Mirwaiz meets Iranian envoy, calls Kashmir ‘little Iran’

Srinagar: Kashmirchief pastor, Mirwaiz Umar FarooqIran’s Ambassador to India Dr Mohammad Fatali met on Friday and expressed condolences over the death of Iran’s supreme leader in Israeli and US attacks.According to a statement issued by Mirwaiz, who led the delegation of the Mutahida Ulema of Kashmir’s religious organizations, expressed condolences over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his family and other leaders, and expressed “deep solidarity with the Iranian people in their difficult situation.”The delegation condemned the war, saying it was “imposed” on Iran, and expressed hope that diplomatic efforts would prevail and peace and stability be restored. The members of the delegation include Mufti Nasir Islam, Agha Saeed Hassan Mosvi, Agha Saeed Hadi Al Mosvi, and Agha Saeed Mujtaba.During the meeting, Mirwaiz also highlighted the “deep-rooted cultural, historical and religious ties between Kashmir and Iran”. He said Kashmir has long been known as “Iran-e-Sagheer” (Little Iran), stressing that this reflected the enduring bond between the Kashmiri and Iranian peoples.Thousands of people in Kashmir gathered at Lal Chowk in Srinagar and later in Budgam to condemn the killing of Khamenei earlier this month. There was also a massive donation drive in the valley, with people donating cash, gold, traditional copperware, household items, vehicles and even livestock, following an appeal from the Iranian embassy.Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party Chairman Mehbooba Mufti He was the first J&K politician to visit the embassy to express solidarity with Iran, followed by a National Conference MP. On March 10, National Committee Chairman Farooq Abdullah visited the Iranian Embassy in China and signed the book of condolence after the death of Khamenei.