Al Qaeda Kashmir head slams Pakistan for betraying Kashmir ‘jehad’, warns India
SRINAGAR: The head of Al Qaeda’s Kashmir cell, Ansar Gazawat-ul-Hind, Zakir Musa in fresh audio message has slammed Pakistan for betraying Kashmir “jehad” and warned to “liberate” India from rule of “cow worshippers”.
In a 10-minute audio message released ahead of Muslim festival of Bakr-Eid, Musa said their fight is against democracy, secularism and against hypocrites working under the garb of Islam.
“We are fighting for supremacy of Islam. We have waged jehad for Allah and are fighting for implementation of Shariah,” said Musa, who was recently named as head of Ansar Gazawat-ul-Hind, Al Qaeda’s Kashmir cell.
Musa, who quit Hizbul Mujahideen this year after ideological differences with the militant outfit, said they don’t need any nation’s permission or certificate from hypocrites for waging the ‘jehad’.
“We are not waging the jehad so that United Nations or other international community supports us,” he said.
Musa, one of the most wanted militants in Kashmir, said ‘jehad’ in Kashmir is going on from last 70 years despite “deceits” and “treacheries”.
“In last 28 years of turmoil in Kashmir, militancy has passed through different phases. There was a time when it was said Azadi is near. And then there was a time when Army and pro-government gunmen (Ikhwanis) let loose a reign of terror. However, the ‘guest’ militants turned the tables and it was felt that India won’t be hold to Kashmir for much longer,” he said.
Taking a dig at Pakistan, Musa said after September 2001 attacks on United States, “our so-called supporter Pakistan government and its army played treachery and back-stabbed Kashmir jehad. They declared mujahideen as terrorists”.
He said Pakistan army closed the militant training camps and got militants waging jehad in Kashmir killed and jailing some others.
“They declared jehad un-Islamic and facilitated fencing of Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir by Indian forces to prevent supplies from reaching to militants in Kashmir. They (Pakistan government and army) withdrew support to ‘jehad’ in Kashmir and began talking about dialogue, cricket diplomacy and secret diplomacy,” he said.
Musa, who was close associate of slain Hizb commander Burhan Wani, said ‘jehad’ in Kashmir continued despite Pakistan withdrawing support to it.
“It (jehad) continued even when there were only a handful of militants in Kashmir. However, we snatched weapons from Indian forces and also used stones as weapons,” he said.
He claimed that ‘jehad’ in Kashmir does not need support of any state.
“Thousands of militants have laid down their lives in Kashmir in past 28 years either for implementing ‘Shariat or attaining martyrdom’. They were not killed for secularism or democracy but for establishing Islamic Shariat in the State”.
Musa said not only locals, but foreign militants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan and other countries have fought against Indian forces in Kashmir for establishing Islamic Shariat in the State.
Stating that they have no enmity with Pakistan or its people, he said, “We are against US, Pakistan government and its army. The Pakistan government and its army played treachery with Kashmir jehad on behest of US. On behest of US, Pakistan government and army have let loose reign of terror on its own people and militants fighting for Islam”.
According to Musa, Al Qaeda’s Kashmir cell’s mission was to clear the Kashmir ‘jehad’ from
Pakistan government, army and their sponsored agents.
“We also want to liberate India from gau pujaris (cow worshippers),” he warned.
"Narendra Modi, the worshiper of cow, can gather as much might with his politics and diplomacy but he won't be able to stop us. We will hoist Islamic flag and have the Hindu rulers chained and dragged,” Musa said.
On militancy in Kashmir, Musa said their ‘jehad’ was not for a piece of land. “It is not for ending one system of governance and supporting another. It is for establishing of Islamic state, where no innocent is tortured”.
“Our targets are Indian army, J&K police, top officials of Indian government, Indian diplomats, politicians. Besides, we would target every person, who works as spy for Indian government and hurts the Kashmir jehad,” he warned.