EU envoys call off meeting with Geelani

[The HBS Guy]

EU envoys call off meeting with Geelani​

They Have Dishonoured Will Of Kashmiris: Hurriyat (G)
UMER MAQBOOL
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Srinagar, May 14: In a surprise move, the visiting delegation of the European Union envoys Friday cancelled their proposed meeting with Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah apparently for his condemnation of the Osama bin Laden’s killing and organising here the Al Qaeda chief’s funeral prayers in absentia.

The five member EU delegation on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the situation was scheduled to meet Geelani at his Hyderpora residence this afternoon. However half an hour before the meeting was to commence, the EU delegation conveyed to the amalgam, through the state’s protocol officer, that the meeting has been called off.

In a statement faxed to Greater Kashmir, EU delegation said; “A meeting was initially planned for the May 14 with Syed Ali Shah Geelani, but given the latest events, the EU delegation considers it inopportune to hold the meeting.”

Although the EU delegation didn’t refer to Geelani’s stance on Osama killing, but sources close to the delegation said that holding funeral prayers of Al Qaeda chief in absentia by Geelani was the primary reason for the cancellation of the meeting.

Reacting to the EU action, Hurriyat (G) termed the decision as unfortunate, saying that “by staying away, they have dishonoured the majority will of Kashmiris”.

“We have made it clear that we can have difference with the ways of Osama, but disrespecting his body was a grave human rights violation. We were expecting that EU which claims to be a champion of human rights would also raise its voice against this shameful incident,” Hurriyat (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar said.

Meanwhile, the EU delegation also skipped a meeting with the Kashmir Bar Association, whom they were scheduled to meet at 4:00 pm here.
“We were informed by in-charge protocol and security to the delegation that the meeting stands cancelled,” General Secretary of Bar Association GN Shaheen told Greater Kashmir.

“The members of the visiting delegation are believed to be on fact finding mission to Jammu and Kashmir, but either the delegation members are not being allowed to meet the relevant and concerned sections of the society or they don’t want to know the truth about the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” Shaheen said.

Meanwhile, the Bar has dispatched memorandum to European Union High Representative and vice president of its delegation to India to convey their displeasure over calling off their meet and to seek their intervention in resolution of Kashmir issue.

The handout issued by EU however didn’t mention the reasons for the cancellation of their meeting with Bar.

When contacted, First Secretary of EU Philipp Gross said that they cannot comment over it. “We are not authorized to talk about this, but we have issued a statement regarding cancellation of meeting with Geelani,” he said.
The delegation today called on Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma and discussed several issues regarding health sector with him.

The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) also submitted a report on “custodial killings, disappearances and the killings in Valley” to the EU delegation, last evening.

The delegation also called on the state Congress chief Prof Saifuddin Soz and the Director General of police Kuldeep Khoda here today.

The visiting EU delegation comprised Ambassador of European Union to India Daniele Smadja, Ambassador of Ireland Kenneth Thompson, Ambassador of Belgium Pierre Vaesen, First Secretary EU Philipp Gross and Attache EU Anne Vaugier-Chatterge.

EU envoys call off meeting with Geelani Lastupdate:- Sun, 15 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT GreaterKashmir.com
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Finally, voices against Geelani's shutdown politics​

As the Kashmir valley witnessed a shutdown on the call of hardline Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Saturday, many voices have finally surfaced against the separatists' hartal politics. Chief minister Omar Abdullah also criticized the traders for closing their businesses for the day. <
P>Most shops, business establishments, shopping malls, private schools, colleges and banks remained closed. There was a very thin presence of public transport on the roads. Most towns in north and south Kashmir also observed a shutdown. Geelani had called for a protest against "fresh wave of arrests."

"They (traders) are free to choose to shutdown but then they shouldn't expect to be compensated by the government for doing so is my only point," tweeted Abdullah on micro-blogging site twitter.

The chief minister's response was to Junaid Azim Mattu tweet: Kashmiri: "Traders and shopkeepers have to take a bold decision and defy these unnecessary shutdowns. They can't both oblige and complain."

Mattu, a follower of Abdullah on Twitter, also writes columns for the local dailies. Mattu, who hails from Barzalla, had a rally against the militants for killing two sisters in Sopore in February this year.

Asking people to defy the shutdown calls, Mattu tweeted: "Most people have no idea why there is a hartal today. Just that Geelani sahab felt like having one. The old man needs a hobby. Seriously".

Geelani has threatened agitation if the government fails to release political prisoners. The Hurriyat claims there are dozens of boys and separatists leaders behind the bars since the 2010 unrest, sparked off by the killing of a teenager on June 11 in Srinagar in a police action. The unrest that stretched for five months left 112 people dead.

"Till all political prisoners are not released and fresh wave of arrests stopped, there can be no progress on India-Pakistan dialogue process. For any progress to be made on the dialogue front, the prisoners have to be released," said Geelani in a statement today.

The 82-year-separatist said New Delhi-appointed interlocutors and Union home minister P. Chidambaram “have raised the issue of political prisoners on several occasions through statements but no headway has been made to release them”.

Reiterating that the his "struggle" has to be peaceful, Geelani said he has been exhorting upon the youth not to pelt stones when he had a public meeting in Bandipora and Baramulla recently.

"Police force youth to resort to stone pelting. Otherwise, I believe in complete peaceful protests," alleged Geelani adding, “India stands exposed before the international community for not allowing peaceful protests, which is a democratic right of the people of Kashmir."

Finally, voices against Geelani's shutdown politics - Hindustan Times

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What makes Geelani tick?​

SRINAGAR: ''Yahan Saturday bhi Sunday ki tarah chhutti hoti hai?'' asked a tourist, drawing giggles from men at a paan shop. But there was also concurrence, as a flock of Gujaratis wandered around puzzled at the sight of closed shops on the boulevard along the Dal Lake.

As the tourist season starts and flowers bloom, Kashmir is shut yet again. Nobody is happy about it, not the stranded Gujaratis, nor the shopowners selling dodgy Pashmina shawls and synthetic carpets for drawing rooms in Surat. But Kashmir's shut nevertheless, because Hurriyat's Syed Ali Shah Geelani thought it was a good idea.

Is Geelani the face of the Kashmir cause as his supporters claim? Or is he the biggest obstacle to peace in the Valley as his detractors contend? One thing is clear: when Geelani says hartal, then hartal it is. From being on the margins a few years ago, shunned by Genera Musharraf's Pakistan and New Delhi, Geelani is again on centerstage.

The achievement is even more remarkable if one considers the serious difficulties he faces. The single biggest problem is ideological. For a man who was at the vanguard of the ''Kashmir Banega Pakistan'' slogan, Geelani now rarely mentions it. The talk now is azadi. This brings him at par with his foes, the Hurriyat moderates. But this transition comes with its problems because, while new-look Geelani might make the right noises, sometimes contradictions come to the fore.

While Kashmir didn't exactly rejoice Osama bin Laden's death, nobody was in mourning either. The politicians took the cue and kept quiet, except of course Geelani who proclaimed Osama a great martyr and asked for prayers in his honour. The Kashmiris ignored him; his advisors looked embarrassed.

It was the same with panchayat elections. Other separatists kept their counsel, but Geelani called for boycott. Kashmiris came out in record numbers to vote. The biggest somersault, though, came a few weeks ago, when Geelani suddenly proclaimed that stone pelting didn't make sense. This shocked many people as all of last year he had deemed it legitimate.

So, how does Geelani still command attention? For one, the average Kashmiri still sees him as honest. ''He's not an IB or ISI stooge. He went against Musharraf, many people remember that,'' said a commentator. The other bigfactor is the Omar Abdullah government. For the better part of the last 10 months, Geelani was under house arrest. But he gave press conferences, addressed seminars and held strategy sessions. He successfully stared down the Omar government on the Dogra certificate issue while under arrest. In fact, he even travelled to Delhi for conferences. All this adds to Geelani's mystique, of the principled man suffering hardships while in no way constricting his political activities.

Omar seemed to realise this when he used twitter to announce that Geelani was now free to travel in Kashmir: ''I'm done making him a hero in my time.'' This was on May 7. Six days later, he stopped Geelani from a public rally in Shopian. The reason he gave was Geelani might incite violence. He retired to his house, safe from searching questions about his flip-flops. The CM looked confused. Another layer was added to his mystique.

This mystique gives him power, makes visiting politicians meet him. It's this mystique that makes liberal commentators in Delhi ignore that the latest talking point in Geelani's speeches is how cellphones are destroying the honour of Kashmiri women; and, how the only way to redeem them is by throwing these phones into the Jhelum. It draws mirth in Srinagar but when the same man scares the government, it also gives him credibility.

What makes Geelani tick? - The Times of India

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

if he indeed said those things, the timing was not good....

it's better to focus just on Kashmir alone and not on other regional or other politics. And Pakistan should continue to stand behind them and continue to highlight the issue.

hopefully just because the meetings were post-poned it does not mean that the interest in the subject would be put on back-burner, as that would be harmful for Kashmiris suffering from the occupation

 

[The HBS Guy]

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[tallboy123]

lol nice decesion EU....

U don't have to talk with this terrorist loving old man

 

[Nirvana]

The Arab League Is Ignoring Them , The EU And US Too

RIP

 

[madooxno9]

EU great decision

Though, i see another angle too EUROFIGHTER .....just joking lol.....

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

It pinches the one who wears the shoe!

 

[Marwari]

Well done EU

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

The Arab League Is Ignoring Them

neither they are nor the OIC; however middle east currently has enough on their plates nowdays just in case you haven't noticed so the former would not have capacity to delve into Kashmir too much for now

, The EU And US Too

i dont think its ignoring..those who are versed on the conflicts and work for organizations concerned with such conflicts are not ignoring it at all. Pakistan and Kashmiris need to allot more time and bring the attention to the world (through worldwide embassy events, etc.). For e.g. I remember we had a Kashmir related gala in Ankara Turkey a few years back when I was living there. There was a strong turnout, and people left with more knowledge of the conflict and the nature of the injustices there

where there is will, there is a way.....our leaders are too useless and concerned with their own survival. Others are more willing, hopefully.

RIP

to all Kashmiris who fell victim to the actions of the occupational forces currently in Kashmir (aka the sissies)

 

[nForce]

what will happen when these old leaders are gone?there is no young face of leadership in Hurriyat

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

surely someone will and can replace him. APHC is still very influential in occupied Kashmir, where anti-indian sentiment always has been at all-time high.

It shows because every time they declare bandhs, the people do listen. Whereas spineless puppets like Mr. Abdallah are often snubbed and ridiculed. He has more supporters in Delhi than he does among Kashmiri patriots.

 

[The HBS Guy]

neither they are nor the OIC;

Really?

read on...

Three days after the European Union delegation distanced itself from the resolution of Kashmir issue, the Arab League today said it has "no position" vis-a-vis the issue.

"League of Arab States has no position on the specific question of Jammu and Kashmir...We look forward for peaceful coexistence, tolerance and dialogue among different civilisations," Arab League Ambassador to India Ahmed Salem al Wahishi told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here.

Wahishi refused to elaborate on his statement.

The Arab League Ambassador's statement comes three days after a European Union delegation led by the Union's Ambassador to India Danielle Smajda said the Kashmir issue has to be resolved by the people living in the region themselves.

Wahishi said the Arab League wanted peace in West Asia and the entire continent.

"We want peace to last in West Asia, in South Asia and in whole of the continent," he said.

Earlier speaking at the "Peace Conference" organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Foundation, Wahishi called for an end to the Israeli "occupation" of Arab territories and supported the call for Palestinian freedom.

"We also took this opportunity to express our thanks to the Indian government for their principled position in efforts for justice and peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict based on international legitimacy and the Arab peace initiative for Palestinian independence and two-state solution," Wahishi said.

In his speech, the Ambassador said Kashmir is the "most preferred tourist place in the world."

"It is a real paradise," he said adding "the state of Jammu and Kashmir has passed through the violent situation of confusion and hatred for the last 20 years. We follow these sad events."

news.outlookindia.com | Have No Position on Kashmir Issue: Arab League

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Again, it goes down to good lobbying and continuing to raise attention on the unsettled dispute.

some of the nations that have ''no position'' (which is perfectly understandable, since the issues are no well-enough highlighted but also some countries prefer non-alignment) should clarify since many if not all are also in OIC

And in OIC, Kashmir Issue was recently added to the final declaration

(Pakistan scores major diplomatic victory in Abu Dhabi summit | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online)


Kashmir is indeed a preferrable tourist destination in the world and I am happy by the Ambassador's statements. Any attention on Kashmir is good, because automatically people will be able to study it more, study the history, and also familiarize themselves with the injustices and unsettled issues which the Kashmiris have imposed on them by outsiders. But in the end, it is Kashmiris and friends of Kashmir who must unite and work for their legitimate cause.

I think Geelani should definitely tone it down and be more cautious with his words. It's easy for indian media or other sensationalist groups to take things out of context. And we want to make sure that they dont attain any kind of ''ammunition'' which would harm or villify Kashmiri cause. That would be a problem.

 

[JayAtl]

^^^ That great diplomatic victory was amongst Islamic countries - which most run to the US for protection. On top of that it was a limited group having zip for influence- plus your diplomat begged for a mention and they reluctantly add just words to a meaningless declaration. .

Pakistan received a major diplomatic gain on the final day of the 2nd Extra-Ordinary Conference of the Parliamentary Union of Islamic Countries (PUIC) when on the intervention of Dr. Fehmida Mirza, the Conference agreed to include the issue of Kashmir in its final declaration. The 11-point draft declaration, put for the consideration of the 51 Member Conference had no mention of the age-old dispute although it dealt in detail with the Palestine problem, inter-faith dialogue, rights of minorities in the Islamic countries, the Tunisian unrest and other contemporary issues of the Muslim World. This anomaly was pointed by Dr. Fehmida Mirza, who led the Pakistan’s Parliamentary Delegation at the one-day Conference.

 

[Roybot]

I have reiterated this a few time, this Geelani guy is doing more harm to "Kashmiri" cause than good. EU now thinks Kashmiris are a bunch of OBL sympathizers. India couldn't have asked for anything better. Thank you Gilani