Jamia Masjid desecration: Such anti-Islamic acts won’t be tolerated, says Joint Hurriyat

Srinagar, Dec 29: Joint Hurriyat Leadership has strongly condemned the incident that took place after last Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, in which a few masked youth shouted pro-ISIS slogans while desecrating the pulpit.
In a statement, the leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, said that some masked elements, violating all Islamic teaching, values and sanctity of the mosque and exploiting the Kalima, attempted to desecrate the pulpit (Member-e-Rasool PBUH) of the Masjid.
“Such anti-Islamic acts would not be tolerated at any cost,” the leadership said.
They said that it is not for the first time that such a shameful act of hooliganism has been done.
“In the past too, some elements at the behest of certain agencies and handlers have indulged in hooliganism in and outside the Jamia Masjid,” Joint Hurriyat said in the statement.
The leadership said that the motive of these agencies is to weaken and disunite the ongoing people’s movement of the right to self-determination, and these elements are being used to divert the “just movement by changing its basic nature and character under the pretense of perusing some global agenda”.
“Such an agenda will only strengthen the narrative of our adversary and justify its oppression against us,” the statement read.
The leadership said that the people of Kashmir have given and are giving supreme sacrifices for the achievement of their internationally acknowledged fundamental birth right – the right to decide and choose their future in accordance with their wishes and aspirations.
“Any attempt to weaken or change that discourse, be it under any pretense, will not be tolerated by the people and leadership,” they said.
Describing it as most unfortunate that some youth knowingly or unknowingly get involved and used in such acts, the leadership said that on many occasions they addressed this issue in the larger interest of the movement but “now it seems to have been carried too far.”
“…the pulpit of Jamia Masjid has sufficiently represented the voice of the youth and reflected their aspirations, as the youth play a significant role in our ongoing movement and have helped to channelize it and give it a direction,” the leadership said.
They added: “It appears that under a well-planned design attempts are being made not only to damage this religious centre but also to change the course of the ongoing movement and create an atmosphere of confusion and anarchy among the masses so that the priceless sacrifices rendered in the movement go waste.”
Joint Hurriyat said that these devious acts can never be in the collective interest of the people.
They stressed upon people particularly youth to be cautious of this propaganda of vested elements and understand the motive behind such acts.