Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has again been included among the world’s 500 most influential Muslim personalities in the 2027 edition of The Muslim 500, published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC) in Jordan. It is his thirteenth consecutive inclusion in the annual publication.
The publication lists the Mirwaiz in the Political category and identifies him as the 14th Mirwaiz of Kashmir, who took over the religious leadership in 1990 at the age of 17 after his father’s assassination. It also acknowledges his long-standing advocacy of dialogue and peaceful engagement to address the Kashmir issue.
The 2027 edition highlights that the Mirwaiz repeatedly calls for dialogue between India and Pakistan as “the only sustainable path to peace”, while continuing to advocate “non-violent engagement on regional issues.”
The publication also takes note of his prolonged house detention from August 2019 to September 2023, observing that he “remains subjected to sudden, intermittent detentions by authorities.” Referring to his religious and public role, it states that, as chief cleric at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, he “expertly bridges vital traditional religious leadership with ongoing human rights advocacy”.
For more than three decades, the Mirwaiz has maintained that dialogue, rather than confrontation, offers the most viable path to resolving the Kashmir issue. Despite prolonged restrictions on his movement and public activities, he has continued to advocate peace, reconciliation, religious harmony and the protection of human dignity.
The recognition comes only a day after he returned to the Jama Masjid following nearly two weeks of house detention, when he spoke of repeated restrictions on his religious and public activities. The publication’s reference to intermittent detentions is therefore in keeping with recent events, which saw him barred from two Friday sermons.
The Muslim 500 is a yearly publication that profiles individuals from many countries and fields, including scholars, political leaders, philanthropists and public figures, and places them in categories according to their influence. Inclusion reflects the editors’ assessment and is not an official honour from any government. The Mirwaiz’s inclusion for thirteen years running indicates the continuing attention given to his role in the Kashmir context.
The statement carrying the news was issued in English and Urdu. There was no official reaction from the authorities in the information available.
