SRINAGAR: Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday expressed concern over the escalation of tension in the Middle East, and called for peaceful engagement to resolve the concerns. Addressing the Friday congregation at the Jamia Masjid here, the Mirwaiz also appealed to US President Donald Trump not to strike Iran, and avoid further escalation of the situation.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza cannot be expressed in words anymore. Just yesterday, 92 people, including children, were killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, as desperate Palestinians seek food amid the ongoing hunger crisis.
“Each day, starving Palestinians gather to receive food in aid and even there they are bombed and killed. What can be more horrifying and inhuman,” he asked.
The Mirwaiz also said that to “make matters worse, hundreds of Iranian civilians have been killed and thousands injured as Israel extends its aggression to Iran”.
“And now further disturbing news is coming in that the US may join in striking Iran. All this is very painful for the people of Kashmir, who share religious and cultural ties with Iran and the Middle East, besides witnessing the breakdown of global order,” he said.
The separatist-religious leader also appealed to the US president not to strike Iran and “further escalate the situation, pushing the region into the path of death, destruction and revenge”.
“Concerns on all sides can easily be addressed through peaceful engagement, rather than military might, which only complicates matters and creates humanitarian crises, as we are witnessing in Gaza,” the Mirwaiz said. The world is witnessing a situation that some analysts believe could lead to World War-III and annihilation of the world, he said.
“Nations need to talk to one another and restore trust so that conflicts and concerns can be addressed and resolved peacefully and sincerely,” he added.
The Mirwaiz also expressed concern over the health condition of another separatist leader, Shabir Shah, who is in prison in a terror funding case.
“Shabir Shah Sahab’s serious health condition in Tihar Jail, and denial of access to his family members to talk to him over phone for the past two years, or care for him when he is facing such a medical emergency and is in dire need of a surgery, is very unfortunate and disturbing.
“I spoke to his wife yesterday, and she told me that the bail plea citing his grave medical condition has been rejected, and that she does not know how to help him,” the Mirwaiz said.
He added that the case is the same for most other political prisoners, who due to “prolonged incarceration and subhuman jail conditions are suffering from grave health issues”.
“It is against the very idea that the Indian legal system claims to uphold – the basic human rights of the prisoners, violating the very idea of human dignity, due process and justice,” the Mirwaiz said.
The Hurriyat chairman appealed to the Centre and the concerned authorities to immediately intervene to ensure that due medical care is extended to Shah.
He also said that Shah’s family should be allowed access to be with him when he needs them the most.
“I appeal to the elected government of J-K to raise this serious issue and provide every assistance that they can in this matter,” the Mirwaiz said.
