‘When Your Brothers and Sisters Are Being Targeted, You Don’t Calculate’: Kashmir Donates Crores in Gold, Cash To Iran
Suhail Khan
Srinagar, Mar 22: Eighteen months after her wedding, Zehra (name changed) walked into a makeshift donation centre in Budgam and handed over the gold ornaments her father had prepared for her and those her in-laws had given her on her wedding night.
“I felt some comfort after depositing them,” the 26-year-old told The Web Story/The Varmul Post. “It was the least I could do for a country to which the community feels a deep connection.”
Across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Muslims—predominantly from the Shia community—have donated gold, silver, utensils, and cash collectively worth crores of rupees to support Iran amid ongoing US-Israel military strikes.
Community heads said the donations, which saw a significant surge during Eid-ul-Fitr, are being collected through door-to-door drives and makeshift centres in the Kashmir Valley and Kargil. What has distinguished this campaign, organisers said, is the breadth of participation—from schoolchildren to businessmen, from young brides to college students.
Hashim Ali, one of the organisers from Bandipora district, said pledges worth crores have been made over the past week. Women, he said, have been at the forefront, with many handing over gold ornaments. Children have also participated by donating their ‘Eidi’.
“We have seen a young bride part with her wedding gold, a grandmother remove her bangles on the spot, a child empty his entire savings of ₹500 saying it is for the children of Iran,” Ali said.
For 10-year-old Ayaan from Sopore, the decision came after Eid prayers. “I got ₹1,000 as Eidi from my nani. I gave it all,” he said, clutching a small envelope. “The children in Iran are facing bombs. I don’t need the money more than they do.”
In Budgam, a group of university students pooled together over ₹2 lakh from their monthly stipends and savings. Bilal Ahmad, a third-year engineering student, said he contributed ₹15,000 he had been saving for a new laptop. “My old one still works. This can wait,” he said. “When your brothers and sisters are being targeted, you don’t calculate.”
Mohammad Yousuf Rather, a textile trader, said he donated ₹5 lakh from his business earnings. “I am not a wealthy man by any standard, but I know my responsibility,” he said. “If we don’t stand with Iran today, history will not forgive us.”
Another businessman, who owns a chain of showrooms in north Kashmir and spoke on condition of anonymity, said he transferred ₹25 lakh after consulting with his partners. “We have seen our own troubles here. We understand what it means to face occupation and bombardment. This is not charity—it is solidarity,” he said.
The collected items are being converted into cash for transfer through authorised channels.
Sources said that a Srinagar-based lawyer claimed he managed to collect over ₹30 lakh from his extended family.
In Baramulla, a child who received a cycle as Eidi from his father donated it the next day. “He said, ‘Papa brought it for me for ₹8,000, but for me, nothing is more important than donating for this cause. It is really Eid for me’,” an organiser recalled. “I took permission, and Papa agreed to donate.”
Schoolchildren have been among the most enthusiastic contributors, organisers said. A group of Class 10 students from a government school in Ganderbal collectively donated ₹8,500 collected from their pocket money. “We skipped eating outside for the past week,” said 15-year-old Fatima. “Our teacher told us that every rupee counts. So we saved whatever we could.”
Another student, 17-year-old Arif from Bohripora Sopore, said he donated his entire savings of ₹12,000 that he had accumulated over two years from tutoring younger children. “I was keeping it for college admission fees,” he said. “But there are children in Iran who may not even live to see college. My fees can wait. Their lives cannot.”
Anwar Ali, another organiser from Budgam, said the donation drive will remain ongoing, with community volunteers continuing to collect contributions across the region.
“This is not a one-day sentiment,” he said. “When you see a young bride part with her wedding gold just 18 months after her marriage, when you see a student give up his laptop savings, when you see a child hand over his new cycle—you realise what this means to people. This is not just about money. This is about standing with those who are suffering.”
Meanwhile, parts of the Valley, Jammu, and Kargil witnessed peaceful protests during Eid congregations over the weekend, with demonstrators raising slogans against the US and Israel while expressing solidarity with Iran.
Notably, Budgam MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi has announced the donation of his one month’s salary towards humanitarian assistance for the people of Iran.
“I stand in solidarity with the people of Iran during this challenging period. As a humble gesture of support and compassion, I am donating my one month’s salary towards relief efforts. In times of crisis, it is our collective responsibility to rise above boundaries and extend help to those in need,” he said.
He further urged others in public life and society to come forward and contribute towards humanitarian causes.
