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Shahi Imam challenges Geelani on Kashmir

The high priest of India's largest mosque has challenged hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Ali Shah Geelani's contention that the Himalayan state should be merged with Pakistan.

"Who is Geelani? He cannot chart out the future of Kashmir. We are as much worried about the issue as he is," said Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid here.

"Kashmiris are our brothers. So, how can we remain silent on the subject?" he said adding, "Kashmir is ours and it will remain so."

"Geelani is not the voice of the people of Kashmir," the Shahi Imam argued. "And the issue concerns not only Kashmiris but the whole nation, as well as millions of Indian Muslims."

Bukhari was speaking to IANS two days after he had a public spat with Geelani at the reception hosted by the Pakistan High Commissioner for President Pervez Musharraf. Bukhari had met Musharraf in Pakistan in May to discuss Kashmir and other issues.

"The All-Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) has no right to decide the fate of the Kashmiris," Imam Bhukari said. "A solution is possible only if the governments of India and Pakistan, their peoples, the Kashmiris and 150 million Indian Muslims jointly decide on it. Without the participation of any of them, a solution cannot be reached."

Bukhari, who recently criticized the Central government's policies towards Indian Muslims, said he is hopeful that the summit between Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Agra would be fruitful.

"When leaders of the two nations are talking about peace, who is Geelani to speak about division?"

Speaking about his argument with Geelani on the Kashmir issue, Bukhari said, "I was talking to few Pakistani journalists. Some of them invited Geelani to join the conversation. I was going to embrace him, but he turned on me saying that I have abused him.

"Geelani shouted at me saying that I have no business talking about Kashmir," he said, adding that Geelani told him that "he is a Pakistani and Kashmir is a part of Pakistan."

But when Bukhari told Geelani that "a handful of people" could not decide the fate of Kashmir, Geelani shouted back "I have nothing to do with the Indian Muslims. I am the representative of six million Kashmiris and I say that it is part of Pakistan."

"How can Geelani say that he is an Pakistani? He is living in India and singing the tune of Pakistan," Bukhari argued.

The heated debate between Bukhari and Geelani lasted for almost 25 minutes, and Bukhari in course of the argument told Geelani that the people of India did not want another division. "Our ancestors have fought for the freedom of this nation. And another division is not acceptable to the people," he said.

Bukhari argued that Geelani had no real mandate to speak for the people of Kashmir. "Only a mere five per cent of the Kashmiri population believes in jehad (Islamic holy war)," the high priest argued. "And no Indian Muslim is involved in the struggle. What do they mean by jehad? Is it just killing innocents? This is not what Islam preaches."

Bukhari said the people of Kashmir are fed up of listening to the sounds of guns. "Whatever people say about the Agra summit, I am hopeful. At least the two leaders have taken the first step of meeting each other. They know that war is not a solution and only through talks and meetings can they come to a solution."

Indo-Asian News Service

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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