, there will be protests in the afternoon against the anti-Islam film which has hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world,” Qazi said.

Kashmir Economic Alliance, an apex body of traders, transporters and other businessmen, has also given a separate call for hartal on Tuesday.