Friday prayers disallowed at Jama Masjid

Srinagar: The authorities disallowed Friday prayers at historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar for the second consecutive week fearing pro-Palestinian protests. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who addresses the Friday congregation there was also put under house arrest. He said that such measures belie the claims of normalcy made by the administration.

The Anjuman-i- Auqaf which runs the Jama Masjid-where thousands of people offer Friday prayers-informed that the police officials closed the gates of Masjid and told them to not open the gates for Friday prayers. The authorities had also placed vehicles outside the residence of Mirwaiz as he was not allowed to address the congregation. Mirwaiz was released after over four years of house arrest in September this year, but was again placed under house arrest on October 15 and has not been allowed to move out since then.

Mirwaz regretted the repeated targeting and closure of Jama Masjid on Fridays and disallowing prayer goers from offering obligatory Friday prayers. "Such measures belie the claim of normalcy that the authorities make and instead cause great unease and hurt among Muslims," said Mirwaiz. People across the Valley prayed for an end to the violence in Palestine during the Friday prayers and many had observed a day-long fast in solidarity with the people in Gaza.


The political and religious organisations across the spectrum in the Valley also expressed solidarity with the Palestenians and condemned the attacks by Israel.

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema, an amalgam of over 30 religious, social and educational organisations in J&K, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a joint statement expressed shock and outrage at the bombing of the hospital in Gaza expressing solidarity with Palestinians. "We condemn the massacre of Palestinians in a hospital. It is a blatant war crime under the UN Charter and Geneva Conventions. People of Palestine are being collectively punished by Israel and all their human rights have been snatched from them," said MMU.