Authorities again bar Mirwaiz from delivering Friday sermon in Srinagar Jamia Masjid
Srinagar: The authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have again barred All Parties Hurriyat Conference senior leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from going to Srinagar Jamia Masjid to deliver the Friday sermon.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who continues to be under undeclared and arbitrary house detention since September 2, strongly condemned this undemocratic and illegal measure which prevents him from going to Jamia Masjid and attending other public engagements.
He said being the patron of Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), he was not allowed to attend its important meeting, yesterday with regard to discussing the very serious issue of the Amendment to the Muslim Waqf Act with the member religious leaders and scholars. Similarly, he said he was also not allowed to attend a media session on the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, “It’s unfortunate that repeatedly I am being targeted and detained. It belies the claims of “normalcy .“
Mirwaiz said as assembly elections are approaching and despite the guidelines of the Election Commissioner of India that preventive detention and asking people to report to police stations should be avoided, dozens of people from towns and villages and Srinagar city are being detained and people, especially political workers and youth, are being asked to report to police stations seeking surety bonds from them.
He said with regard to the Wakf amendment issue, the MMU has written a detailed letter to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) illustrating concerns and apprehension, and requesting it to reject the amendments and sought time for a meeting of MMU delegates with the JPC. “People should stay alert to the issue as it concerns our very religious existence and institutions.
Mirwaiz also paid tributes to the CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury who passed away in New Delhi yesterday. He said that Yechury was an advocate of human and political rights of the people of Kashmir and it was always a pleasure to meet and hear him.
