‎‎Srinagar, Sep 7 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday termed the treatment of Muslims as “outsiders” and “others” unfortunate, saying incidents involving demolition of mosques and assaults on members of the community “shouldn’t happen”.
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‎Speaking on the sidelines of an event, Omar said, “What can one say? It’s an unfortunate situation,” while referring to the manner in which Muslims are treated as outsiders.
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‎“The way in which Muslims are treated as outsiders, as others, whether it’s with the demolition of mosques or whether it’s with the way in which they were assaulted—both extremely unfortunate and something that shouldn’t happen,” he said.
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‎The Chief Minister, however, welcomed the government’s initiative to organise the first International Film Festival in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the event would serve several important objectives.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
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‎He said the festival would provide an opportunity to showcase films from across the world and expose local audiences, including film enthusiasts and mass communication students, to international cinema.
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‎Omar said the festival would also help the local film industry gain greater exposure.
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‎“We are trying to remind the country’s film industry that before Switzerland and other countries, films were made in Kashmir. We want that to happen again,” he said.
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‎The Chief Minister said the initiative was aimed at reviving Kashmir’s connection with cinema and encouraging filmmakers to once again consider the region as a destination for film production.(KNS)