HAF Objects to the Washington Times' Assertion on Militancy in Kashmir

Hindu American Foundation Objects to the Washington Times' Assertion on Militancy in Kashmir

In a report published on September 6, 2005 in The Washington Times ("Insurgency may not be based on Islamic militancy"), the reporter argued that the insurgency in Kashmir was not necessarily Islam inspired because a couple of indigent Hindu men or men masquerading under Hindu names had been caught fighting the Indian security forces along with Islamic militants. Our letter published in the September 12, 2005 issue, of The Washington Times challenges that assertion.

September 12, 2005

The story "Insurgency may not be based on Islamic militancy" (World, Sept. 6) asserts that the insurgency in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir may not be inspired by Islam.

The reason given for that assertion is that a couple of militants with Hindu names were either killed or arrested by the Indian army/police. Would we then be correct to say that the attack on September 11 was not inspired by the Taliban and al-Qaeda because a couple of American young men were found to be involved with the Taliban?

The Islam-inspired terrorism in Kashmir has forced the ethnic cleansing of more than 350,000 Hindus from the Kashmir Valley and led to the deaths of more than 50,000 people over the past 15 years. Islam was the inspiration for the dismembering of India in 1947 into the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and a secular India. Kashmir, as the only majority Muslim state in India, is sought to be occupied by those who cannot stomach the fact that Kashmir is part of India. We are therefore dismayed by your cavalier assertion that the insurgency in Kashmir is not predominantly inspired by Islam.

Ramesh, Rao
Member, Executive Council
Hindu American Foundation