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This story is from January 3, 2020

Protests in Kargil, Budgam, Srinagar against US killing of top Iran commander

Protests in Kargil, Budgam, Srinagar against US killing of top Iran commander
NEW DELHI/ SRINAGAR: Shias in Kargil, who have supported the Indian Army over the years in the area where members of its community are deployed as porters, held protests on Friday against the killing of Qassim Suleimani, head of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, in a US drone strike.
Elsewhere in Kashmir, mild protest demonstrations were held in several areas of Shia-dominated Budgam after Friday prayers while Shias in local mosques in several Srinagar localities, like Abi Guzar, Shaheed Gunj and Zadibal, offered prayers for the slain Iranian commander.

The administration of the newly formed UT of Ladakh had last Friday lifted the mobile internet ban in Kargil where no untoward incident had been reported since August 5 following the nullification of Article 370. Friday’s protest was held by the Anjuman Jamiyat Ulama Isna Ashriya Kargil Ladakh (AJUIAK), led by Imam Jumma Sheikh. Protesters raised slogans against the US and Israeli governments while hailing the supremacy of the Shia leader of Iran, Grand Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei.
The Shia demonstrators in Kargil said Suleimani had “contributed to wiping out the deadly ISIS from Syria and Iraq who were perpetrators of violence in various parts of the world”.
“We are part of Hindustan, as such, we are obliged to bring prosperity and peace to our region. We have to respect our faith and support Iran at this time. Till today we don’t have a central university of Islamic studies in Kargil while we make up 90% of this town. We did not let this town erupt in any violence during reorganisation or otherwise. Today it was a symbolic peaceful protest,” said AJUIAK general secretary Sheikh Ibrahim Khalili.

Over the years, several students from Kargil have visited Iran on pilgrimage to Mashad, and Iraq on pilgrimages to Karbala and Najaf.
The Kargil protesters said they would continue to support the Indian government and agencies in weeding out terror.
In Budgam town, shops were shut for several hours as a mark of the protest while dozens of people holding banners against the US and in support of Iran took out processions and later dispersed peacefully. Shops in the area resumed business after Friday prayers.
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