A martyr, says Geelani

While Hurriyat hardline leader Syed Ali Geelani has termed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden a “martyr,” others in Kashmir have reacted cautiously to his killing.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Geelani criticised the U.S. government for burying Osama in the sea and said it belied respect for any kind of values. After death, animosities vanish between enemies and everyone had a right to get a “decent burial according to the tenets of his religion.”

“By killing him the fight will not end, but thousands of Osamas would appear within the U.S. and Britain,” Mr. Geelani said. As long as disputes such as Palestine, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Iraq were unresolved, resistance would continue, he said.