Osama no terrorist, Kashmir isn't part of India -- SIMI

Osama no terrorist, Kashmir isn't part of India -- SIMI
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

LUCKNOW, OCT 11: The Students' Islamic Movement of India believes that Osama Bin Laden is ``not a terrorist'' and neither is Kashmir an ``integral part of India''.

Safdar Nagouri, general secretary of SIMI, expressed these views at the first ever press conference the organisation held today in Lucknow.

He claimed that declaring bin Laden an international terrorist was an ``evil design of the United States''.

But he did admit that cassettes of bin Laden's speeches were distributed during a SIMI meeting in Kanpur a few months back. ``We never consider him as a terrorist and would defend him on this count,'' he added. As for Kashmir, Nagouri called it a ``vexed'' problem. ``Three parts of Kashmir are in the possession of India, Pakistan and China and the residents of these places should be asked to give their consent, with whom they want to remain.''

Asked about the recent spate of charges against SIMI activists with regard to anti-national activities, he said these were fabricated. Some SIMI activists had recently been arrested in connection with bomb explosions in Uttar Pradesh on the eve of Independence Day and claimed that the police was unfairly persecuting Muslim youth in the guise of their drive against SIMI and other Muslim organisations.

Attributing this to pressure exerted by the Sangh Parivar, Nagouri said: ``The policies and programmes of the RSS and its allied outfits are pushing the country into a difficult phase and should be checked. The official machinery at the Centre and in the state is also operating at the behest of the RSS and this is why Muslims are being targeted.''

Nagouri defended SIMI saying the organisation's members were religious people and never involved in criminal activities. Instead, he claimed, the organisation has always asked its members to stay away from nefarious activities.

Further attacking the RSS, Nagouri said the RSS was trying to spread anarchy in the country and its announcement of the date of construction of the Ram temple at the controversial Babri Masjid site was a clear example of its motives.

``In the light of these facts, there is no point of putting a ban on SIMI. Whatever the state government is doing at the behest of the RSS and is a violation of human rights,'' Shabaz Hussain, press secretary of SIMI said.