Eid prayers yet again disallowed at historic Jamia Masjid, Eidgah in Srinagar
Mirwaiz under house arrest, says faith cannot be suppressed through force
Srinagar:
In a continued assault on religious freedom in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the New Delhi-imposed administration today once again barred Kashmiri Muslims from offering the Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid and Eidgah in Srinagar.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the ban was enforced by the New Delhi-appointed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration on the instructions of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah. The move continues a pattern of religious restrictions, as congregational Eid prayers have repeatedly been barred at Jamia Masjid and Eidgah since 2019, the year the BJP-led Indian government revoked IIOJK’s special status. This marks the eighth consecutive year that Eid prayers at these historic religious sites in Srinagar have been prohibited.
Senior APHC leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was once again placed under house arrest and prevented from leading the Eid prayers, expressed his anguish over the decision, saying Muslims in Kashmir were met with barricades, restrictions, locked gates and intimidation on the revered occasion. Indian paramilitary forces and police were deployed in strength around Jamia Masjid, Eidgah, and the Mirwaiz’s residence.
Calling the situation deeply distressing, the Mirwaiz, in a post on X, said the continued denial of prayers was not merely an administrative step but an erosion of religious tradition and identity. He also warned that the younger generations were being deprived of cultural and spiritual continuity, saying an entire generation was losing memories associated with Eidgah and Jamia Masjid.
Emphasising the enduring nature of faith, he said religious bonds cannot be weakened through force. “Faith cannot be imprisoned or suppressed,” he said, adding that no power on earth can erase the Kashmiri people’s spiritual connection with Eidgah and Jamia Masjid.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mirwaiz was also confined to his residence in Nageen, Srinagar, and denied permission to visit Budgam to express condolences with the family of a minor girl who was abducted, raped and murdered.
“Kashmir wakes up to the sad reality: no Eid prayers at Eidgah, and Jamia Masjid locked down — for the 8th straight year,” a Srinagar-based activist told KMS on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“In a Muslim-majority region, Muslims are deprived of their fundamental right to pray — even on their most important religious occasion celebrated across the world! What a shame on those who rule over us, and on those elected by the people who choose to remain silent as our rights are trampled over, again and again,” the activist added.
