SRINAGAR: After a 10-week hiatus, congregational prayers were allowed at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid on Friday. Despite the resumption, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who delivers sermons at the grand mosque, remained confined to his residence in Nigeen, Srinagar.
The ban on congregational prayers, enforced for the past 10 weeks, was primarily attributed to apprehensions of potential protests linked to Israeli actions in Gaza.
Authorities had sealed the Jamia Masjid, Kashmir’s largest mosque, on October 13, citing concerns that worshippers might stage demonstrations against Israel’s activities in Gaza and express solidarity with Palestine.
