Over 125 imams are asking you to rise up for Kashmir. Sign the Imams’ letter in Support of Kashmir here

By Imam Muhammad Abdul Jabbar

After Hamd o Thana:

Brothers and sisters! The month of Dhulhijjah has dawned upon us that reminds us of the commitment, devotion, sacrifice and strong faith of Syedna Ibrahim

• He was tested many times but he proved his steadfastness, resolve and dedication.
• He had a natural inclination to worship one God and dislike for idol worship from the very beginning of his conscious life.
• He broke idols into pieces instead of bowing down before them.
• He was thrown into a huge furnace of fire but came out unhurt because of his strong belief and total reliance in God.
• He emigrated out of his homeland to Syria with his faithful wife and a nephew in pursuit of worship of one God and to bear witness of truth to mankind.
• He took his wife Hajar and new-born Ismail to Makkah following the orders of Allah SWT.
• Syedna Ibraheem AS travelled far and wide from Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Hijaz many times to fulfill his mission.
• He expressed his unbent resolve to sacrifice each and everything beloved to him just for the sake of Allah SWT. Even he was ready to sacrifice his only beloved son, Ismail whom he got after long and intimate prayers.

The seerah of Ibraheem is a role model for us to follow; فاتبعوا ملة إبراهيم حنيفا regardless of our status as majority or minority.

Currently, many Muslims are suffering throughout the word from Syria, to Yemen, Ethiopia, East Turkestan, Burma, Palestine. Today, we remind you of the Muslims in Kashmir. Kashmiri Muslims, in pursuit of the Sunnah of Syedna Ibraheem A.S have been tested adversely by persecution at the hands of polytheist regimes for the last 89 years. They went through sufferings, torture, detentions, massacre, enforced exiles and evacuations, curfews and finally a prolonged lockdown but their commitment to freedom from Hindu polytheists has never declined.

They have never accepted to be sold in slavery. They resisted against the Amritsar Treaty through which each Kashmiri was forcibly sold in slavery by the British rule to Hindu Maharaja Ghulab Singh in 1846.

Every year, July 13 reminds millions of Kashmiris how the Maharaja Hari Singh’s troops took aim at each caller that stood up to call for Friday prayer service. 22 innocent Kashmiri Muslims fell to the bullets, one after the other in cold blood, in front of Srinagar Central Jail. Since that gloomy day, Kashmiris have been holding peaceful protests and rallies throughout the world until now.

The Kashmiri struggle for freedom was spurred up by the historic event of the 1947 Partition of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan. The struggle of the Kashmiri people was recognized by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in a 1948 resolution which called for a plebiscite on the future of the region to be convened “as soon as possible” i.e. a referendum to allow the Kashmiri people to determine their own future. However, such a referendum was never held.

Kashmiri Muslims believe that their suffering has not ended despite the end of the despotic Dogra rule, rather the fate of Kashmiris has transformed into the worse.

Repression in Kashmir under the Hindutva nationalists has reached a new and unprecedented pinnacle of oppression. Kashmir has been under lockdown and communication blackout for almost one year.

The Modi regime abrogated the nominal autonomy of the state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. It has unleashed a reign of terror unprecedented even under the oppressive Indian rule of the last 72 years. Under the so- called Registration Act 2020 and State subject Rules 2020, India has enforced a settler-colonialist apartheid project in Kashmir with a drastic demographic transformation to make Kashmiris a minority in their own land.

Young men are abducted or “disappeared” by Indian security forces, and sometimes die in custody. In the last few years more than 10,000 have disappeared and over 7,000 have been killed in military custody. Spouses are left behind with no knowledge of what happened, in families that have been torn apart, and nothing but uncertainty for the future. They are Kashmir’s “half-widows.” Young children, even babies, are blinded and wounded by the weaponry of the Indian forces. And more than 10,283 reported they have been gang raped by the Indian military.

Kashmiri political leaders and activists are languishing in various jails where they are being subjected to torture, isolation and healthcare deprivation and unhygienic crowded conditions. They are facing the added fear of Covid-19 pandemic which is raging among jail staff and security forces. The Modi regime’s goal is to totally incapacitate the political leadership of Kashmir to silence any voice of freedom and their right of self-determination.

How should we as sensible Muslims and responsible global citizens respond to the current crisis in Kashmir? 

First and foremost, as conscious Muslims, we are obliged to stand for justice as is mentioned in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ

وَلَوْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ

Believers! Be upholders of justice, bearing witness for Allah alone, even if it means testifying against your own selves, or your parents and relatives. (Q4:135)

Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has advised that:

مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ

الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى

The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.

(Sahih al-Bukhārī and Sahih Muslim)

From the guidance of the Qur’an on witnessing for justice and the parable in the above hadith, we understand that if any part of us is suffering from injustice, we should all be feeling their pain. As conscientious Muslims, therefore, it is our duty to stand up for justice in the face of human suffering, no matter who the victims are or who the perpetrators are, and call for solidarity with all people of the world whose human rights and dignity are being violated by oppressive regimes.

Over a hundred imams are calling on us to rise for Kashmir. We should call on our governments to pressurize the Indian government to defuse the current situation in Kashmir and to work with the United Nations to resolve the Kashmir issue urgently and peacefully. We should visit our elected Congressmen, Senators, Ministers, MPs or write to them and impress upon them to move for a resolution on Kashmir to pressurize the Indian govt. to rescind the revocation of 370 article and reinstate the status of Kashmir as it was before 5th August 2019. We ask you to join a digital rally for Kashmir tomorrow on Muslim Network TV so you can listen to Kashmiris themselves.

Last but not least, we should remember the dire plight of the Kashmiri people in our supplications and du`as. Prayer is a powerful tool that can be used to influence social change. At this sacred hour of Jumu`ah I call on you to join me in making a special du`a for the people of Kashmir:

O Allah, our prayer for the people of Kashmir is full of hope.

We ask for Your help to bring lasting peace in Kashmir and other parts of the world where our brothers and sisters are being persecuted.

O Allah, we pray for the turmoil to end,

O Allah our hearts go out to the innocent children who were maimed and blinded due to pellet injuries, To the youth who have been picked up from their homes and are detained in jails of India thousands of miles away from their homes.

O Allah give sabr e Jameel to those parents who have lost their children and youth during this struggle.

May Allah give the innocent Kashmiris the strength to deal with the oppression they encounter.

We pray for the dignity and freedom of the Kashmiri people and for peace and normality to be restored.

We invoke mercy and forgiveness of Allah SWT for 100,000 Kashmiris who have laid down sacrifices for freedom,

We pray for all those who dedicate their lives to fighting oppression and

striving towards justice and peace.

Allahumma anta al-Salam – O God Thou art peace

Wa minka al-Salam – and Peace comes from Thee,

Fa hayyina Rabbana bi al-Salam – Allow us to live and subsist in peace

Allahumma Amin

Justice For All is hosting a Global Digital Rally for Kashmir. Register here