SRINAGAR: Anjuman-i-Auqaf Jama Masjid has expressed concern over the repeated closure of the gates of Jama Masjid Srinagar for Friday prayers.
“For the second consecutive Friday, police officials once again closed the gates of Jama Masjid Srinagar and informed the Auqaf not to open the gates for Friday prayers,” a press release said.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who had recently been allowed to offer Friday prayers and deliver the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid after four years of house detention, shared his disappointment over the situation.
He said, “Authorities once again stopped me for the second consecutive Friday from going to Jama Masjid. Since the 15th of October, I continue to be under house detention and am not allowed to move out.”
Mirwaiz expressed deep regret over the repeated closure of Jama Masjid to Muslims on Fridays and the disallowance of obligatory Friday prayers. He remarked, “Such measures belie the claim of ‘normalcy’ that the authorities make and instead cause great unease and hurt among the Muslims.”
