Indian subcontinent recently witnessed the Hijab controversy, which sparked the debate about the ‘freedom to choose what to wear’; while some advocate for the ban, others defended it by citing freedom of religion. But the debate loses its credibility when such attire is used as a shield to commit anti-national activity. And the Kashmir incident proves that.
The Sopore Incident
Recently, a video surfaced on the internet, where a woman can be seen, a burqa-clad woman to be specific, hurling a bomb at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bunker in Kashmir’s Sopore town of Baramulla district on Tuesday.
The 20 seconds clip was recorded by a nearby security camera that displays a woman taking out the explosive device from her bag and throwing it at the bunker.
In this matter, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested a 38-year-old woman identified as Haseena Akhtar from the Sheeri area of Baramulla. According to official records, she had been booked earlier too for pasting posters of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2021.
Read More: The Sopore incident proves why burqa should be banned throughout India
According to the J&K Police, she was picked up by the terrorist organization Lakshar for the attack due to her separatist background.
Officials alleged that Akhtar previously had contacts with Asiya Andrabi, a pro-Pakistan separatist who runs Dukhtaran-E-Millat.
Women in a burqa who unleash terror in the valley
Remember Rahul Dholakia’s Lamhaa, in which Bipasha Basu played the character of a burqa-clad separatist woman active in Kashmir. Though the is movie alleged to have reprised the character of Asiya Andrabi, very little is known about her and her anti-India deeds.
Asiya Andrabhi, who is currently languishing in Tihar Jail, has been charged under different sections, for terror funding, waging war against India, hate speeches and inciting mobs amongst others. She has been popular for her association with Dukhtaran-e-Millat, an all-women terrorist organization, previously a part of the Hurriyat Conference.
Asiya Andrabi and her religious separatism
Asiya Andrabi was born to a doctor couple in Kashmir where she was raised. She was exposed to fundamentalist literature at a very early stage in life. Her statement to NIA (National Investigation Agency) suggests that she received ‘enlightenment’ from extreme fundamentalist authors like Maryam Jameelah who has extensively written about Islamic conservatism and fundamentalism.
In 1987, she founded her all women ‘separatist’ group Dukhtaran-e-Millat (daughters of faith), which was later banned by the Government of India.
NIA investigation suggests that Asiya dreamt of marrying a mujahid since childhood so that she could carry forward her fight for the “holy cause”. Asiya has openly claimed that her brand of separatism is religious in nature.
Asiya climbed the ladder through Dukhtaran-e-Millat
Asiya Andrabi lived her childhood dream and married Mohammad Qasim, a founding member of the terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen. Her marriage provided her wings, to carry out her religious terrorism in Kashmir. She gained recognition with her organization as the first woman separatist by delivering speeches and heading protests. With the backing of Pakistan based terror organizations, throughout her years in Kashmir, she carried out anti-India activities. She played a key role in inciting the people of Kashmir to an armed rebellion against the Indian state.
She made Kashmiri women her tool and instigated them to join her organization DeM for “the sake of Islam and Kashmir’s freedom”. She followed some strict criteria while recruiting women, like women should be less than 30 years of age and must have studied in a Madarsa for 5 years. She was reluctant to hire any woman associated with the army or political family or banking sector. She paid heed to the Islamic dress code, and all of their activities be it demonstrations or attacks were done under the veil.
In an interview with The Guardian, Asiya Andrabi stated that her fight is religious and not political, and Kashmir belongs to Pakistan. A woman who makes such statements from India’s mainland forms a pro-Pakistan separatist outfit, is involved in illegal funding, and has links with dreaded terrorists and terrorist organizations, has been put in a place she deserves and that is Tihar.