'India Bullying...': Ex-Malaysian PM draws Kashmir-Gaza parallels amid Israel-Hamas War at event organized by Pakistan

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 31: In a shocking development, former Malaysian PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in what is named as "Kashmir Black Day" event, has launched a scathing attack on India over Kashmir. Speaking at the event organized by the Pakistan High Commission in Malaysia, Mahathir claimed that India was bullying opposition to its "occupation of Kashmir" and drew parallels between Kashmir and Gaza.

 

Speaking on "commemorating the Kashmir Black Day which essentially marks the beginning of the occupation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir by India since 1947," he said, "India is forcefully bullying any opposition to its occupation while at the same time tightening its grip on these territories. While the border politics are being played out, atrocities committed on the Jammu and Kashmiri populace persists and we and all those who are concerned, watch helplessly on the side lines".

While not "wanting to draw parallels to acts of injustice and crimes against humanity", he compares Kashmir and Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.

He accused India & Israel of "ruthless regimes proclaim to be advocates of democracy while they commit apartheid. They express anger and disgust when their victims retaliate and hit back at them, usually on minute scale, disproportionately compared with their vicious attacks. They label freedom fighters as terrorists, hiding the fact that their apartheid policies, genocide and ethnic cleansing activities for decades cannot, but spawn aggressive retaliation from those occupied."

"Don’t all these narratives sound the same – be it in Palestine, in Jammu/Kashmir, South Africa or even Ireland in the not too distant past?" he said.

"The world watches in horror as Israel unleashes its military might on helpless Palestinians, justifying it as retaliations to terror acts committed by Hamas. While Israel blames Hamas for its attacks on Gaza, it does not explain why the murderous Tel Aviv regime attacks West Bank which is devoid of Hamas. In fact, for the past seven decades, of which almost half of that period was without Hamas, Israel had been attacking and killing Palestinian civilians including babies with impunity".

Whitewashing the crimes the terror group has created, he said, "Hamas and other Palestinians who decide to take up arms and fight against Israel are children and grandchildren of Palestinian civilians the Israeli regime had murdered in the past."

 

He accused India of "Using the same playbook, India is justifying its invasion and occupation of Jammu and Kashmir as part of an effort to eradicate militants and terrorists and to protect its border. India’s revocation of Jammu/Kashmir’s autonomy unilaterally four years ago saw the deployment of hundreds of thousands of soldiers into the illegally occupied territories of Jammu and Kashmir. Along with that atrocities were committed, while placing the whole population under siege".

"We have also heard reports of how India is attempting to change the demographic composition of Jammu and Kashmir by settling non-Muslim outsiders in the Muslim majority areas," he added further.

"It seems their hypocrisy and cruelties are bottomless as when we think we had witnessed the worst there is in mankind, they come up with atrocities we can never imagine before. To the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We remember you and we feel for you. We pray for your deliverance and may Allah liberate you from the tyranny," he concluded.

The Indian government is yet to respond to his allegations.