kashmir muslims and hindus and religion controversies

Kashmir had a very rich secular,peaceful and Tolerant culture in the past. emperor Ashoka is often credited with having founded the city of Srinagar.Kashmir was once a Buddhist seat of learning, perhaps with the “Sarvastivada” school dominating. East and Central Asian Buddhist monks are recorded as having visited the kingdom. After the advent of Islam into Kashmir a traditional centre of Buddhist and Hindu religions conversion of Hindus to Islam has resulted in numerically significant population of the Kashmiri Muslims being descendents of Hindus . The prevalence of common Kashmiri Pandit family names among contemporary Kashmiri Muslims is indicative of Hindu lineage. Kashmiri Pandit family names Common family names among Kashmiri Pandits include: Handoo,Aga, Atal, Bandhu, Bhan, Bagati, Bhat/Butt/Bhatt,Budki(Burki), Chowdhury,Dhar(Dar), Dass(Das), Dassi, Dulloo, Ganju(Ganjoo), Kaw,Gurtu,Hak, Haksar, Hangal, Hangoo,Hoon, Jaju,Jalali, Kachru(Kachroo), Kak, Kar, Kappu, Katju, Kaul(Koul), Kaw, Kemmu, Khar,Kasid Kher, Khosa, Kitchlu(Kitchlew), Kunzru, Langoo,Malla, Mantoo, Mattoo, Muthoo, Misri, Natu, Nehru,Ogra,\ Pandit, Pandita, Parimoo,Qasba, Raina, Rayu, Razdan, Reu, Sadhu, Sapru, Shah, Shivpuri, Shrunglu, Shunglu,Tangnu, Thusoo,Tikoo,Wakhlu, Wanchoo/Wanchu, Wantoo/Wantu,Warikoo, Wattal, Wattoo, Zalpuri, Zaroo and Zutshi.Many of these names are also shared by Kashmiri Muslims.Handoo,Bagati,Bhan,Bhat,Burki,Dhar(Dar),Sapru,Kitchlew,Sheikh are some surnames which are shared by converted kashmiri hindus.The ancestors of most of the kashmiri are common, Syeds are not kashmiri blood,They had come from West Asia and Middle east with the then religious groups to share their knowledge about islam with hindus of kashmir.Some world famous kashmiris are Pt. Jawahar lal nehru,Sir Iqbal and yes Nawaz shareif is also a kashmiri. There is a saying that blood is thicker than water.But I fell religion is thicker than blood.The proof is the killing of kashmiri pundits by Kashmiri Muslims .Some famous lines which were used at that time are as under:· Kashmir main rahna hai, Allah-ho-Akbar Kahna hoga. (If you choose to live in Kashmir, you will have to say Allah-o- Akbar).· Asi gachi Pakistan, Bata ros ta batanev san. (We want Pakistan, with Kashmiri Hindu women and without their men-folk).· Allah-o-Akbar, Musalmano jago Kafiro bhago, jehad aa raha hai. (Allah-o-Akbar, arise and awake Muslims, buzz off infidels, jehad is approaching.)· Kashmir kya banega – Pakistan (What will Kashmir be – Pakistan)· Zalimo O, Kafiro, Kashmir hamara chhod do (Ye cruel Kafirs (infidels) vacate our Kashmir)· Yahan kya chalega, Nizam – e – Mustafa (What will have sway here – Prophet’s governance)· Arise ye, fearless Momins, For Russia has lost the race, Now the sword hangs on India’s neck Now it is Kashmir’s turn.· Islam hamara maksad hai Kuran hamara dastur hai Jehad hamara rasta hai. (Islam is our destinationKoran is our constitution Jehad is our way.)· Hamein kya chahye, Nizame Mustafa Kashmere main kya chalaiga, Nizame Mustafa Hindustan mein kya chalaiga, Nizame Mustafa (What do we need – Prophet’s governance. What will have sway in Kashmir – Prophet’s governance. What will have sway in India – Prophet’s governance.· Ganga-Jamuna mein aag lagayenge (We will destroy Ganga and Yamuna)
I often wonder how powerful is religion? People across world are ready to kill anyone for their religions?How can anyone forget Crusades- Battle between Christians and Muslims? Christians say Muslims were aggressors and they killed devout Christians who were sure that world will come to an end at the beginning of 1000 years .But nothing happened. Humiliated by the Muslims they approached the pope and pope ordered crusades after many years from the date of the incident! On the other hand Muslims say Christians were the real Culprits.Christians, Muslims and Jews have common prophets up till Abraham. Abraham had two sons Ismail/Ishmael and Isaac. Arabs and Europeans had a common belief till Abraham.Division started from Ismail and Isaac. Ishmael, his firstborn son, is considered the Father of the Arabised Arabs, and Isaac is considered the Father of the Hebrews. It is widely believed in Islam, that Ishmael was the son whom Abraham almost sacrificed. Muslims use various proofs among others the fact that Ishmael was at one time his only son. Abraham is revered by Muslims as one of the Prophets of Islam, and is commonly termed Khalil Ullah, “Friend of God”. Abraham is considered a “Hanif” that is, a discoverer of Monotheism .Who created Sunni and Shia Muslims? Abu Bakr,Ayesha or Ali?Ali was the first cousinof Prophet Mohammed and Husband of his only surving child Fatima.There is a controversy as to who was the first male muslim? Was it Ali or Abu Bakr?Sunni muslims say Abu Bakr was the first male while Shia muslims say Ali was the first male. Aisha is acontroversial figure because of differing portrayals of her in “Shia Islam” Shia versions of Islamic history and her role in the “First Fitna” (first Islamic civil war) at the head of an army against “Ali” in the Battle of Bassorah” Well the controversies in the religions is very-2 complex..Religions have lost their basic values which is love,peace,harmony and they are just intruments in the hands of politicians and religion has been used by politicians to bind people to common beleifs and customs, so that ruling the masses becomes easy. I believe that Religions are purposely made complex so that common man may take lifetime to understand and another lifetime to practise thus giving no time to analayse politics and power. God, Allah,paramatma,waheguru are different names of same entity.But see the terminology has already killed Millions across world and It still is killing.All religious heads should come together and bridge the gaps of terminology of God,Allah,Paramatma,Waheguru—–.Intercaste,intercultural and international marriages should be made compulsory, thereby giving chances to different people and cultures to understand new cultures and religions.there should be tolerance as well as love for all human beings.

kashmiri pandits

.

 

Kashmir…..the paradise…..my birthplace had a very rich history and culture. It was the most peaceful and non-violent region of India. I remember when I was a boy; I used to play with my Muslim friends and classmates. I remember particular one friend His name was Nasir.He used to throw his weight around and threaten other boys of the class.Though he was not the strongest of the boys. He used to brag about his connections and relations with notorious rogues. He used to say that he knows “phila”.I once asked him “who is phila”? he said” He is the most  powerful rogue and gangster of Kashmir at that time(late 80’s).He also told me that phila had once attacked his rival with a knife and scratched hid shoulder. Though it was a scratch and not a stab, but still that was enough for the common Kashmiri to create fear in their hearts. Rapes and murders were unheard in Kashmir.Although there used to be minor scuffles sometimes and exchange of fists and blows and thrashing of kangries(traditional fire pot), but murders were very-2 far.

  Up to 13^th century .It was a seat for learning sharda and Sanskrit .Many rulers ruled Kashmir like Kambojas and Panchals.13 th century saw the dominance of Islam in Kashmir. Sufis and rishis were respected, worshipped and followed by all.  There was a syncretic culture where Hindus and Muslims revered the same local saints and prayed at the same shrines. Sikandar Butshikan changed it all and he  persecuted the Hindus and issued orders proscribing the residence of any other than Muslims in Kashmir.Silver and gold idols of gods were broken on orders of sikander.He forcibly converted hindus to muslims and number of hindus migrated to different parts of Present India.The torture of Kashmir hindus continued till the coming of Dogra rulers. 

Come Jan 1990, V.P.singh as prime minister and Mufti Mohammed sayyed as Home minister of India. Same Kashmir turned into a virtual hell especially for Kashmiri Hindu pundits. Mosques which are place for worship was used as a platform to terrorize Hindus. Announcements from loudspeakers from  the local mosques said that either you support us or you die. In fact Hindus were selectively massacred by the local terrorists. In just 3 months Local terrorists with the active support of Pakistan’s I.S.I killed hundreds of innocent Hindus and usually they targeted the main bread earner. This selective killing of Hindus by the Muslims virtually wiped out the entire population of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir. It was an ethnic cleaning of Hindus from Kashmir with the active support of Pakistan.

Even sufi-rishi tradition could not withstand the violent ways of terrorist killing.

 

Some terrorists in Kashmir dramatically declared after years that now they had a divine transformation of hearts and now they have shunned violent ways. Prominent among these pseudo-prophets are Farooq Ahmed dar alias Bitta karate who had self confessed on local television of killing more than 22 innocent Hindus and Yasin Malik-chairman of JKLF.

 

. The strongest of the species survive. This is a universal truth. And this applies to both animals and humans. History is like statistics or should I say statistics is like history.

Statistics is all about numbers. It is about forecasting of numbers. History is also like forecasting, but it is not the numbers here but events……past events…..number of past events….. Which are responsible for our present and the present events are pillars for the future events to happen. History says that Kashmir pundits are intellectuals, although we are less in number but our community has produced some of the genius and world class leaders like Pundit jawahar lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi

It is practically impossible to return back to our natives place in present scenario. There are number of Kashmiri Hindu organizations and groups who are struggling and fighting for the rights of Kashmiri Hindus. The demand for a protected area or a separate Kashmir within Kashmir under Indian jurisdiction is a very practical solution for sufferings of Kashmir Hindus as that will protect both their culture and religion and will also protect their birth land for future generations to come.