SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who presides the Friday gathering at historiac Jamia Masjid, said he was barred from delivering the Friday sermon, one again. His office said the chief cleric was put under house detention since September 2, 2024, without offering any reason.
In a press statement issued Friday afternoon, Mirwaiz strongly condemned his ongoing house arrest, calling it “arbitrary” and “undemocratic.”
“It’s unfortunate that I am repeatedly targeted and detained. It belies the claims of ‘normalcy,'” Mirwaiz said, noting that this was the latest instance in a series of restrictions placed on him since 2019.
“Despite the claims of normalcy, I was once again barred from attending prayers and fulfilling my religious obligations at Jamia Masjid,” Mirwaiz said.
Incidentally a Delhi TV had invited Mirwaiz for a conclave but he was not permitted to attend it too. The cahnel made it interesting by talking LG Manoj Sinha on record saying Mirwaiz has not been barred. It showed a cop taking away a journalist’s camera.
Besides, Mirwaiz revealed that he was also barred from attending a critical meeting of the Mutaheda Majlis-E-Ulema (MMU), a religious body that he leads. The meeting, held on Thursday, aimed to discuss the controversial amendments to the Muslim Waqf Act, which have sparked significant concern among religious scholars in the region.
“As patron of MMU, I was not allowed to attend this important meeting to discuss the very serious issue of the Waqf amendments with member religious leaders and scholars,” Mirwaiz lamented.
The MMU has expressed grave concerns over the proposed amendments, sending a detailed letter to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) urging them to reject the changes. “We have sought time for a meeting of MMU delegates with the JPC to discuss these apprehensions,” the Mirwaiz added.
He further urged the public to remain vigilant on the matter, warning that the amendments could threaten the region’s religious identity and institutions.
In addition to addressing his own detention, Mirwaiz raised alarms about the treatment of political workers and youth as the region gears up for the Assembly elections. “Despite the Election Commission’s guidelines that preventive detention and harassment should be avoided ahead of the elections, dozens of people across towns, villages, and Srinagar city are being detained,” Mirwaiz stated. He accused authorities of coercing political workers into providing surety bonds while preparing extensive lists of individuals to be detained in the lead-up to the elections.
“There is fear among those detained and those whose names are on these lists that they will be booked under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA),” Mirwaiz said, calling for an immediate halt to such actions, urging authorities to stop persecuting people through these “repressive measures.”
The police and district administration have so far remained silent on Mirwaiz’s claims of house detention and the alleged detentions of political workers.
