Eid prayers not allowed at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid, Mirwaiz alleges house arrest
PDP leaders Mehbooba Mufti and Iltija say as residents of “largest Muslim-majority state, Kashmiris have the right to worship. More than infrastructure, we need dignity and security of life.”
For the seventh year in a row, the authorities in Srinagar did not allow Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the historic Eidgah ground and Jamia Masjid in the old city on Saturday and placed Kashmir’s leading cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest.
The gates of Jamia Masjid were locked early in the morning, and police were deployed outside to prevent entry.
“Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid, Srinagar, deeply regrets to inform that the authorities have once again disallowed Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Eidgah as well as at the historic Jama Masjid in by closing the gates of the mosque and deploying police personnel outside,” the management of the historic mosque said in a statement. It said the authorities did not even permit the pre-dawn (Fajr) prayers.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the move and posted on X: “Eid Mubarak! Yet again, Kashmir wakes up to the sad reality: no Eid prayers at Eidgah, and Jama Masjid locked down for the 7th straight year. I too have been detained at my home.”
“In a Muslim-majority region, Muslims are deprived of their fundamental right to pray -- even on their most important religious occasion celebrated across the world!” he said.
“What a shame on those who rule over us, and on those elected by the people who choose to remain silent as our rights are trampled over, again and again,” Mirwaiz said on X.
After offering namaz at Hazratbal dargah on the outskirts of Srinagar, chief minister Omar Abdullah said, “While we are celebrating Eid, unfortunately, once again, permission was denied to offer namaz in Srinagar’s iconic Jama Masjid. I don’t know the basis of these decisions, but we need to learn to trust our people. These are the same people who came out to protest against the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The government should think about allowing namaz at the historic Jama Masjid.”
Reacting to the developments, PDP leader Iltija Mufti said: “I want to ask the National Conference government and the lieutenant governor (Manoj Sinha) why the Mirwaiz is still being placed under house arrest when you claim everything is normal. As India’s only and the largest Muslim majority state, we Kashmiris have the right to worship... More than infrastructure, we need dignity and security of life.”
PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said: “Unfortunately, the government, on this pious day, has denied permission to offer namaz in the Jama Masjid, and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been put under house arrest... I protest against the state government also, which is just watching everything and doing nothing.”
