SRINAGAR: Following the massive loss of lives in the ongoing operation by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) against Palestinians in Gaza, the Grand Mufti of Kashmir and other religious leaders have called for a boycott of Israeli products in the Valley and appealed to traders not to import such goods. He also called for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza.
“Israeli troops are committing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Not only Kashmiri people but people across the world, especially those in Muslim countries should boycott Israel made products and items,” Grand Mufti, Bashir-ud-Din, said.
In a related development, Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Parliament on Monday staged a walkout to protest against the Centre’s silence over the continuing bloodbath. According to the PDP members, as the largest democracy in the world, India can’t remain a mute spectator to the military aggression by the Jewish state, which has already claimed over 170 Palestinian lives.
“India has a history of standing by the Palestinians and in the prevailing crisis also, the country’s leadership should raise its voice against the atrocities being committed by the Israelis in Gaza. We don’t expect the country of Gandhiji to watch this naked aggression silently. We should not get influenced by the US or Israeli hegemony,” said PDP Leader in the Lok Sabha, Mehbooba Mufti before she stormed out along with two other party MPs.
Meanwhile, anti-Israeli protests are taking place on a daily basis in the state and the students of various colleges, including girls staged anti-Israel demonstrations here and in other parts of the Valley on Monday.
Leader of Hurriyat (moderate faction) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also advocated a boycott of Israeli products in Kashmir. “As a mark of a protest against the continuing massacre of Palestinians in Gaza by IDF, Israeli products should be boycotted in Kashmir,” he said. Besides, Mirwaiz, who addresses weekly Friday congregation prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid, appealed to traders in the Valley to stop buying Israel made products. “Some (brands of) dates are of Israeli make. I appeal to the traders to identify such products and boycott them,” he said.
Exhorting the UN and the Organisation of Islamic Countries(OIC) to discharge their duty instead of merely backing the US-led West, Mirwaiz said, “Palestinians were being bombed by Israelis , but the UN and OIC remained silent.”
Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani had called for peaceful protest against the “genocide” of Palestinians.”The college and university students should wear black armbands to express solidarity with the oppressed and subjugated people of Palestine,” he said and expressed dismay at the failure of Saudi Arabian and Egyptian governments to initiate steps stop the carnage. The anti-Israel campaign has also made use of the social media, with the users being urged via WhatsApp to boycott Israeli products like L’Oreal, Ralph Lauren, Revlon , Motorola, Nokia, Nestle, Nescafé, Milkmaid, Maggi, KitKat, Polo, Siemens, Timberland, Coca-Cola, Evian, Barbie, Tommy Hilfiger, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson and Huggies.