Group discussion on stone pelting

‘Stone Pelting is Ok’
Posted on Sunday, March 29th, 2009 | RSS 2.0 | Trackback URI |
ISL Group Discussion
Newsline Staffer Srinagar, Mar 29
Stone pelting is a form of resistance and is a way to vent out anger against the “atrocities”, thus opined a panel of religious scholars, lawyers, intellectuals, leaders and scribes at a group discussion that was held at a local hotel here on Sunday.
Islamic Students League led by Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi organized a group discussion to throw light on ‘Why does everyone carry stone in hand?’
. Mirwaiz of south Kashmir Qazi Yasir, chairperson of Muslim Khawateen Marz (MKM) Zamrooda Habib, General Secretary of Kahsmir High Court Bar Association G N Shaheen, Z G Muhammad, columnist, Zahir-udin, a veteran scribe, Hilal Ahmad, Associate Editor of the English daily Greater Kashmir and others including Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi participated in the discussion.
Qazi Yasir, the Mirwaiz (head priest) of south Kashmir, justified the stone pelting in the light of Islam, saying that stone-pelting is a form of resistance.
MKM chairperson clarified her assertion of justifying stone pelting youth rather than stone-pelting, saying they vent out anger against the “atrocities” by men in uniform. Z G Muhammad stressed the need for “giving direction to the youth” while G N Shaheen opined that stone pelting was allowed within the purview of law.
”Stone pelting is one of the meager weapons with us. We should rather expand its radius and not confine it to the parts of old city alone, for it is at least a weapon against the bullets,” G N Shaheen opined.
However, he expressed his concern over the stone pelting in the close vicinity of the grand old Jamia Masjid, which he referred to as the place of the resistance movement.
”Stone pelting in the near vicinity of Jamia Masjid is a handy work of agencies to prevent the gathering of Muslims in the grand Masjid,” he said, adding, “During the agitation in summer, we did not throw any stones or fire any bullets, but troops fired indiscriminately on innocent civilians.”
The general secretary of the Bar Association also stressed the need for separating this issue from religious decrees.
The panel also castigated the city police chief, Syed Ahfadul Mujtaba, for quoting Hadees to justify stone pelting as un-Islamic. The organizers also distributed a pamphlet reading ‘Stone-pelting is our weapon, in the light of Quran and Sunnah.’
While the pamphlet justified the stone throwing, it appealed youths not to damage public property, rather “focus to inflict more damage to the enemy.”
Stone pelting has triggered a serious debate in the entire society, particularly, within the intellectual and religious fraternity of the region.
There have been divergent views on the issue with two of the biggest religious leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jamiat-e-Ahli-Hadees president Showkat Ahmad Shah categorically rejecting stone pelting and terming it as un-Islamic.
While there are others including Shakeel Baskhi who term the stone pelting as permissible, saying it has remained “part of the movement” and “the fatwas issued against it have no basis.”
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads a faction of the Hurriyat Conference, also justified it as a reaction to the presence of troops in the state. He said those who talk about stone pelting youths should first talk of gun-wielding troopers.
Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest indigenous militant outfit of the state, also came in support of the stone pelting youths through a press release yesterday.

. Stone-pelting: Shakeel Bakshi suggests Group discussion



Srinagar (Kashmir): The president of Jammu & Kashmir Islamic Students League, Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi is organizing a group discussion aimed to clarify picture whether stone-pelting is within or outside the purview of Islam.

Talking to PBI, Bakshi said that the panel of intellectuals, leaders and scribes would throw light on the issue and the outcome would be put before the masses.

“It has created bit of a controversy in the society and to clear the air, we have decided to hold a group discussion and bring about clear picture before the masses,” Bakshi, told Press Bureau of India.
However, he refused to divulge details about the panel members in the discussion being organized on Sunday.

Valley has for the last nine months witnessed unabated stone-pelting in various areas particularly the old-city on post Friday prayers. While several persons have lost their lives in police and paramilitary retaliation, a countless number of them have sustained injuries, some of them serious.

There have been divergent views on the issue with two of the biggest religious leaders, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jamiat-e-Ahli-Hadees president Showkat Ahmad Shah terming it un-Islamic.

“I make a avid appeal to the youth not to indulge in stone pelting as it causes inconvenience to the masses and gives the authorities chance to defame the freedom movement,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is also the chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference, told a religious gathering at Naqashband Sahib recently.

JAH president also expressed similar view over the issue and termed it as absolutely unjustified.

“Islam is about discipline and if the leaders are asking people to refrain from stone pelting, they should adhere to the directions. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) too has asked us to refrain from it,” Shah had said.

Pertinently, stone pelting has been mostly taking place on every Friday over the past nine months in Nowhatta and its adjoining areas.
Apart from religious leaders, City police chief, Syed Ahfadul Mujtaba, also termed the stone-pelting as Un-Islamic.
In-fact, he was the first man to come up with the Un-Islamic assertion when he quoted a ‘Hadees’ of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to support his view.

However, there are others including Shakeel Baskhi who term the stone pelting as permissible, saying it has remained “part of the movement” and “the fatwas issued against it have no basis.”
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads a faction of Hurriyat Conference on Thursday, said that those who talk about stone-pelting youth should first talk of gun-wielding troopers.
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To throw or not to throw
Srinagar, March 29: Stone-throwing, for long a potent weapon for anti-India demonstrators in Kashmir, is being put through a legitimacy test in the Valley.
The Telegraph - 30 Mar 03:14AM
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Is stone pelting against Islam?
The divide within separatists in Kashmir has come to the fore again -- on the controversial issuance of a fatwa against stone pelting as a form of protest."Stone pelting cannot be justified. Islam is about discipline and if the leaders are asking people to refrain from stone pelting then they should adhere to these directions. Prophet Muhammad too has asked us to refrain from it," ...
rediff.com - 29 Mar 07:29PM
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Archive
Srinagar, Mar 29: Speakers at a group discussion on stone pelting came out in its support Terming it as an “effective weapon of the on-going freedom movement” and underlined the need for “harnessing this potential” by the leadership.
Greater Kashmir - 30 Mar 12:56AM
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Archive
Srinagar, Mar 27: Jamiat-i-Ahlihadis president Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah today quoted a hadith, saying stone pelting was forbidden by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Some weeks earlier, SSP Srinagar had also quoted the sayings of the Prophet (SAW) to declare stone pelting as un-Islamic.
Greater Kashmir - 28 Mar 09:55PM
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Is stone pelting Islamic or un-Islamic?
Srinagar, Mar 26 : Is stone pelting an un-Islamic act? The debate is going on for the past one week in the Kashmir valley.
New Kerala - 26 Mar 04:00PM