While the debate on significance of repeated exhibition of ISIS flags in Kashmir capital Srinagar is catching media attention, the green flags were again seen in the old part of city shortly after conclusion of Friday’s congregational prayers. Eyewitnesses said that the flags were exhibited by veiled youngsters in Jamia Masjid area where heavy contingents of police were deployed to maintain order.
“Two masked youngsters leading a group of around 20 youths were holding an ISIS flag,” a local news agency said quoting eyewitnesses.“The forces deployed inside by-lanes chased the youngsters away”, it said.Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has described the earlier exhibition of ISIS flags as an act of “some idiots” but security officers have sought deeper analysis of such displays. They have linked the issue with supposed radicalisation and sought to investigate possibility of Kashmiri separatists links with Islamic State operatives in Iraq and Syria.
Interestingly, eloquent Islamic scholar Maulana Sajjad Nomani, who is on a detailed Kashmir visit, addressed the Friday congregation besides moderate Kashmiri secessionist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who holds sway in the old city. There were no violent protests after the conclusion of prayers.The ISIS flags were first seen in Srinagar three months ago. Police claimed that the youngsters displaying the flags were identified after the case was thoroughly investigated.
The flags reappeared on Eid-ul-Azha in the first week of October. Commander of Srinagar based XV Corps, lt Gen Subrata Saha on Tuesday said that the issue of ISIS flags deserved the highest attention of the security agencies in order to prevent Kashmiri youth from being lured into the ranks of the jehadi organisation.Earlier Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the display as handiwork of “some idiots”. He said the flag hoisters were arrested and even hands were laid on the tailor who stitched the controversial banners.
“No ISIS group has been identified so far in the Valley. The flag... was waved by some idiots, which does not mean that ISIS has any presence in Kashmir. Unfortunately, some channels have tried to make an issue out of this and drag me into this as if we are not doing anything about it”, Omar Abdullah was quoted as saying in Delhi.
Abdullah has earlier confirmed that a Kashmiri youngster living in Australia has joined the ISIS ranks but clarified that no Kashmiri has been recruited directly from the valley to fight in Syria or Iraq.