Chapter Sixteen

Peace in Kashmir The third field which the Kashmiri Muslims should focus on is dawah. By dawah I mean communicating the message of Islam to others. In this regard, the Kashmiri Muslims have before them two very large fields of action—one being the non-Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir, and the other being the tourists who flock in large numbers to Kashmir. If peace could be established in Kashmir, the tourism industry would greatly expand. From the dawah point of view, this would be of immense benefit, with people of different faiths coming in contact with the Kashmiri Muslims. If the Kashmiris avail of this opportunity in the right way, it would in itself suffice for their success in this world and in the Hereafter. Kashmir, Replica of Paradise Once upon a time, Kashmir used to be called jannat nazeer, which means ‘replica of paradise’. Many centuries ago, when a Persian poet saw Kashmir, he exclaimed: If there is heaven on earth, it is here! It is here! It is here! When in the past Kashmir was referred to as a ‘replica of paradise’, it was not ruled by the ‘Kashmiri people’. It was ruled by the Mughals, and, later, by others, and then by the Dogras. In this entire period, Kashmir remained a ‘replica of paradise’. People would come to see it from all over the world. If in the Indian subcontinent the Taj Mahal was the epitome of architectural beauty, Kashmir was the epitome of natural beauty. From this history of Kashmir, we learn that for Kashmir to be considered a ‘replica of paradise’ on earth, it was not at all necessary that it be ruled by a so-called government of the ‘Kashmiri people’. Governing power is actually a sort of political headache. Irrespective of whoever’s fate it is to suffer this political headache, Kashmir will remain Kashmir. The people of Kashmir need nothing for their progress other than their own constructive activities.