Geelani leads funeral prayers of the slain Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden Shaheed
WASIM KHALID
Srinagar, May 6: Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, on Friday led funeral prayers in absentia of the slain Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden Shaheed at Batamaloo here. Funeral prayers for Osama were also held at various other places across the valley on the call of Geelani. Special prayers were also held for Osama in many masjids.
The Hurriyat (G) leader was put under house arrest by the authorities and his movement was crippled by a contingent of police deployed outside his Hyderpora residence this morning. However, later the authorities wavered on the decision and Geelani was allowed to offer the prayers.
After Geelani along with hundreds of people offered the funeral prayers outside the Batamaloo Shrine, he described Osama bin Laden as a martyr.
"We are concerned about the killing and offer our condolences," Geelani said while addressing the gathering. "After he was martyred and buried in the sea, the Muslims and Muslim scholars around the world are angry and expressed there anguish and expressed disappointment. It has hurt Muslim sensibilities throughout the world. The scholars have also urged for leading the in-absentia prayers of the martyr. We have also done the same," the veteran leader said.
He said many "power drunken" nations of the world are using their army, sophisticated war machinery and modern technology to impose there hegemony on the weaker people.
"I strongly urge that strength and power should be acquired by the God fearing people by hard work and dedication," Geelani said. "Only then peace will come in the world."
He stressed that for peaceful world, it is imperative that Palestine, Chechnya should be granted freedom and western forces should leave Afghanistan and Iraq. "And there should be end of illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
"Peace will remain elusive till India does not withdraw its troops and implement United Nations resolutions," Geelani said. "If they say people are participating in the voting process, it is high time right to self-determination should be implemented. Wherever majority will vote, the decision will be respected."
Geelani had appealed to Imams across the Kashmir Valley and the people to offer funeral prayers of Osama Shaheed after the Friday prayers.
He also demanded that all the youth and political prisoners should be released with immediate effect. Geelani also spoke abut his continuous house detention and said he was forcibly detained at his residence and his movement was being restricted.
Referring to Pakistan, Geelani said it was the only Islamic country with the nuclear power. "The country is surrounded on all sides by the dangerous forces who want it should give up the nuclear weapons. It's a larger conspiracy to weaken the Islamic nation. I appeal people to pray for Pakistan so that it comes out of these difficult times. We should pray for the safety and prosperity of Pakistan."
Lastly, while speaking on the social issues in Kashmir, he said the co-education system in valley should be stopped. "There should be separate schools, colleges and universities for the women folk," Geelani said.
Following the speech, the area resonated with slogans like "We want freedom" and "Go India Go Back." The authorities deployed many contingents of policemen and CRPF personnel on law and order duties.
Soon after, large groups of youth while raising slogans started pelting stones on the police. The police retaliated by chasing them and hurling stones. One civilian was ruthlessly beaten in Batamaloo Chowk by the security personnel. The pitched battles continued till late evening.
Sensing trouble, reinforcements were called in. Senior police officers also arrived at the spot to take stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, Chairman Democratic Freedom Party, Shabir Ahmad Shah, also led in absentia prayers of Osama at Iqra Mosque Saraibala here. He said Al Qaeda chief was against the enslavement of Muslim politics and religion.
"So it's incumbent for every Muslim to offer his funeral prayers," Shah said. "After he was martyred in custody, his burial in the sea was disgrace to Muslim sensibilities. It was an act of cowardice."
Shah said Osama was not just a name of a person but he represented an ideology which rarely dies with the person.
"He was a very rich man. He left his luxurious life for the benefit of Muslims," he added.
The in absentia prayers of Osama were offered at many places like Nowgam, Samundarbagh, Sopore, Bandipora, Pulwama and south Kashmir.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdul Gani Mir said the call for funeral prayers in absentia for Osama bin laden after Friday prayers evoked very little response as people generally ignored the call.
"The funeral prayers in absentia were only reported from a very few places. In Batamaloo, Srinagar, after the funeral prayers in absentia and just after Syed Ali Shah Geelani who also attended the prayers left, some miscreants pelted stones. There were no reports of injury to anyone," DIG added.
He further said that it was also observed at Bandipora and at Baramulla that when Syed Ali Shah Geelani visited these places, stone pelting was also reported just after he left the places where he addressed people.
PRAYERS IN CHENNAI MOSQUE
PTI adds from Chennai: Funeral prayers were held in a mosque here for slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden Shaheed and its Imam slammed the US for 'inhumanly' killing and burying him in the sea.
"America killed him inhumanly and left his body in the sea without performing Janazah. So, we conducted Janazah (funeral prayer) for him," Moulana Shamsudeen Qasimi, the Imam of Makkah Masjid in Anna Salai, said. Asked whether they had sought permission from police, the Imam said "it was conducted inside the mosque. We need police permission only if it was conducted in a public place."