The potential for genocide is real in Kashmir: Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai
NEW YORK, Jan 15 (SABAH): Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman, World Forum for Peace & Justice said during an All-Parties Jirga (Assembly), organized by Shamsuz Zaman, a young enthusiastic community leader and President of Pak-American Society, USA, “If we were to judge the UN based upon its history of involvement in efforts to resolve international conflicts, the simplest answer is that it has been an enormous failure. The fact that fundamental mission in being created the United Nations was to be a means of preventing global catastrophes like the Second World War. In this context, Kashmir cannot be ignored, perhaps for no other reason than the conflict there has gone on for 76 years and seems destined to continue as long as the Indian armed forces continue to occupy the region.
“The potential for genocide is very real and massive killings have already occurred in the past in Kashmir. The tens of thousands who have been killed along with vast human rights abuses seem to go on without an end. Dr. Gregory Stanton, Chairman, Genocide Watch is on record to have said during a Congressional hearing at the Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. in January 2022 that Kashmir was at the brink of genocide. The UN high Commissioner on Human Rights who spoke on September 13, 2016 during the opening of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, said in response, ‘We had previously received reports, and still continue to do so, claiming the Indian authorities had used force excessively against the civilian population under its administration…I believe an independent, impartial and international mission is now needed crucially and that it should be given free and complete access to establish an objective assessment of the claims made by the two sides.’ Of course, Dr. Fai added that the Indian government continues to ignore such calls for investigation, because it believes that such ruthless tactics are the only way to deal with opposition to its policies. Such policies are almost a guarantee that yet another great tragedy in the UN’s history will occur.”
Dr. Fai added that India’s image suffers far more from the obvious duplicity and an incorrigible unwillingness to confront openly its wrong-headed policies in Kashmir than it would if it just laid its cards on the table. The flaunting of its inhumanity — as if to say, we’re going to do it and you can’t do anything about it” — is only deepening its commitment to permanent conflict and suffering in Kashmir.
“It does not bode well for anyone looking for U.S. support for human rights causes, particularly in Kashmir. The bipartisan support that Kashmir issue was given by the United States Administration at the United Nations since 1948 seem to be disappearing. Is it because the United States was wrong then or is it because United States policy towards international legality and morality has changed, Fai continued?”
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai reiterated that trade and commercial deals are important but it should not be at the expense of the high moral ground American exceptionalism has always claimed. Moral values and human rights are the very essence of even being called civilized. Let us remind President Biden the promising words he said that American values are that we must not lead with the example of power but the powers of example. Can President Biden tell his friend Prime Minister Modi to lead in Kashmir with the power of example and fulfill his promise that he gave to the people of Kashmir at the United Nations and allow them to exercise the right of self-determination, Dr. Fai asked?
Shamsuz Zaman, President, Pak-American Society, USA explained that the purpose of the Jirga was to deliberate freely the internal and external compulsions of the nation of Pakistan. But we cannot afford to ignore strategizing in the United States to help the oppressed people of Kashmir. In particular, when we know that the Kashmir dispute has an international dimension because it has the sanctity of the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions and has become a big hurdle or obstacle in the growth and stability of both India and Pakistan.
Sirajul Haq, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan in his keynote address explained the background of the backwardness of the nation of Pakistan within the past 7 years. Pakistan needs an honest leadership which must rise above petty politics and always thinks about the future and prosperity of the nation and not about their own families.
Sirajul Haq added that we as a nation have failed our brethren in occupied Kashmir. The people of occupied Kashmir are giving sacrifices beyond imagination, and they need out full diplomatic support which unfortunately is missing. How long can the people of Kashmir live under the clutches of Indian occupation, Sirajul Haq asked?
Sardar Sawar Khan, former Advisor to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir said that the unresolved conflict over Kashmir threatens the international peace and security of the world. It is far past time for the UN to take forceful action in order to restore peace to Kashmir. Perhaps Resolution 2098 ought to be reviewed as an option to consider in dealing with this problem, because nothing else to date has worked. It’s time for the UN to restore the faith of common people that it is an agency that can live up to its bold charter and mission of bringing peace and stability to the world.
Sarwar Choudhary, leader of Kashmiri American community said India’s occupation of Kashmir has been left undisturbed by the international community, even though its validity has never been accepted. At no stage, however, have the people of Kashmir shown themselves to be reconciled to it.
Sardar Taj, young Kashmiri American leader said, “I believe that it is not the inherent difficulties of a solution, but the lack of the will to implement a solution, that has caused the prolonged deadlock over the Kashmir dispute. The deadlock has meant indescribable agony for the people of Kashmir and incalculable loss for both India and Pakistan.”
Sardar Imtiaz Khan Garalvi said that the Kashmiri diaspora bears the responsibility to come to the rescue of the oppressed people of Kashmir. We should be willing to participate whether it is a seminar, a conference or a rally at the Times Square to high light the human rights situation in occupied Kashmir.
Raja Mokhtar another young Kashmiri leader said that world powers need to understand that it is ultimately the aspirations and wishes of the people of Kashmir that have to be respected and ascertained.
Other people who spoke included: Ms. Amber Adler candidate, New York City Council; Mark Meyer Appel, Chairman, The Bridge Multicultural Advocacy Project; Lester Chang, New York State Representative; Dr. Shafiq; Mohmmad Hussain; Barrister Saghir Khan; Syed Mazhar; Choudahry Ashraf; Umar Bhat; Moulana Sakhawat Sundarwali; Fatimah Saleh; Shahnaz Attia; Vakil Ansari; Arsdhad Khan, Haji Shafi; Zaman Afridi; Sardar Wajid Sawar Khan.