Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said on Saturday that no one is given special status by law adding that Kashmir has many saints, which gives Kashmir its special status.
"To do politics, it is necessary to use force, but there is no coercion in religion. No one is given special status by law, special status is because of moral values. Kashmir has many saints, which gives Kashmir its special status," said Khan at a Sufi conference at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar. It was organized by the Global Strategic Policy Foundation Pune (GSPFP) organized the conference.
"If something wrong runs for a long time, it will have consequences. But I know that central leaders and Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha want democracy and development in Kashmir. Kashmir is a centre for knowledge and wisdom," he added.
Khan who was the chief guest also highlighted the importance of Sufism. "The founder of Sufism, Hazrat Sheikh-ul-Aalam, was born in Kashmir. In Persian, there is a saying "Sufi Sufi Ast", which roughly translates to "a Sufi cannot be defined in words but can be felt," Khan said in his speech.
He further said, "Jihad is not the name of occupying someone else's land. Allah guides us and laws are made by people according to time. Civilization is related to the region and not to religion. Our country was also divided. Once you get into the habit of dividing, you cannot live with anyone. The Quran does not allow you to take up arms unless you are being oppressed."
Apart from Khan Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir PK Pole and National President of GSPFP Dr. Anant Bhagwat were also present at the event. Pole emphasized Kashmiriyat and said, "Tourism has seen a threefold increase after 2019. The neighbouring country tried to target the artisans of Kashmir but failed. Magic is in the hands of our artisans."
