Mirwaiz Umar Farooq says not allowed to offer prayers at Eidgah, questions house arrest

Srinagar: Senior religious and political leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Monday that authorities placed him under house arrest and also disallowed congregational Eid prayer at Jama Masjid and Eidgah in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city.

“I am deeply pained and strongly condemn the authorities decision to once again deny the Muslims of Kashmir the basic right to offer Eid prayers at Eidgah and Jama Masjid which have been closed down and I have been detained at home,” wrote Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on his X handle.

His post further read, “Even at the peak of miltancy during 1990’s Eid prayers were offered at Eidgah , so now when huge claims of “normalcy “ are made everyday by the authorities, why are Muslims being kept away from their religious places and practices? What is the agenda ? Is the collective identify of Kashmiri Muslims a threat to the rulers?”

The post further mentioned that Eidgah and Jama Masjid belong to the people. “Barring them from these sacred spaces even on Eid reflects an oppressive and authoritarian approach that prevails in Kashmir today.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently banned the Awami Action Committee (ACC) headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for a period of five years.

The MHA order said that the ACC is an anti-national organisation that has been encouraging youth to stone pelting and violence, thereby acting against the state.

The ACC was formed in 1963 by Mirwaiz Maulana Mohammad Farooq. After the assassination of the elder Mirwaiz, the ACC came to be headed by his son, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Mirwaiz Maulana Mohammad Farooq was killed by terrorists in 1990 at his city outskirts Nigeen residence.

The MHA order also banned Ittehadul Muslimeen, the Shia Muslim organisation headed by Maulvi Masroor Abbas Ansari.

The organisation, previously headed by Maulvi Abbas Ansari, was a constituent of the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference, and for three years, late Abbas Ansari also headed the Hurriyat Conference.

IANS