By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: About 80 activists, intellectuals, academics and community leaders have condemned the atrocities on religious minorities in Iraq, allegedly committed by the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq or ISIS which is waging a war against the tyrannical regimes in Iraq and Syria.
Addressing the press here, last fortnight, Navaid Hamid, Shabnam Hashmi and John Dayal said, “they are shocked and pained by the brutality and atrocities being perpetrated by the ISIS on Christians, Shias, Kurds, Yazidis and other minorities in the regions now under their control”. Strongly condemning ISIS’ alleged barbarism, Hamid said it is against the teachings of Islam. Expressing sympathy and solidarity with the survivors, he said tens of thousands of Iraq’s minorities have been dispossessed, forced to flee their homes and are now living in extremely difficult circumstances.
“The barbaric conduct of the ISIS is all the more reprehensible because its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, proclaims to be the ‘Caliph’ of the entire Muslim world and his armed group are supposedly acting in the name of Islam. We welcome the fact that most religious leaders and Islamic scholars from across the world, including India, have debunked al-Baghdadi’s claim of being a Caliph”.
Releasing a statement signed by about 100 activists and academics, they also blamed and condemned the US, saying it has raised the ISIS to create political instability in the region.
COMMENTS