Srinagar, June 24, 2023 (PPI-OT):Hundreds of worshippers held a peaceful protest demonstration in the premises of Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid to against the continued house detention of senior leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference and chief cleric of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Scores of worshippers assembled inside the mosque and staged a peaceful demonstration seeking an unconditional release of the Mirwaiz, who has been under continued house arrest since August 5, 2019. The Mirwaiz was prevented from offering the Juma prayers for the 200th consecutive week, yesterday.

The worshippers, comprising young and elderly, with placards in their hands reading ‘200 Fridays – Pulpit of Jamia Masjid Silenced – Release Mirwaiz’, shouted slogans in favour of the Mirwaiz and urged the occupation authorities to set him free. A similar protest was held in the lawn of the mosque which was attended by women and children. The protesters shouted pro-Mirwaiz slogans while demanding his release.

A woman protester said, “We only demand that our Mirwaiz should be released at the earliest. Our hearts will be at peace only when he is set free. We are not indulging in any fight. We only want the authorities to release him.” Another protester said, “Mirwaiz is under house arrest for almost four years. The pulpit has been silenced. We come here to offer prayers and he would lead us. As Eid will be celebrated next week, I appeal to the authorities to release him so that he can lead the prayers here.”

Ahmad Syed Naqshbandi also known as Imam Hai, who leads Friday prayers at the historic mosque in the absence of the Mirwaiz, addressing the worshippers urged the administration to “wake up” and release the chief cleric of Kashmir. “Mirwaiz is the custodian of this pulpit, but he has been illegally put under house arrest,” he said, “We condemn this approach in harshest terms. We are hopeful that the authorities will wake up, not waste more time and release him at the earliest.”

Naqshbandi in a statement said that a delegation of prominent religious leaders and scholars in March this year had requested the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for an appointment to “discuss the release” of the Mirwaiz and other issues. “While the authorities are thoughtful of the sentiments associated with the annual (Hindu) Amarnath yatra…, why are the sentiments of the Muslim community being ignored and hurt by keeping the Mirwaiz away from the Jamia Masjid?” he asked.

Pertinently, since his house arrest in 2019, Mirwaiz has remained confined to his Nigeen residence in Srinagar. The access to the residence of the Mirwaiz is restricted and monitored by the Indian agencies. The occupation authorities also impounded his passport years ago. The APHC spokesman in a statement said the Mirwaiz has completed 200 Friday under house arrest. “This is a cause of great anguish and dismay among the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir, many of who visit the mosque in large numbers on Friday to hear the Mirwaiz deliver the soulful and educative sermon,” he said. The APHC statement said that the house arrest of the Mirwaiz was “violation of the religious sentiments of the Kashmiri Muslims and the suspension of Mirwaiz’s fundamental human rights.”

It said that his house arrest is a negation of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s big claims about democracy and its values in his address to the US Congress just a day ago. It added that the Mirwaiz has always advocated and supported democratic values of peace, dialogue and tolerance as means for resolution of issues including the Kashmir dispute. Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid, the managing body of the historic mosque, also denounced the house arrest of the Mirwaiz. It said, “The pain and anguish this religious repression on the Muslims of valley has caused them is extremely unfortunate. Despite repeated appeals for his release from all sections and quarters of Jammu and Kashmir and outside, the authorities have denied it so far.”

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