Bright-lit and flashing, “From Kashmir to Palestine: Occupation is the crime,” “India: Stop Land Grabbing in Kashmir,” “India: Stop Killing of Political Prisoners in Kashmir,” and “Kashmiris Reject Indian Occupation: UN Resolution Only Solution” paraded by central areas in Washington, DC. These areas included Capitol Hill, the White House, the Department of State, the Washington Monument, most embassies, together with the Embassy of India, numerous museums, and extra. This type of digital truck promoting successfully delivered our message to a various viewers, together with overseas embassy diplomats, spectators, observers, and extraordinary Americans.
Rented by the Washington-based ‘World Kashmir Awareness Forum’ (WKAF), these digital vehicles additionally displayed different messages, together with “Stop: India’s Demographic Change in Kashmir,” “Indian Army Out of Kashmir,” “Hold India Accountable for War Crimes in Kashmir,” “End Indian Colonisation of Kashmir,” and “Kashmir for Kashmiris.”
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Mir, President of WKAF and Chairman of the Kashmir Diaspora Coalition, highlighted the importance of October 27 because the Black Day for Kashmiri individuals worldwide. On at the present time in historical past, India invaded the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir below questionable circumstances, utilizing a pretend instrument of accession. Kashmir was a majority Muslim area, dominated by a minority tyrannical king, which had already launched the Quit Kashmir motion in 1931. The individuals wished him gone and have been additionally resentful of India attributable to its mistreatment of Muslims throughout the post-independence bloodshed.
Dr. Mir famous India’s expansionist designs and the way Pandit Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel plotted to invade and occupy Kashmir at any human price. During the identical interval, the Poonch bloodbath and the lethal Jammu Genocide of 1947 occurred, ensuing within the homicide of a quarter-million Muslims and the displacement of over half 1,000,000 to Pakistan, the place they’ve by no means been allowed to return. Dr. Fai likened this disaster to the Nakba of Palestine in 1948, emphasising the potential for regional and international instability, even a 3rd world struggle, and a nuclear disaster.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman of the World Forum for Peace and Justice, questioned why world leaders, together with President Biden, don’t use their ethical authority to induce violators of worldwide legal guidelines to stick to democratic values and common ideas. He speculated that worldwide arms gross sales and the military-industrial advanced is perhaps influencing overseas coverage priorities.
Dr. Fai added that peace in South Asia would profit each Kashmiris and India, urging a extra rational method to resolving variations. He pressured the necessity for a coverage change that respects the best of all individuals to find out their very own future.
Dr. Imtiaz Khan, a professor at George Washington University Medical Centre, identified the similarities between the atrocities dedicated by Indian forces in Kashmir and people in Palestine. He cited the killing of harmless civilians, ethnic cleaning, and a land seize operation, together with makes an attempt to sway schoolchildren away from Islam by introducing Hindu non secular practices in instructional establishments. Dr. Khan known as on the worldwide neighborhood, particularly the UN and OIC, to take discover of those human rights violations and dissuade India from such actions.
He expressed issues concerning the UN’s credibility as India disregards resolutions and overtly negates commitments to the individuals of Kashmir. Dr. Khan appealed to the worldwide neighborhood to maneuver past empty statements, insisting that India ought to face sanctions and censure if it continues to backtrack on its guarantees, with international repercussions in thoughts.
Sardar Zarif Khan, Advisor to the President of Azad Kashmir, highlighted the observance of October 27 as a day of occupation and grief worldwide. It was on this date in 1947 that India despatched its military to occupy the land.
Sardar Zarif Khan added that Indian-occupied Kashmir has was a focus camp, suppressing any voice of dissent with imprisonment and even loss of life. He cited examples like Khurram Parvez, who documented atrocities dedicated by the Indian military, and Yasin Malik, who refuses to compromise on Aazadi.
Sardar Zulfiqar Roshan Khan pressured the necessity for India and Pakistan to fulfil their UN guarantees, permitting the individuals of Jammu and Kashmir to determine their future by a UN-conducted referendum. This promise stays unfulfilled.
Sardar Zubair Khan emphasised that the individuals of Kashmir are naturally peaceable and don’t search struggle. They need a peaceable and negotiated settlement for the sake of regional peace and stability.
Raja Liaqat Kiyani, President of Kashmir House, highlighted the presence of 900,000 Indian occupation forces, making Kashmir the world’s largest military focus. These forces goal to suppress the civilian inhabitants into submission, however the Kashmiri individuals stay steadfast of their battle for liberation.
Sardar Aftab Roshan Khan conveyed that the individuals of Azad Kashmir stand with their counterparts in Indian-occupied Kashmir. They are dedicated to serving to diplomatically and politically to be the voice of the unvoiced.
Shoaib Irshad emphasised the significance of together with accredited management from Jammu and Kashmir in negotiations with India and Pakistan for a Kashmir resolution that garners the consensus of your complete inhabitants.
Shafiq Shah underlined the existential menace going through the individuals of Kashmir, with India altering the demography of the area and making an attempt to change its Muslim majority character.
Khalid Faheem expressed prayers for the protection and safety of individuals in Palestine and Kashmir, contemplating each to be the oldest points pending on the United Nations Security Council’s agenda.
Tahseen Hussain deplored the inaction of world powers, attributing the ache and struggling of the individuals of Kashmir and Palestine to this inaction.