Reports that are filtering in from the valley reveal that most of the youths who have taken to the streets have been instigated in the name of Islam, and that too, of the Wahabi kind. Kashmir valley used to be famous across the world because of its Sufi tradition of Islam, an all-inclusive synthesis of different religions, but now, the conservative Wahabi tradition is dominating. Girls are being forced to wear burqa and hijab. Boys have been asked to keep beards, and all these are visible on the ground. Today Syed Ali Shah Geelani issued a statement exhorting people to keep their shops closed in the name of jihad. He is telling people that to think of opening shops and going for jobs at the time of jihad is against Islamic tenets, rather people should be prepared for sacrifices in the name of jihad. However, the truth is that the same leader who is exhorting people to stay away from jobs and business is himself allowing his children to stay and study in foreign lands. He never asked his children to offer sacrifice. The Centre has now decided that it will show no sympathy towards separatists and the battle will be fought on an ideological level. The government cannot allow people to be instigated in the name of extremism and Islam.