Ali Raza Syed condemns ban on collective religious practice related to special Ramadan prayers in the illegally occupied Kashmir
BRUSSELS, May 01 (SABAH): Chairman Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) Ali Raza Syed has condemned ban on collective religious practice related to special Ramadan prayers in the illegally occupied Kashmir.
It is important to mention that Indian authorities imposed ban on prayers of the last Friday of Ramadan and congregational prayers of Shab-e-Qadr during the night of 27 Ramadan in side the Jamia Mosuqe and severe restrictions are possible on the Eid prayers in Srinagar, the capital of the occupied Kashmir.
In a statement issued from Brussels, Chair of KC-EU said, freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. Thus the right to freedom of religion or belief is one of the most fundamental human rights.
About prove of the restrictions on the religious rights by the Modi government, Chair of KC-EU Ali Raza Syed gave a reference of a recent report of a U.S commission. He said, in its annual report 2022, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) clearly said, Religious freedom has deteriorated “significantly” in India under Hindu nationalist government. The report has urged State Department for the third straight year to place India on U.S. list of “countries of particular concern”. The report highlights that during the year, Indian government escalated its promotion and enforcement of policies including those promoting a Hindu-nationalist agenda that negatively affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and other religious minorities.
Ali Raza Syed said, along with the restrictions on religious freedom, the occupied Kashmir is witness of a terrible human rights situation where people are living under harsh restrictions for last 1000 days. Several political workers, journalists and human rights defenders (HRDs) including Khurram Pervaiz, Mohammad Ahsan Unto, Sajjad Gul and Fahad Shah are in the prisoners. We are deeply worried that prominent HRD Khurram Parvez who remains in detention under draconian laws in one of the most overcrowded and unsanitary prisons in the country for his documenting of rights violations in Indian illegally occupied Kashmir. Beside above these prisoners, there are a number of Kashmiri political figures including Yasin Malik and Shabbir Ahmad Shah imprisoning for a long time.
Chairman KC-EU call for immediately and unconditionally release all those detained without basis as reprisal for their human rights work. It is important to mention that KC-EU has already launched a campaign in Europe for release of the prisoners in March this year. Chairman Kashmir Council Europe Ali Raza Syed said, this move will also be continued in other European countries. He asked EU to play their effective role for early release of the prisoners.
Ali Raza Syed said, these political figures, journalists and human rights defenders are detained because they always helped the people of Kashmir in raising their voices against the Indian brutalism in occupied Kashmir particularly they highlighted the terrible incidents of Indian state terrorism in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Ali Raza Syed said, India can not achieve its evil objectives including concealing war crimes and inhuman acts in occupied land of Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the international community particularly EU to use its good offices for preventing human rights violations, including ban on religious practice and early release of the Kashmiri prisoners.