Political Expert on Kashmir:

The US and Israel are seeking influence in Kashmir

Dr. Abu Mahdi said, “The United States and the Zionists have sought influence in India and ‎Pakistan since 1888 ‎until today and are aware of Kashmir’s strategic position in the region.” ‎

News ID: 446642

Date: 17 August 2019 - 22:20

RNA – An academic conference entitled “Developments in the Indian Subcontinent with an ‎‎‎‎Emphasis on the Kashmir Issue” was hosted by Rasa News Agency at the headquarters ‎‎of ‎the ‎news agency in Qom. ‎

Speaking at the conference, Dr. Abu Mahdi, a political expert on Kashmir, said, “The Kashmir ‎issue goes back to 1947. Jammu and Kashmir was a princely state of the British Empire in ‎India from 1846 until 1947. In 1947, Kashmir was divided between India and Pakistan and ‎the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India. In 1950, Article 370 of the ‎Constitution of India was drafted. Jammu and Kashmir was an autonomous region and had ‎its own prime minister, flag etc. as an autonomous state but international affairs, financial ‎affairs and the army were under India’s control such that even the Indian government wasn’t ‎allowed to enter the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.”‎

The scholar continued, “Alongside Article 370, there was an article named Article 35A which ‎was added in 1954. This article stipulated that, for example, only the permanent residents of ‎Jammu and Kashmir had the right to buy land in Kashmir and that a Kashmiri woman could ‎only marry a Kashmiri man.”‎

He said, “Israel and Saudi Arabia have conspired with India against the people of Kashmir ‎and even Turkey was involved. ‎The United States and the Zionists have sought influence in ‎India and Pakistan since 1888 until today and are aware of Kashmir’s strategic position in the ‎region.” ‎

Dr. Abu Mahdi stressed, “Because of its location on the border with China, Kashmir enjoys a ‎very good strategic location for the United States to be able to dominate the region by ‎establishing itself in the region and on the other hand, Kashmir has a lot of resources and ‎wealth.”‎

His Eminence added, “The people of Kashmir are also revolutionary people such that if they ‎feel that Saudi Arabia is trying to bully Iran, they will come to the streets in support of the ‎Islamic Republic of Iran and on the other hand, the culture of Iran and Kashmir is very close. ‎Taken together, all of these factors have made Kashmir a sensitive area for the United ‎States and Israel.”‎

Rasa News Agency

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