BELEAGUERED Christians in the Kashmir valley received support from unexpected quarters when chairman of the All Party Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani said he disapproved of the Shariah court’s judgment that banished four Christian pastors from J&K.
On Saturday, Geelani said it was the duty of every Muslim to protect members of the minority community.
“Asking a few people to leave the state is no solution to religious conversions. I am not in favor of the decision taken by the Shariah court, which is to banish a few people for their alleged role in conversions,” Geelani said in a statement from New Delhi.
In the statement, he said: “Muslims should protect their religion themselves; expelling somebody from Kashmir is no solution to the problem.
“Kashmiris can’t ignore the contribution of Christian missionary schools like Burn Hall, Tydale Biscoe school and Presentation Convent towards the education system in the Valley. Unfortunately, Muslims have not been able to build educational institutions like these despite having all available resources.”
Geelani also criticized the government-owned and controlled Wakf Board and asked “How many institutions have they (Wakf Board) established?
“People who are raising hue and cry about conversion issue have never dared to raise their voice against the atrocities committed against the common people,” he said.
On January 19, the Shariah court had issued a fatwa asking four Christian worjers to leave the state for allegedly ‘luring Muslims to Christianity.’ The court also directed the J&K government to take over the management of missionary schools besides monitoring their activities.
Hitting out against the Shariah court, Geelani said: “People who make a noise about religious conversions never bother to raise their voices against atrocities committed on common Kashmiris.”
Rev. C M Khanna, Gayoor Massi, Chandra Kanta and Jim Borst were the Christian workers who were asked by the Shariah court to leave the state. The court pronounced them guilty of “exploiting the financial condition of youth” for conversions.
A controversy was kicked up late last year when a video, uploaded on YouTube, showed a pastor baptizing Muslim Kashmiri boys. The Christians were accused of bribing youth and children into conversions.
