SRINAGAR, 17 September 2006 — Police detained nearly two-dozen angry Muslims protesting Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks on Islam yesterday, the second straight day of anti-pope rallies in Indian Kashmir.
More than 100 supporters of the hard-line faction of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, Kashmir’s main separatist alliance, marched through Srinagar’s city center chanting “Down with the Pope,” and “Long Live Islam.”
The protesters scuffled with police who stopped them marching to the United Nations military observer’s office in Srinagar.
Police detained more than 20 protesters, who were later released yesterday, a police officer said. The remaining protesters dispersed after shouting anti-pope slogans for nearly 30 minutes.
“We are deeply hurt by the remarks of the pope. The pope holds the highest chair in the Christian world and it is really shameful on his part to have made such remarks against Islam,” said Nissar Hussain Rather, a Hurriyat official. Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was put under house arrest Friday to prevent him from leading the protests.
During a speech earlier this week, Benedict cited an obscure medieval text that characterizes some of the teachings of Islam’s founder as “evil and inhuman.”
Vatican officials insisted the pope did not intend to be offensive and expressed regret over any hurt caused to Muslims. Protesters have been unmoved by the Vatican’s assurances that the pope meant only to emphasize the incompatibility between faith and war.
A separate demonstration yesterday saw more than 30 Muslim women march through Srinagar’s city center.
“The pope’s remarks show his deep hatred against Islam and Muslims. We aren’t going to tolerate all this,” said Asiya Andrabi, the leader of Kashmir’s women’s separatist group, Dukhtaran-e-Millat.
On Friday, nearly 100 lawyers protested in Srinagar. They carried placards, which read: “The message of Islam is universal; Our Prophet is the epitome of humanity.”
Gunbattles Kill 6 Suspected Rebels
Three separate gun battles in Indian Kashmir killed at least six suspected militants and wounded two policemen yesterday, police said.
The Indian army’s special forces shot and killed three suspected militants in a densely forested area of Gurwatan, 110 km south of Srinagar, said Col. Hemant Juneja, an army spokesman. Other details were not immediately available.
Earlier yesterday, police and the army cordoned off the village of Wahipora following a tip that some suspected militants were hiding there, said police officer Imtiaz Hussain.
Suspected rebels opened fire as government forces converged on their hideout in the village, 40 km south of Srinagar, Hussain said. A gun battle left two suspected rebels dead and two policemen wounded, he said.
