SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq, Aga Syed Hassan and Molvi Imran Raza Ansari on Sunday met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit and discussed the escalating situation in the region, calling for restraint, dialogue and Muslim unity.
During the meeting, the delegation expressed solidarity with the people of Iran and voiced concern over the loss of civilian lives, destruction of homes and infrastructure and the insecurity caused by the ongoing conflict.
They also raised the continuing devastation in Palestine and the loss of lives and instability in Lebanon, saying the widening cycle of conflict had created a grave situation across the region.
Mirwaiz stressed the need for wisdom, restraint and diplomacy at a time of heightened tensions.
“War only multiplies human suffering. However serious the differences may be, endless confrontation cannot resolve them. Ultimately, even the most difficult disputes have to return to dialogue, engagement and negotiation,” he said.
He also cautioned against allowing regional conflicts to deepen sectarian divisions within the Muslim world, saying political rivalries and sectarian differences should not further weaken the Muslim community at a time when Muslims in several parts of the world were already facing insecurity and Islamophobia.
“Our differences must never overcome the larger bonds of faith, brotherhood and shared humanity. The suffering of people in Iran, Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere should bring us closer in compassion and responsibility, not push us further apart,” Mirwaiz said.
During the interaction, Mirwaiz recalled the historic cultural and spiritual links between Iran and Kashmir, including the association of Iran with Srinagar’s Jama Masjid.
He referred to the commemorative gathering held at the historic mosque following the death of Imam Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 and recalled Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei’s visit to Kashmir in the years following the Islamic Revolution, when he addressed the Friday congregation at Jama Masjid in the presence of Shaheed-e-Millat Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq.
Mirwaiz said Khamenei’s address had emphasised the Qur’anic message of brotherhood and Shia-Sunni unity.
On the occasion, Mirwaiz presented Araghchi with a specially crafted walnut-wood souvenir depicting Srinagar’s historic Jama Masjid, symbolising the cultural and spiritual ties between Kashmir and Iran.
Referring to the broader regional situation, Mirwaiz said South Asia’s own experience had demonstrated the human cost of prolonged tensions and unresolved disputes, reinforcing the importance of sustained engagement and dialogue.
He said India, with its legacy of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Ahimsa, could play a constructive role in promoting restraint, diplomacy and peaceful engagement amid growing international tensions.
“The grave challenges facing our world cannot be settled through ever-widening wars. Confrontation will only aggravate them. Human dignity has no sect or nationality, and every innocent life is precious. We must remain on the right side of history — on the side of justice, humanity and peace,” he said.
The delegation expressed hope that the current crisis would not escalate further and that diplomacy, dialogue and reconciliation would prevail over confrontation.
