The union territory of Jammu Kashmir is currently undergoing its first assembly election after the abrogation of Article 370 on 5th August 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the historic voter turnout in the first phase of the poll as proof of a “Naya (new) Kashmir” in his first rally at the She-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar. He stated, “J&K is witnessing a festival of democracy. The first phase of voting was held peacefully and not under the shade of terrorism. Voters, including young, old and women, voted freely and in huge numbers. Kishtwar saw 80%, Doda and Ramban 70% and Kulgam 62% voting. Compared to the previous turnout, new records have been set. People have written a new chapter of history. It shows the aspirations of people are touching new heights in J&K. The world is witnessing how the people of J&K are strengthening the Indian democracy of the country. I congratulate people for that.”
श्रीनगर की रैली में मेरे भाई-बहनों का जज्बा जम्हूरियत के जश्न में नया जोश भरने वाला है। pic.twitter.com/nJlLx0YNfC
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 19, 2024
While the people are enthusiastically participating in the assembly election and exhibiting their faith in India’s robust democracy, the jihadi elements have once again conspired to use the opportunity to stoke anti-national sentiment and create trouble, in the name of Islam. Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which is a regional branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also known as Islamic State (IS), in the latest issue of its propaganda magazine “Voice of Khurasana” has referred to Kashmir as “The Paradise Under the Control of Infidels,” and urged the Muslims in Kashmir to wage jihad against India.
It has featured dramatic pictures of pro-separatist elements holding black flags with JKIS or ISJK (Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir), a group loyal to the IS operating in the valley, written on them along with images of alleged atrocities inflicted on the locals by the security forces. Notably, a few serene and stunning photographs of the valley are also included to showcase its beauty and imply how it is being ruined by the ‘evil infidel.’ The article is ridden with outrageous claims and outright lies intended to stir up violence in the valley, with nary a shred of supporting proof.
The article titled Kashmir: The Paradise under the Control of Infidels, the first article in the magazine, began by lamenting how Muslims have abandoned jihad and replaced the Quran with Western laws which caused a steady decline of the Ummah (Muslim community) at the hands of non-Muslims. It further read, “After the division of the Islamic Ummah, every part of its existence is filled with pain, and one part of it cannot heal the pain of any other part. Now, the infidels are standing in one rank to attack the existence of the Islamic Ummah, and all of them are shooting arrows at it from the same bow.”
“You see that the Jews, Crusaders, atheists, communists, Hindus, Magians, and other pagan nations in the world each have their separate states they defend with their persons and wealth. The United Nations, the Security Council, the international community, and other oppressive groups have also allowed this, calling it the economic right of these infidels. On the other hand, Muslims do not have the right to have an independent Islamic state under which they can gather beneath the shade of one flag and obey one Imam,” the article alleged while conveniently forgetting that there are at least fifty-seven Muslim countries in the world and they are part of all these international bodies.
Furthermore, no non-Islamic nation has established an alliance solely based on religion like the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is exclusive to the Muslim states. Contrary to the claim, there is no Hindu country in the world, and just one Jewish nation which is always attacked by Islamist groups and countries. Similarly, while the Magians had a nation in distant past, now that land is a Shia Muslim country, Iran.
“Those Muslims who even attempt to establish an Islamic state are called extremists, terrorists, kharijites, takfiris, and many other names,” it further bemoaned the fact that the world opposes and fights against the horrific crimes committed against non-Muslims by jihadi groups like IS, including rape, murder and slavery as infidels are considered lesser humans by these Muslim fanatics.
The article then commenced its discussion on Kashmir by claiming, “One of the segments of this fragmented existence of the Islamic Ummah is Kashmir, this heavenly land that has been oppressed for decades by infidel Hindus, nationalistic militias, and so-called jihadist organisations working for the interests of intelligence agencies.” The inflammatory piece went straight to the point, condemning Hindus for retaining Kashmir, a traditionally Hindu territory that even derived its name from Sanskrit and was once known as Kasmira.
It then adopted the same worn-out rhetoric as every anti-India and anti-Hindu outfit and stated, “Kashmir, which was once synonymous with beauty and vibrant colours, has now become the symbol of oppression and desolation. This land has become a prison for a people from the Islamic Ummah, like East Turkestan, where the identity, culture, belief, civilization, and culture are in danger. Yes, the same land that was once called “Jannat” on earth is now ruled by Hindu polytheists. The same Kashmir that was once the fortress of Islam on the Indian subcontinent for Muslims is today the home in which Muslims spend the bitterest of nights.” The narrative that this terrorist organization is attempting to spread is drastically different from the reality of the prosperous valley where people are living through exciting developments and experiences that were inconceivable before 2019.
“Once upon a time, Muslim horses used to pass through the land of Kashmir to bring the vast land of India under the rule of Sharia, but today, the armies of Indian polytheists from India are trampling Islam and its ritual sand sanctities. Today, every city and village of Kashmir is crying out of subjugation and oppression, the wails of Muslims are coming from every house, and the blood of Muslims is being shed daily by the hands of Hindu polytheists and especially the Bharatiya Janata Party. They are taken to jails, abducted, and tortured under one pretext or another, and the dignity of Muslim sisters is besmirched. After the Uyghurs, the Kashmiri Muslims are the segment of the Islamic Ummah that is facing the worst massacres. Their religion, honour, and sanctity are under constant threat. Truly, the wish of the Hindu polytheists is that the Kashmiri Muslims should worship Allah as they do, chanting “Ram Ram and Bhagwan Bhagwan” instead (Nawjubillah),” the article levelled those allegations without citing any concrete incidence of the oppression committed by the ‘notorious polytheists alias Hindus’ in Kashmir.
Unsurprisingly, the ISKP is just another Islamist outfit that has its natural nemesis in the ‘Hindu nationalist’ BJP which dissolved Article 370. The argument’s merit, not that it had any, was eroded when the article compared Kashmiri Muslims to Uyghurs who have been imprisoned in detention camps, forced to eat pork, unable to observe Ramadan and spent their life in utter misery under the Communist Party of China. On the other hand, Kashmiri Muslims, like all Indians, are entitled to the same rights and privileges under the country’s constitution.
The article then brought up the “Treaty of Amritsar” and accused, “If Kashmir once suffered from the ‘Amritsar’ agreement, then today, every day, agreements like ‘Amritsar’ are made to diminish the pride of Kashmiri Muslims. This segment of the Ummah is being sold at the hands of Hindu polytheists. Yesterday, Kashmir was oppressed by one Ranjit Singh, one Gulab Singh, and one Amrit Singh, but today, every city in Kashmir is ruled by a separate Ranjit Singh from the Indian polytheists, all of whom are engaged in tireless work to destroy standing and dignity of Kashmiri Muslims.”
It then added, “If, on the one hand, the idolaters of India have kept their feet on the chest of Kashmir, on the other hand, the Chinese communists are pushing against them, and in the same way, the apostate Pakistani government is also trying to strengthen its grip on this land. This land has become the arena of competition between these three factions, and the Muslims living in Kashmir are suffering the largest cost of this game because each of the three factions considers the Muslims living there to be their enemies.”
“At one time, Hindu and Sikh polytheists did not dare to set foot on this land. There was a time when polytheists had to get permission to enter the area. But now, this area is a haven for Hindu and Sikh polytheists, and the Muslims living there are now forced to seek permission to stay in their lands and spend the worst nights of life with the permission of the polytheists,” the article consisted yet another preposterous assertion that demonstrated its nefarious objective. Notably, the land of Kashmir has traditionally belonged to the Hindu and other Dharmic faiths until the Islamic invaders devastated the majestic valley for conversion, rape, loot and oppression.
“The region of Kashmir, which was once inhabited by a majority of Muslims, is now occupied by Hindu and Sikh polytheists in most of the urban and influential areas. In this land they once ruled, the Muslims are now a minority. Not only is the faith and religious sanctity of the Muslims under threat, but also the houses, inns, lands, and even the mosques are being given to the Indian polytheists, where the Muslims are forcibly evicted. And if any Muslim tries to resist, the result is imprisonment and death,” claimed the piece littered with glaring falsehoods and abject misinformation. The truth is that it was minority Kashmir Hindus who were slaughtered, raped and forced to flee their homes by people who shared similar ideology and then later captured their flourishing businesses, houses and properties.
It further added, “Not only is tyranny imposed on Kashmiri Muslims, but patriotic and nationalistic organizations fighting in the name of jihad and movements created by intelligence agencies are also doing business with the blood of Muslims while professing to protect Islam and the freedom of Kashmir. These organizations are the real perpetrators of the enslavement of Kashmiri Muslims. These organizations sell the blood and sacrifices of sincere Kashmiri youth and, in return, take crores of rupees from their masters.”
The article then targeted Pakistan and its terrorist organisations including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba for having a nationalist view which is considered a sin according to Islam. It declared, “In Kashmir, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and many other intelligence-backed nationalist movements, the bearded soldiers of Pakistani tyranny, are the real traders of the Kashmir issue who have provided an opportunity for the domination of the tawaghit (a focus of worship other than God) over Kashmir. The real solution to the Kashmir issue lies in a genuine jihad based on the doctrine of Al-Wala Wal-Bara (loyalty and disavowal which signifies loving and hating for the sake of Allah), a jihad in which there is no distinction between the Pakistani and Indian factions, and the soldiers and militias of both factions are killed with the same sword.”
The article then turns its attention to the “zealous and brave youth of Kashmir” and embraces the route of emotional manipulation combined with religious fervour. “How long will you live this bitter life of humiliation and disgrace under the oppression of tawaghit? How long will you continue to endure the atrocities of the tawaghit? How long will you shed tears of helplessness like women under the rule of the tawaghit? How long will you continue to watch the scenes of your sisters being humiliated and brothers being killed and imprisoned? How long will you wait for some divine calamity to descend upon the oppressors so that you can be saved from their atrocities? Arise and defend your faith, honour and religious sanctity, and sacrifice your person and wealth on this holy path,” it provoked.
The article incited young Kashmiri Muslims to take up arms and engage in bloodshed. It maliciously urged, “Stain the streets of Muzaffarnagar, Srinagar, Ladakh, and every city in Kashmir with the blood of idolaters and traitors! Punish them in such a way that future generations will remember them! O youth! Protect yourself from nationalist organizations and intelligence-backed militias because they trade in your blood and sacrifices, giving all the benefits of your jihad and fighting to the lords of tyranny and disbelief instead of the enforcement of Sharia. O youth! The mountains and valleys of Kashmir are waiting for your feet to touch them. Turn the high mountains of Kashmir and the dense forests of the Himalayas into the graveyard of Pakistani and Indian soldiers and strike such a blow that the jungle animals are too full to finish eating their corpses.”
It even invoked the name of Shaykh Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the fifth and current caliph of the Islamic State to encourage Kashmiris to adhere to the same path. “O proud youth! Raise the flag of tawhid (monotheism/belief in Allah), provide as many means and tools as possible for war, and open the front of jihad and fighting against the infidels. No one should bargain over your efforts, sacrifices, blood, and jihad. Choose the holy ranks of Dawlatul Islamiya and the shade of the black flag of tawhid under the leadership of Shaykh Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, start jihad and fight accordingly.”
The article asked Kashmiri Muslims to transform the region into Jannat (heaven) where non-believers are forbidden entry which refers to the Islamic doctrine that Muslims alone are entitled to paradise and non-Muslims will spend all of eternity in hell. It implored, “O zealous believers living in Kashmir! The ongoing humiliation, crisis, and lack of security in this subjugated and oppressed land can end only when you start an armed jihad against all the tawaghit. Arise and try once again to bring the rule of Islam to this land of Muslims and enforce the Sharia that was revealed to the Prophet. Just as this land is called the Jannat on earth, turn it into the Jannat in which the polytheists do not have a place to step, and the believers live in peace, honour, and dignity.
The article subsequently addressed the promise of invading and conquering India, known to Pakistanis as Ghazwa-e-Hind and how the country’s rulers will be bound in chains and presented before Allah to plead for forgiveness. It stated, “Finally, we give the ghazis (Muslim warriors) who are doing jihad to make the kalimah (declaration of faith in Islam) of tawhid in Kashmir reign supreme the good news of the Messenger of Allah in which he said about Ghazwatul-Hind (invasion of India).”
It then proceeded to point out religious quotes to assert the point and stressed, “Abu Hurairah (one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad) reported that the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Some people of my Ummah will invade India and Allah will enable them to conquer it, until they bring the kings of India in chains, and Allah will forgive them their sins. Then they will return to ash-Sham, and there they will find Issa ibn Maryam.’ On the authority of Thawban (one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad), the Messenger of Allah said, ‘There will be two groups in my Ummah whom Allah has protected from the fire. One group will invade India and the other group will follow Issa Ibn Maryam.”
The article further added, “And Abu Huraira reported, ‘The Messenger of Allah promised us the invasion of India. If I get the opportunity to participate in it, I will spend my life and wealth in it; if I am killed, I will be counted among the best martyrs; and if I return, I will be free (from the Hellfire),” to justify why the Kashmiris must take up weapons and assist in the invasion of India.
“So, O oppressed Muslims living in Kashmir! Arise for the best battle, the best martyrdom, and the best victory. Get up! Save yourselves from the burning fire of Hell. Advance one another in attaining the greatest happiness of the best ghazis and the best martyrs. Do not waste this opportunity. Wage jihad against the polytheists and idolaters to make the kalimah of tawhid reign supreme. Do the greatest jihad! Soon, victory will kiss your feet, and you will have a free and independent land steeped in tawhid, jihad, and Sharia. Allah is mightier than all, but most of the people do not know,” the article concluded with yet another sincere appeal to butcher non-Muslims for the sake of Islam.
The propaganda piece might be full of deception and inaccuracies but it doesn’t take away from the malevolent intent behind its release at a crucial time when assembly polls are going on in Jammu and Kashmir. Its goal is clearly to destabilise the valley which has joined the Indian mainstream and democracy is thriving in even the most isolated areas as proven by the unprecedented voting. The election was scheduled on 18th September, 25th September and 1st October while the result will be announced on 8th October.
