Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has remained under house detention for nearly a week, with police deployment and barricades still in place outside his residence at Nigeen. He was prevented from proceeding to the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar to deliver the Friday sermon.
Expressing disappointment over the continued restrictions, the Mirwaiz said in a post on X: “My house detention continues unabated for the past week with police deployment and barricades in place. Unfortunate that I will not be able to deliver the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid Srinagar to the faithful today. Arbitrary and authoritarian measures to curtail freedom of movement and speech only betray the official narrative of ‘Normalcy’ in Kashmir.”
The restrictions follow the Mirwaiz’s address at Jama Masjid last Friday, in which he referred to the recently published International Crisis Group report on Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted concerns over political prisoners, civil liberties and the need for meaningful political engagement and reconciliation. Since then, he has remained confined to his residence, unable to fulfil his religious responsibilities, including addressing scheduled gatherings and leading the Friday congregation.
The detention has had visible effects beyond the Friday prayers. Earlier this week, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama postponed its first district-level Ulema meeting in Bandipora, citing the uncertainty over his participation. He was also unable to attend the funeral of a long-time associate of the Mirwaiz family, conveying his condolences instead through a statement.
The Friday congregation at Jama Masjid has historically been one of the most prominent religious gatherings in the Valley, and the Mirwaiz’s sermon there is followed closely for both its religious and its political content. His absence from the pulpit has become a recurring matter of public discussion each time restrictions are imposed, and religious organisations have repeatedly called for his freedom of movement to be respected.
The authorities have not issued a public explanation for the latest restrictions, and the details available come from the Mirwaiz’s own statement. In previous instances, officials have generally cited law and order considerations for such measures, while the Mirwaiz and his supporters have argued that they curtail religious and civil freedoms.
The Mirwaiz’s remark on the official narrative of normalcy points to a broader debate in Kashmir, where the administration’s claims of improved conditions are weighed against such episodes of restriction. Whether he will be allowed to lead the prayers at the Jama Masjid in the coming weeks remains unclear, and the Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid has yet to announce any further programme.
