Srinagar, Dec 20 (KNO): Kashmir’s chief religious cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was barred from offering congregational Friday prayers at Kashmir’s historic grand mosque for the third consecutive Friday, with Jamia’s Auqaf terming the measure “arbitrary and unjustified.”
In a statement issued to news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Anjuman lamented that, in such bitter cold, thousands of devoted men, women, children, and physically challenged persons from various parts of the Valley gather at the historic Central Jama Masjid Srinagar to listen to the sermon of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
“However, the authorities’ action of keeping him under house arrest at his Nigeen residence deeply hurts the sentiments of these devotees and deprives them of their religious freedoms. The Auqaf lamented that the LG Administration, through these arbitrary measures, continuously disregards and disrespects the religious sentiments and emotions of the people. Such measures also amount to interference in the religious affairs of Muslims, which is highly condemnable,” reads the statement.
Meanwhile, several senior locals visiting the Jamia on Friday urged the authorities to allow Mirwaiz to deliver Friday sermons from the grand mosque. “We visit Jamia Masjid from far-off areas only to listen to the Friday sermon. However, this is the third Friday in a row when we had to return home disappointed. It pains us to see the pulpit of the Masjid without the Khateeb. Politics aside, Mirwaiz represents our core religious sentiments. The government should respect that,” says Peerzada Mohammad Amin Shah, a senior resident hailing from the Safa Kadal area of Srinagar.
Another local, echoing a similar sentiment, stated that as the winter break has been announced in schools, he brings his children with him to the Jamia Masjid so they can listen to the Friday sermon. “However, due to Molvi Sahb not being allowed to visit Jamia on Friday, we return home in dismay. He imparts moral education for overall societal benefit from Jamia’s pulpit. Disallowing him denies this right to the people. The government should understand the religious sentiments associated with this Masjid. We have nothing to do with politics, but Mirwaiz’s sermon should be allowed,” says Imran Nabi—(KNO)