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Kashmiri Leader Calls for Protests Against US on Aug 10

By Fayaz Wani

Hardline separatist Kashmiri leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has asked people of the restive Kashmir Valley to stage peaceful protest demonstrations on coming Friday (August 10) against the United States.

Geelani heads the hardline faction of Huriyat Conference in Kashmir and his faction held a meeting today in which the statement of US Republican presidential hopeful, Tom Tancredo was strongly condemned.

Fearing militant attack, Tancredo had recently said, "If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland of that nature would be followed by an attack on the Islamic holy sites in Mecca and Medina. Because that is the only thing I can think of that might deter somebody from doing what they otherwise might do".

Terming Tom Tancredo's statement as his frustration, Geelani said, "By threatening to attack the Islamic holy sites in Mecca and Medina and attacking Pakistan, America has announced a war against the whole Muslim nation".

He described the statement of American Republican presidential hopeful as a setback to those Muslim leaders, who claimed that America is their close ally. "It should be an eye-opener to these Muslim leaders, who work according to the dictates from Washington. These leaders should accept the fact that the US cannot be their friend or ally", the hardline Kashmiri leader said.

Expressing concern over the threats to attack Islamic holy sites in Mecca and Medina, Geelani has asked people of the restive Kashmir Valley to stage peaceful protest demonstrations against United States on August 10. He also called on the religious clergies of the mosques in Kashmir to make people aware about the US 'imperialistic designs' in mosques on Friday and lead protest demonstrations against America.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.