How Safe Are We?

MIAN TUFAIL

MOHAMMAD Shafi Mir, 72, a resident of Gantmulla village of North Kashmir’s Baramulla, was a retired Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). After his retirement, Mir chose to reside in his native village with his family and childhood friends. Considered pious and religiously moral, Mir would call for prayer (Azaan) from his nearby mosque and in the absence of the local priest, would lead the prayers. Such was the respect enjoyed by Mir in his native village after serving the Police department for nearly three decades.

An unfortunate turn of events was awaiting Mir on December 24, when an armed terrorist followed him to the mosque as he went to call for the prayers at dawn. While Mir was delivering the Azaan, a terrorist barged into the mosque and attacked him from the back. And in a few seconds, Mohammad Shafi Mir was left lying in a pool of blood inside the mosque and was later declared brought dead by the doctors.

The heinous manner in which the attack happened is reminiscent of some telling historical incidents, such as the assassination of Hazrat Imam Ali (A.S). On the morning of the 19th of Ramadan of the year 40 A.H., Ali came into the Great Mosque of Kufa, and called for Azaan (the call to prayer). He took his place in the alcove, and moments later, the worshippers began to arrive. They stood behind him in serried ranks, and the prayer began. Standing in the front row, with other worshippers, were Abdur Rahman Bin Muljam and his confederates. They were watching Ali’s movements. In the folds of their cloaks, they carried swords burnished to a high sheen, and soaked in poison.

Just when Ali touched the ground with his forehead for prostration (sajda), Abdur Rahman Bin Muljam stepped out of his row, and crept into the alcove. And just when Ali lifted his head from the ground, Bin Muljam struck the fatal blow at his forehead with such deadly force that it split open.

Well, the terrorists too displayed a similar brutality by targetting Mir inside a place of worship, a mosque, where people gather for prayer and spiritual solace.

The dastardly attack reminds of the enemies living among us who can go to any extent to butcher humanity.

The police are investigating all angles into the killing. They say the incident was unusual for the area as terrorists do not kill people inside a mosque. According to them, Mir was killed using a 12-bore gun and six bullets were fired at him in the back. Usually, this type of a gun has not been used by terrorists in the past, they say.

As per reports, terrorists have never killed anyone inside a mosque before, and the shooter in this case seems like a professional. He fired from a window and hit a targetted part of the body. Pertinently, Gantmulla area of the Baramulla district has remained largely peaceful despite the large scale terrorism in Kashmir from the past three decades. This incident has sent shockwaves among the locals as well as posed a new challenge before the police.

The spike in the terrorist incidents in the Valley and the Pir Panjal region implies that terrorists are waiting for an opportune moment to attack and bring devastation. The target is not only the men in uniform but all those who are unarmed and disagree with their destructive madness.

A native of Gantmulla tells KC that Mir was sober and religious, with no animosity towards anyone. Remembers he: “Shafi Sahab has been a very kind and a religious person. People always held high regard for him and he was very dutiful towards his religious obligations. During my 40 years, I had never seen anyone talk ill of him or the service he had done for the nation. There seems a serious sinister design behind his killing which must be probed thoroughly without delay. If people like him aren’t safe, then I believe no one is safe here”.

The Kashmir valley has witnessed large-scale bloodshed but this kind of barbaric murder has sent shivers across the entire UT. Thousands of people attended Mir’s funeral to offer prayers. Their call for a thorough and a prompt investigation is justified, and it is essential to uncover the motives behind the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Mir’s murder is not just an attack on an individual but an assault on the values of peace, tolerance and humanity. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the persistent threat of terrorism in the Kashmir valley, urging the authorities to remain vigilant and proactive in safeguarding the peace and security of the residents, especially those who are vulnerable to such attacks.