September 30, 2025
Web desk
Geneva,
The World Muslim Congress (WMC), in partnership with the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), organized a seminar on the sidelines of the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva to draw global attention to what they described as the systematic erosion of cultural and religious rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
According to Kashmir Media Service, the seminar brought together academics, rights activists, and witnesses who accused India of pursuing long-term policies of cultural assimilation in the disputed territory. They warned that such measures, often referred to as an “Indian cultural invasion,” have intensified since August 5, 2019 — the day New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and divided it into two union territories.
Among the panelists were Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Dr. Mustafa Blerim, Dr. Rabort Fitina, Marry Scully, Altaf Hussain Wani, and Shomuly Hogue. The speakers highlighted how restrictions on religious practices, manipulation of demographics, censorship of cultural expression, and attacks on heritage sites have deepened the suffering of the Kashmiri people.
They urged the UN Human Rights Council to launch an independent investigation into these alleged violations and called on international bodies to hold India accountable. The discussion concluded with an appeal for immediate measures to safeguard Kashmir’s cultural identity and protect the religious freedoms of its people.
