For the third week in a row, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a leader of the Hurriyat movement, was stopped from speaking to worshippers at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar. Local people are upset, calling this an unfair interference in their religious practices.
The Anjuman Auqaf, which manages Jama Masjid, criticized the repeated house arrest of Mirwaiz Farooq. They said the government is unfairly limiting his ability to perform his religious duties and ignoring the feelings of the people.
Despite the cold weather, many men, women, and children from across the valley come to Jama Masjid to hear Mirwaiz’s sermon. His absence makes them feel hurt and deprived of their religious rights.
Zainab Begum, a 60-year-old local who has been attending Friday prayers for many years, expressed her sadness over Mirwaiz’s continued detention. She said, “He was already detained for about four years. Now, even when they claim things are normal, he can’t do his religious duty in a region where Muslims are the majority.”
Mirwaiz was released on September 22, 2023, after being under house arrest for four years, which began when the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was removed on August 4, 2019. However, fearing protests related to Palestine in October 2023, authorities locked him up again, stopping him from addressing the prayer gatherings.
He is now challenging his detention in the J&K High Court, claiming it is without any valid reason, and is waiting for the court’s decision.
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