JRL condemns attempted desecration of Jamia Masjid pulpit, cautions youth

Srinagar: Condemning the act of some masked youth who attempted to desecrate the pulpit of Jamia Masjid after Friday prayers, the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Saturday said “such anti-Islamic acts wouldn’t be tolerated at any cost”.
JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik have strongly condemned the incident that took place after Friday prayers at Jama Masjid Srinagar in which some masked elements violating all Islamic teaching, values and sanctity of the mosque and exploiting the Kalima and in the name of Islam, attempted to desecrate the pulpit of Jama Masjid, said a statement.
The leadership said that it is not the first time that such a shameful act of hooliganism has been done.
“In the past too, some elements at the behest of certain agencies and handlers have indulged in rowdyism and hooliganism in and outside the Jama Masjid,” they said.
The JRL said that the motive of these agencies is to weaken and disunite the ongoing people’s movement of the right to self-determination, and these elements are being used to divert this just movement by changing its basic nature and character under the pretence of perusing some global agenda.
“Such an agenda will only strength the narrative of our adversary and justify its oppression against us,” they said.
Describing it as most unfortunate that some youth knowingly or unknowingly get involved and used in such acts, the leadership said that on many occasions they addressed this issue in the larger interest of the movement but now it seems to have been carried too far.
The leadership said that while aptly representing the political wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir, the pulpit of Jama Masjid has sufficiently represented the voice of the youth and reflected their aspirations, as the youth play a significant role in our ongoing movement and helped to channelize it and give it a direction.
“However, it appears now that under a well-planned design attempts are being made not only to damage this religious centre but also to change the course of the ongoing movement and create an atmosphere of confusion and anarchy among the masses so that the priceless sacrifices rendered in the movement go waste,” they said.
JRL said that these devious acts can never be in the collective interest of the people.
“The people of Kashmir particularly the youth are continuously nurturing this movement with their blood and it is because of their sacrifices that the ongoing struggle of Kashmiris is recognized at the global level.”
The leadership said that it is a fact that Jamia Masjid has played a historical and key role in keeping the movement alive and taking the just cause of Kashmiri’s to global level.
JRL stressed upon people particularly youth to be cautious of this propaganda of vested elements and understand the motive behind such acts “that only strengthen our adversary and stay away from it can only cause harm to our movement and the sacrifices given by the lakhs of people.”