Mehbooba Lands In Tehran
Muhammad Mukaram
The News Herald
Srinagar, 3 July: After Iran officially shot invitation letters to some key political and socio-religious leaders in the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh to participate in the state funeral for its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the sitting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah did not receive an invitation.
This has upset the National Conference camp. Several NC spokespersons and leaders refused to speak to The News Herald on this issue.
The copy will be updated once anyone from the NC gives an official statement.
Meanwhile, Iran is turning the funeral of its assassinated Supreme Leader into show of strength and power. Moderate estimates say over 20 million people will attend the grand funeral of Khamenei.
Multiple ceremonies have been scheduled across various parts of the country to pay glowing tributes to Ali Khamenei. The final burial is scheduled to take place in the city of Mashhad on 9 July.
Although the President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference [JKNC] and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and other NC leaders visited the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi to express condolence over Khamenei’s assassination and sign the book, none of them have received invitation from Tehran to attend the funeral of Khamenei.
https://twitter.com/JKNC_/status/2031288758088425841
Tehran’s snub to Omar Abdullah is seen as a telling remark on the Chief Minister’s political stature.
Agha Ruhullah Mehdi, a Parliamentarian from Central Kashmir and a senior JKNC leader, has been vocal in his public criticism of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s, “lack of fight for the restoration of statehood and special status for J&K and his silence on critical issues.”
However, JKNC leaders in their defence said their legislative members, cabinet ministers and the Chief Minister will participate in a symbolic sit-in protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar at the beginning of the monsoon session of the Parliament.
Experts on International Relations told The News Herald that Omar Abdullah “lacks gravitas to attract attention globally”, partly due to his reluctance to take unambiguous stance on the war in West Asia and “toeing the line of the Bharatiya Janata Party” on the matter.
Additionally, Omar Abdullah in a faux pas recently said that “the tenth of Muharram is commemorated to mourn the martyrdom of ‘Hazrat Ali’”.
Instead of saying Hazrat Imam Husain (AS), he made an error.
“This shows his insensitivity toward sensitive issues,” a political scientist told The News Herald.
Observers opined that Omar’s factual error may have “hurt the religious sentiments and feelings of the Shia community in Kashmir and beyond, including in Iran.”
“Neither did Omar Abdullah neither express solidarity nor visit the Iranian Embassy in Delhi when Ali Khamenei was assassinated. On the contrary, Mehbooba Mufti took a stance and also went to the Iranian Embassy in person to show her solidarity and condole the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader,” Professor Noor Baba, a well-known political scientist and IR expert told The News Herald.
“In essence, Iran has shown a reciprocal gesture to compliment Mehbooba’s solidarity, Professor Baba added.
Dr. Baba further argued that Mehbooba Mufti’s visit to Iran could raise her stature in Tehran, but potentially cause a bit of annoyance in other West Asian nations. Without naming any country, he hinted at the Sunni-majority nations in the Gulf region.
Nevertheless, former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti flew to Tehran, from New Delhi, on Thursday [2 July] evening to attend funeral ceremonies of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
“It is my great honour and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive this invitation (from Tehran). I will pay my last respects to Ayatollah Ali Khamenie,” Mehbooba Mufti said.
https://twitter.com/MehboobaMufti/status/2030899854394958315
According to Waheed Parra, MLA Pulwama and PDP leader, Tehran had “arranged a special aircraft” for Mehbooba Mufti to fly to Tehran.
“As she had taken stand against powerful countries, Iran acknowledged her stance,” MLA Pulwama told The News Herald.
She is the only non-Shia Kashmiri politician to receive invitation from Tehran.
Among other Kashmiri politicians and religious leaders from Kashmir and Ladakh, National Conference leader and MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, People’s Conference leader Imran Ansari, MP from Ladakh M Haneefa, Ladakh Congress president Asghar Ali and also Kargil Democratic Alliance representative Sajjad Kargali received invitation from Iran.
