Jama Masjid shut, Mirwaiz not allowed to address Shab-e-Baraat congregation in Kashmir: Anjuman Auqaf

The authorities have placed Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest and disallowed him to address a congregation at the historic Jama Masjid on the eve of Shab-e- Baraat and closed the masjid as well.

The Anjuman Auqaf, which runs the affairs of the Jama Masjid informed that following the afternoon prayers on Thursday authorities abruptly closed the gates of Jama Masjid Srinagar, while police personnel asked worshippers to vacate the mosque premises. “The Auqaf was further informed that the observance of Shab-e-Baraat would not be permitted at the Jama Masjid,” read the official statement.

The Anjuman also stated that by placing Mirwaiz under house arrest the authorities have prevented him from carrying out his religious duties. “We express profound disappointment over this decision and strongly condemn these repressive measures,” Anjuman said.


Anjuman said that it was deeply unfortunate that every time an important religious occasion arrives, people in large numbers who visit the Jama Masjid are disappointed to find the grand mosque “forcibly closed” and Mirwaiz barred from fulfilling his religious responsibilities. “Such repeated restrictions not only hurt the sentiments of the people but also infringe upon their fundamental religious rights,” read the statement. A senior official in the administration said that "he was not aware of any such decision" while other officials in the administration and police didn't respond to the calls.

This was Mirwaiz’s first address at Jama Masjid after returning from Delhi, where he, along with a few other religious preachers of Muttahida Majlis e Ulema–an amalgam of around 49 religious organizations of J&K and Ladakh–met the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, chaired by Jagdambika Pal, and put forth their ‘concerns and reservations’ against the proposed bill. In Delhi, Mirwaiz also met prominent muslim scholars, politicians and members of the Kashmiri Pandit community as well.