Taazaa Khabar: Conversation with Mohammed Altaf Bhat Chisti

Mohammed Altaf Bhat Chisti visited PJI yesterday to share his remarkable story and a conversation with the volunteers about issues relating to his native Kashmir. He is in the middle of a peace march from Mumbai to Delhi, to spread the message of peace in Kashmir, and we had the opportunity to  learn a great deal from his personal journey and transformation.

Altaf grew up in Kashmir, and at age 18, joined Al-umar-mazuhidin, a terrorist training organization in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. After training for 3 months, he returned to his native place and realized that using violence is not the right way to bring peace to the region. He now believes that no religion or community has the right to kill innocent people, and using terrorism as a political strategy is against humanity, religion, and law.

Since his transformation, he has worked to promote a message of peace in Jammu and Kashmir. He worked as a freelance journalist in the state for two years, but was arrested by the Border Security Force and sentenced to two years in jail. Even after being kept in Trinaga Central Jail and receiving cruel beatings by officials, he still believes peace is the way forward for the community that lives in Kashmir.

To promote this idea, he began his peace march from Mumbai on the 23rd of September, and has had conversations about these issues with people he meets along the way. He wants more people to know the real face of the Kashmiri people--what they feel and think, and what their issues and views really are.

He stopped by PJI for a tremendous conversation yesterday with around 25 volunteers, telling his story and answering countless questions. Volunteers asked about a wide range of subject: why many Kashmiri people don't want to be a citizens of an Indian state, what problems result from army occupation, and why the border is porous to terrorists. We learned a great deal about the reality of life in Kashmir, and Altaf's message for the way forward in this troubled region.

All are invited to accompany Altaf for the first kilometer of his walk to Delhi on Friday! Please meet at 2 pm, at Jama Mazid Johari Baazar. We will gather and join this heroic figure in spreading a message of peace.