Civil society activists term ban on Shopian seminary new phase of repression
#FaithUnderThreatInIIOJK/#JamiaSirajUlUloom
Srinagar: Civil society activists have termed the ban on Darul Uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom in Shopian as a “new phase of repression” in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, calling it an assault on Kashmir’s religious identity.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the activists during media interactions in Srinagar said designating the major religious seminary an “unlawful entity” signals an intensifying crackdown on religious and educational institutions, deepening concerns over shrinking civic space in IIOJK.
The move reflects growing pressure on educational and religious spaces, they added. Activists noted the use of draconian UAPA against religious institutions raises serious questions, highlighting the expanding use of security laws beyond their stated purpose. The crackdown on the Shopian seminary reinforces concerns over erosion of cultural and religious autonomy, they said.
The ban has sparked fears of systematic targeting of Muslim institutions in IIOJK, with activists pointing to the Modi regime’s selective targeting of religious bodies. They said Indian authorities are also profiling mosques and their management committees, in blatant violation of the right to privacy and religious freedom.
“Declaring a major seminary unlawful lays bare the discriminatory and communal character” of the Indian government, activists said, adding that faith remains under threat in IIOJK.
