SRINAGAR: The militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen’s Kashmir chief Zakir Rashid alias Zakir Moosa on Friday claimed that struggle in Kashmir was not a political but an “Islamic movement” and threatened to hang Hurriyat leaders at city centre Lal Chowk if they become thorn in way of implementation of Shariah.
In a five-and a half minute audio message, which has gone viral on social networking sites, Zakir said, “As you know Hurriyat has said that the struggle by people in Kashmir is a political struggle and not an Islamic struggle, I want to ask them why are you using Masjids for this politics instead of staging sit-ins and dharnas on roads. Why are you attending funerals of mujahids.”
He said the 27-year-old armed movement in Kashmir is “Islamic” and not “political struggle”.
“Muslim world is suffering from a lot of confusion,” Zakir said adding, “Some people suggest me that I should not meddle into this. I am not a scholar or religious preacher but those who could say this are silent fearing retribution from the state. We have to speak on it”.
Zakir, who took over as Hizb chief in Kashmir after killing of Burhan Wani in encounter with security forces on July 8 last year, said they (Hurriyat leaders) invoke Islam but seek resolution of Kashmir issue from United Nations and international community.
Labelling the Hurriyat leaders as “hypocrites”, he said “Why they are using mosques and other Islamic symbols and slogans if they believe that the struggle is political.”
In the name of strategy, he said, they are transgressing from Islam and looking towards international community for resolution of the Kashmir issue.
“They are political leaders and not Islamic leaders. We ask them not to become thorns in way of implementation of Shariah. We will hang them in Lal Chowk if they again try to block our path,” Zakir said.
“You are our big problem. If you have to run this dirty politics, run it in your homes. If we have to implement the Shariah, we have to implement it on ourselves,” he said.
The Hizb commander said Kashmir struggle is for implementation of Shariah and supremacy of Islam.
“Don’t try to be thorn in our way. People don’t need to get confused. We are not bothered about what people say or think. We are happy if people oppose us because the truth has always been opposed. We need unity on the basis oneness of God and not with collaborators. They will tomorrow say idol worship is fine,” he said.
Opposing pinning any hope on international bodies like the United Nations, Zakir said, “Our fight is purely for the sake of Islam, and we shall implement the Shariah in Kashmir”.
“The scholars and preachers are corrupt. We love our Ummah and we don’t want it to suffer any more. I want to say if they are on truth then let them spend a night with us and I will see how staunch followers of Islam they are. If we have to implement religion we have to first implement it in our personal lives,” he added.
The Hizb commander’s statement comes four days after senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik had said that the Kashmiri movement was a political one and ISIS and al-Qaeda had nothing to do with it.
Reacting to Zakir’s statement, Hizbul chief Syed Salah-ud-Din directed the militants to desist from issuing statements and consult the top commanders on policy and other important matters.