Extremism in Rawalakot, "Azad" Kashmir?

By Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan Translated into English by New Age Islam 10 January 2024 “Azad” Kashmir's Struggle with Extremism: A Growing Concern for the Future Main Points: 1. Shifting Narratives and Technology: How Change in Thought Reflects Society’s Evolution 2. Rise of Jihadist and Sectarian Movements Post-Afghanistan Jihad 3. The Formation of Jirgas: An Unofficial Parallel System of Governance 4. A Religious Campaign Against Women’s Imagery in Rawalakot 5. Silence of State Institutions Amidst Growing Extremism 6. Targeting Public Rights Movements: Political and Religious Agendas Clash 7. Jamaat-e-Islami’s controversial alliances and the contradictory actions of religious leaders in Azad Kashmir. 8. The Globalized Perspective of Kashmiri Diaspora: An International Call for Action 9. Pakistan’s Responsibility: Countering Extremism in Azad Kashmir 10. A Call for Unity and Reform in Azad Kashmir ---- The famous German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “Every truth goes through three stages: In the first stage, it is ridiculed; In the second stage, it is violently opposed; And in the third stage, it is accepted as self-evident fact.” Time is a witness to the fact that human thoughts and behaviours change with time. There was a time when the loudspeaker was called "the voice of the devil." Those who invented the loudspeaker abandoned its use. They now use relatively modern and advanced devices. However, the same people who once called the loudspeaker the voice of the devil are not only unwilling to give it up, but today they are using it extensively and without restraint. There was a time when taking photographs was considered a sin, and making videos was deemed forbidden. But now, press conferences do not begin until there are dozens of cameramen. Satisfaction is not achieved until the newspaper headline features a photo. Air travel was once considered "against religion," and trains were regarded as a sign of the apocalypse, as iron was moving over iron. But today, those same people cannot imagine life without these conveniences. The media, which was once called a Western conspiracy, has now become a necessity for every event. Airplanes, once controversial, are now the fastest and best means of travel. Riding on camels and horses, which was once common, is now seen as a skilful and impractical mode of transport. If the journey involves crossing an ocean, it remains incomplete without modern travel options. And a journey that an airplane completes in an hour would take weeks or months by horse or camel. Furthermore, if the journey is to the moon or Mars, it would be impossible for a horse or camel to take flight. In Azad Kashmir, nearly ninety-nine percent of the population is Muslim. Until the 1980s, the majority followed Sufi Islam, praying and fasting as their ancestors practiced, but not imposing their religious beliefs or teachings on others. However, after the Afghanistan jihad project ended, more focus shifted to the Kashmir jihad project. Before long, various sects and jihadist organizations turned their attention to Azad Kashmir. Fundraising campaigns and armed groups began to appear in every city and town. The chants of "Jihad, Jihad" echoed. Young people were shown dreams of Srinagar's freedom. It is estimated that more than 150,000 people have lost their lives since 1988. Those who followed Sufi Islam in Kashmir were labelled as terrorists, and the state of Jammu and Kashmir was made a Union Territory. By the time of General Pervez Musharraf, those who were called Mujahideen became sudden terrorists after the events of 9/11 and were declared banned. General Musharraf stated in interviews that they had trained these individuals and considered them assets, but now they were terrorists. From these banned organizations emerged new groups under different names. The leaders of the banned organizations assumed leadership of the newly formed groups. What was once an open fundraising campaign became more organized. These organizations took control of local mosques not only in urban areas but also in rural areas and villages. In recent years, despite the presence of the judiciary, police, and administration, the leaders of these organizations declared the formation of a Jirga (tribal council). Officially, it was claimed that this Jirga was being formed to counter drug-related issues and moral misconduct. Azad Kashmir shares a border with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and there are check posts at various points on all the routes. So how do drugs enter Azad Kashmir? Instead of questioning the police and administration, and demanding their reform, these groups took over the powers of the police and administration, promoting the idea that the Jirga would now address people's issues and make decisions. Despite more than two years passing, the silence of state institutions raises serious questions. The consequences of turning Azad Kashmir into a place like Wana or FATA would be catastrophic. In addition, in the past few days, a new campaign has been launched in Rawalakot to remove all billboards, advertisements, and posters featuring images of women from the entire city, as they are deemed "against religion." All billboards, advertisements, and posters were systematically removed from the city, and business owners were sternly warned not to display such posters or sell any products with women's images. In our society, there seems to be no concept of law. Armed and powerful groups harass the local population, while law enforcement and government institutions remain silent in their presence. Armed, masked individuals roam the cities in large vehicles, but no one dares to question them. A few months ago, a cleric gave a speech in Rawalakot, declaring that liberals, secularists, and nationalists are deserving of death. Armed, masked men stood around the stage during this speech. After videos of this event went viral, its echoes were heard repeatedly in the United Nations Human Rights Council. Who will explain to this cleric that liberalism and secularism do not mean lawless freedom, but rather "live and let live"? A nationalist is someone who loves the motherland, transcending all prejudices. Someone who is not loyal to their own nation, country, and land can never be loyal to anyone else. This cleric has spent the last four decades touring numerous Western countries, including the UK, Norway, Canada, and others, as part of fundraising campaigns. For the past two years, a public rights movement has been running in Azad Kashmir under the platform of the Public Action Committee. The aim of this peaceful movement is to secure affordable electricity, cheaper flour, and other basic demands. To sabotage this movement, Maulana Qudoos has been issuing fatwas for the killing of nationalist and liberal leaders. All of this is being broadcast live on social media from the centre of Rawalakot city in broad daylight. The state was fully aware of what Maulana Qudoos was saying, who the armed, masked individuals around the stage were, where they were trained, and where the weapons were coming from. The state knew all of this. The public is also well aware of who is backing them. As a result of the public rights movement in Azad Kashmir, the people have started receiving affordable electricity and cheaper flour. This is something that certain forces cannot tolerate. To divert attention from the real issues, such tactics are employed to target the leaders and activists of the public rights movement. Those who talk about social reforms but resort to abuse instead of reasoning raise serious questions about their training, morality, and educational standards. These individuals are active on social media themselves, yet they advise others to boycott products with women’s images. If these individuals were sincere in their words, they would abandon modern technology such as social media and other platforms and revert to old methods of communication like letter writing. But that will never happen, because their true objective is not social reform but personal gain and pleasing their masters. The Jamaat-e-Islami in Azad Kashmir seeks an Islamic system, and in the recent elections in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, it struck a deal with Modi's government. Not only did they secure the release of their people from prisons, but they also fielded their candidates in the elections. The goal was to cut the votes of the National Conference and other Muslim parties, who had entered the elections promising the restoration of special seats for Jammu & Kashmir. Jamaat-e-Islami, which once considered participating in elections in Srinagar, Kashmir, as a form of disbelief, now deals with the BJP and contests elections to divide the Muslim vote of those demanding the restoration of the state. However, the Kashmiris thwarted their plans, and the National Conference won. With that victory, the National Conference presented a resolution in the assembly to restore the special status of Jammu & Kashmir. For these individuals, taking donations in the form of British pounds with the Queen's photo is acceptable, but advertisements in Rawalakot are not. They preach curing diseases with black seed oil while traveling to Europe, Canada, and the United States for heart surgeries and other treatments. This contradiction paints a clear picture of their character. The 21st century is the century of progress and technology. The world has become a global village. It is no longer possible to turn back the wheel of development. If we truly want to move forward, we must bring a change in our attitudes and thinking. Changing these resources and mind-sets is the responsibility of those who have accumulated them. Pakistan must ensure that parallel groups like these are not formed in Azad Kashmir to overshadow the judiciary, police, and local administration. If the intention is to create an environment of anarchy and uncertainty, then why spend billions of rupees on the army, police, judiciary, and administration? Let it be, for whoever has the largest group will make the law and enforce it. Religious fanatics have a tendency to use religion as a weapon. Instead of reasoning, they resort to name-calling. In reality, those who use abusive language are revealing their true nature, their training, and their background to others. To engage in meaningful discussion, it is essential to study history, science, philosophy, comparative religion, and the customs of nations. However, considering oneself all-knowing based on the study of Pakistan and superficial knowledge is a huge misconception. The study must involve stories and accounts that even Pakistan’s historians and experts are puzzled by, as to who and how such fabricated tales were created. It is crucial to understand that Azad Kashmir is a highly sensitive and disputed region, with both regional and global powers keeping a close watch. Furthermore, it is unlikely that there is a household in Azad Kashmir without at least one person, and often three, four, or even five individuals, settled abroad for employment. Due to the lack of local industries and job opportunities, millions of Kashmiris have settled abroad and send billions of dollars in remittances annually. Because of their overseas residence, Kashmiris have the ability to view and assess things from an international and regional perspective. If Pakistan does not take the seriousness of this issue into account and does not impose an immediate and complete ban on the activities of banned organizations in Azad Kashmir, and fails to take action against those promoting religious intolerance and extremism, this issue will inevitably return to the international stage, particularly in the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). International conditions are changing rapidly. New alignments are taking place, and changes in the borders of different countries will occur. The subcontinent, particularly South Asia, will not remain unaffected by this. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, are disputed territories. Under the responsibilities assigned by the United Nations, it is incumbent upon Pakistan to take measures for maintaining law and order and ensuring the protection of the people. As I mentioned earlier, millions of Kashmiris live abroad and keep a close watch on the events and developments. No conscious Kashmiri can leave their loved ones and their motherland at the mercy of banned organizations and religious extremists. When these religious extremists have no arguments, they resort to using religion as a weapon and label those who question or criticize them as anti-religious or agents of foreign powers. But such fatwas are nothing new. Decades have passed, faces have changed, but the method of operation remains the same. Fatima Jinnah, Bacha Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Nawab Khair Bakhsh Mari, Nawab Akbar Bugti, Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, G. M. Syed, Wali Khan, Imran Khan, numerous writers, journalists, media personalities, and every conscious person who advocates for the rule of law has been labelled as a traitor, enemy of religion, and foreign agent by these extremists. Who will make these extremists understand that Hazrat Khadijah (RA) was one of the most significant business figures of her time, and her business spanned several countries? Who will explain to them that Kashmiris have the same right to love their homeland as any other people in the world? Kashmiris do not need anyone's approval or certificate to love their country and fight for its freedom. The truth is still facing violent opposition. But the time is not far when truth and justice will prevail, and just like in the past, the truth will ultimately be accepted in its entirety. ------ Urdu Article: The Political Situation in Azad Kashmir and Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-Ul-Haq's Slogans of "Al-Jihad Al-Jihad." آزاد کشمیر کےسیاسی حالات اور وزیراعظم چوہدری انوار الحق کے الجہاد الجہاد کے نعرے URl: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-terrorism-jihad/extremism-rawalakot-azad-kashmir/d/134297 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism