Arrest culprits who are attacking Minority Muslims in Zanskar: Muslim students of Ladakh

Saima Bhat

Srinagar

Muslim students from Ladakh studying in Kashmir today protested in Srinagar demanding arrest of culprits involved in attack on minorities in Padam, Zanskar.

They shouted slogans in support of Islam and demanded immediate action by the state administration.

“MoS, Nasir Aslam Wani and others visited the affected area of Padam but so far no action has been taken. This shows how administration is discriminating with the minority,” says Muneer Rasool, a student who was leading the protesters.

Protesters said that the majority Buddhists have disgraced Muslims as they have torn Holy Quran into pieces and then they stole two more Quraan from a private house. According to students the majority community attacked their houses and damaged a number of houses besides stealing valuable items including Jewellery.

Protesting students said that the Bhuddhists carry handmade dangerous weapons, Youkdo which is used for shooting stones to as far as 250 meters.

Muslim Association Zanskar (MAZ) has already submitted a letter to the MoS for the protection of their lives and properties especially in the winter season when the region remains cut off from the rest of the world.

MAZ in a letter sent to MOS said that on September 23, 2012 five families, who belonged to Gara, a lower cast of Buddhists, forcibly entered Jama Masjid, Padum Zansakar persisting to be converted into Islam as they are not treated equally by their co-religionists. They threatened to commit sucide if denied the entry into Islam. The letter said that nobody forced them to convert to Islam as blamed by the majority community.

Students also said, “if people are converting into Christianity in Leh and nobody is bothered about that then why only Muslims are attacked”.