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Kashmiris protest Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah | Hezbollah News

Posted on by angelo
Kashmiris protest Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah | Hezbollah News

Hundreds of protesters have gathered in Indian-administered Kashmir to denounce Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, while senior pro-Indian politicians suspend their campaign for ongoing regional elections.

Over the weekend, hundreds of protesters took to the streets holding photos of the Lebanese leader and chanting slogans such as “O martyrs of Palestine, we are with you!” They held signs and banners with messages denouncing Israel and the United States.

The Lebanese armed group confirmed on Saturday that Nasrallah was assassinated on Friday in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, dealing a blow to the group engaged in cross-border fighting with Israel since October.

Abbas Ali, 25, a student who protested in the main city of Srinagar on Saturday, told Al Jazeera that Nasrallah stood against oppression and injustice.

“We despise world leaders who remain silent while the bloodshed continues in Gaza and Lebanon,” Ali told Al Jazeera.

“This protest is not only for our dear leader Hassan Nasrallah, but also for the oppressed people of Palestine, Lebanon and all those who suffer at the hands of oppressors, especially Israel. Kashmir has always stood for justice for the Palestinian people and will continue to do so, despite the fear and injustice we face. We cannot be silenced forever.

Amal Mirza, 20, who participated in the protests in the town of Saida Kadal, told Al Jazeera: “Whatever Israel does, we will not remain silent.

“We are not afraid of dying, but of remaining silent. We stand with the oppressed.

The Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association (AJKSA), a union of Shia groups, has called for a protest on Sunday evening in front of Imam Bargah Zadibal in Srinagar.

“We honor the life and legacy of Syed Hassan Nasrallah, remembering his unwavering determination, strategic leadership and compassion. His martyrdom will not diminish our resolve to fight for justice and equality,” said senior Shiite leader Imran Ansari.

Hundreds of police officers have been deployed in Shiite-majority localities to prevent any law and order problems amid ongoing protest rallies.

The solidarity protests were held despite authorities’ criminalization of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, particularly since the region’s semi-autonomous status was removed in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.

Kashmiris have long expressed solidarity with Palestinians in their resistance to Israeli occupation, which was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice.

Modi has brought India closer to Israel, changing the country’s traditional stance on the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Indian companies supplying weapons and other commercial goods to Israel during the 11-month war on Gaza.

Many religious and political leaders in the region expressed sadness over the assassination and some suspended their election campaign on Sunday as a “mark of protest”.

India holds elections for local legislature in the Muslim-majority region for the first time since 2014.

Modi’s hardline policies to integrate Kashmir into mainland India have angered Kashmiris in a region that has seen decades of armed rebellion against Indian rule.

Former chief minister and president of the People’s Democratic Party of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, announced that she was calling off her campaign for the final stage of voting “in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon and Gaza, especially Hassan Nasrallah.

“We stand with the people of Palestine and Lebanon in this hour of immense grief and exemplary resistance,” she wrote on X.

Kashmir MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, who was canvassing for the party’s National Conference candidates, also suspended his campaign.

“The Muslim Ummah (the global Muslim community) is currently in mourning, which is why I have ended the election campaign.”

Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) vice-president Omar Abdullah, who is a former chief minister, also condemned Israel’s actions.

“JKNC Vice President Omar Abdullah condemns Israel’s actions and calls for global support to end the ongoing massacre of innocent people in Gaza and Lebanon,” the JKNC report on X wrote.