Saturday, November 9, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
A SUMMARY OF QUAYYUM RAJA’S PROFİLE
Abdul Quayyum Raja was born into a Rajput clan famous for resistance against invaders throughout the ages. He was born on the 15th of September 1956 in the forcibly divided land of Kashmir. He matriculated from his home town Khuıratta before moving to Europe in 1979. He continued his education and obtained a Master's Degree ın Social Sciences and a degree in Psychology, including certificates in International History, English Language and Literature as well as in the German and Dutch languages. He has authored six books and hundreds of articles on various issues of public concern. His current column is 'Speaking the Truth'.
While studying in
Paris in the mid 1980s, an interview by the 16 year old daughter of the Father
of Movement for the Reunification of Kashmir: Maqbool Butt - caught hıs eye -
in which she cried for help in a plea to save her father whose hanging by India
was nigh. Raja launched a political and diplomatic campaign to save the
Kashmırı hero. As he was well-known in
political circles in Europe, he was ınvıted to a meetıng ın London, where the issue
of the prospective hangıng of Maqbool Butt had been dıscussed. Quayyum Raja,
who had joined Maqbool Butt’s political party: the Jammu Kashmir National Liberation
Front (JKNLF) a few months earlier, had been ınvıted to the meeting. He urged
an intensification of the political and diplomatic efforts to save Maqbool
Butt. However, a few days later, some young British Kashmiris captured an Indian
diplomat in England and demanded the release of Maqbool Butt. The Indian
Government promptly hanged Maqbool Butt and the Indıan diplomat was killed in
revenge by his captors. As the killers escaped to Pakistan, Quayyum Raja who had
been previously asked by the British Police and pressurized to co-operate. He
refused. He condemned both the hanging of Maqbool Butt and the killing of the Indian
diplomat. The situation deteriorated further when the Pakistani government told
it's British counterpart that it would not hand over the escaped Kashmiris
unless the British handed over the former Governor of the Punjab, who had
escaped to London following a military coup.
As a result,
Quayyum Raja and his friend Rıaz were charged with murder but sentenced
secretly in 1985. Ten years later, the London High Court ruled that the secret
sentence was unlawful. The documents also revealed a secret plan between the Indian
and the British governments to keep Raja and Riaz in prison for the rest of their
lives. They took the British government to the European Court of Human Rights.
Consequently, Riaz was released after 19 years but Raja was kept in detention until
the European Court ordered his release in 2005. By then, Raja had served 22
long painful years in prison. Raja, who was denied the right to stand for
election from British jail, fielded a candidate on his behalf, who wrested away
a seat held by the then British ruling Labour party for 35 years.
Quayyum Raja, received a hero's welcome in Kashmir, but almost half of his family members had already passed away, including his mother and eldest brother. He married a teacher after his release and has three daughters and one son whose ages range between 1-7 years. Raja found Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) or Pakistani-administered Kashmir as a most comatose and powerless system. Terming the education system as vandalism, he took the AJK government to court for not including their national history in the national curriculum. Raja won the case. He was offered political adjustment but he refused to accept it at the expense of his dream for the re-unıfıcatıon of Kashmır. That implies the re-unification of hundreds of thousands of forcibly divided families. As a result, hıs personal life became much harder than ever before. He is currently chairman of the Diplomatic and Political Committee of Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Conference, whose president Arıf Shahid was assassinated on 13.05.2013.
Finally, in
living memory Raja is perhaps second only to Nelson Mandela in terms of
enduring the longest political sentence for a national cause.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Quayyum Raja's Interview of Turkey's ruling AK Party's Head of Foreign Affairs
EROL ADAYILMAZ IS Head of Foreign Affairs in Turkey’s ruling AK or Justice & Development Party. He speaks English fluently and distinctly apart from being well-versed with national and international history. Like most Turks, he is proud of Ottoman history and the vision of his leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
As Turkey has always been very close to my heart, I already knew of the Erdogan Administration’s political, economic and diplomatic achievements to some extent, however what I witnessed during my recent visit to Turkey was far more substantial than originally thought. As I raised some questions about the Ottoman victory over the Roman Empire and recent achievements, I was invited by Erol Adayilmaz to his office in Istanbul, where the following conversation took place.
Q.
Historical research indicates that when the Ottoman Empire took over Istanbul, the local people of Greek background happily accepted the authority of the Ottomans. What was the reason?
A.
The Sultan declared that locals were safe. That nobody would be expelled. The conflict was between the Roman and Ottoman empires, not against the local people of Greek background. The Turks were famous for good administration and justice. They delivered justice and established an effective administration and therefore, people responded positively.
(In separate interviews with Professor Fethi of Istanbul University and Seven Turan - Foreign Desk Editor - of the daily Hurriyet, they concurred with the above statement.)
Q.
Did any section of Istanbul's population oppose Kemal Ataturk's 'Movement of Independence'?
A.
Over all, there was unity. The respect for multiculturalism played an important role.
Q.
How will the AK Party balance it's membership with the EU and Muslims at large?
A.
Turkey is a bridge. Turkey is the only Muslim country applying for EU membership. Our country is in a unique position, geographically and historically. Turkey understands its role and will Inshallah play it effectively.
Q.
Who deserves the credit for Turkey's economic achievements thus far?
A.
The Prime Minister Erdogan, of course. He was the Mayor of Istanbul before he became prime minister. He started an economic development campaign whilst Mayor. PM Erdogan is a sincere, visionary and charismatic leader with great management skills.
Q.
Do you have or envisage a full welfare state with free medical treatment, free education, housing, child benefit, social security and a pension for all citizens?
A.
Yes, Inshallah. We are working for this task and we call it vision 2023, the year when we will mark the anniversary of a hundred years of independence of our Republic.
Q.
Does everybody have a job? If not, how do the unemployed survive?
A.
We have only 8 percent unemployment, which is yet less than developed EU members. The unemployed people do get some social help.
Q.
How do you define your Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's 'Diplomatic Vision'?
A.
Good relationship with everyone for peace and humanity.
Q.
Is his "Zero Conflict" policy with neighbours working?
A.
Yes, despite the Syrian conflict - which is directly affecting Turkey - the relationship continues.
Q.
How do you describe his diplomatic style?
A.
Sincere, active and simple. He involves himself with people in need.
Q.
The AK Party's government has done very well on Palestine, Myanmar and the Kashmiri victims of the earthquake in 2005. The people of Kashmir are very thankful to you for that but can you be specific on the resolution to the Kashmir problem? Do you think Kashmir is a territorial problem between India and Pakistan or is it rather a matter of birth right of the people of kashmir?
A.
I have to study the Kashmir Issue more carefully and specifically before answering this question.
Q.
What rights do Syrian or any other refugees obtain here in Turkey in terms of residence, education, health and social security benefits?
A.
We set up camps for them where they get rations, health facilities and education.
Q.
What are the AK Party's future national goals?
A.
Vision 2023: further improving our legal, educational and health systems whilst targeting full employment and a comprehensive welfare system.
Q.
Finally, any message to Pakistanis and Kashmiris at home and abroad?
A.
Our future is common. We should all work together for a world with a better future.
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