{"id":200063,"date":"2026-05-08T18:18:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T13:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/?p=200063"},"modified":"2026-05-08T18:18:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T13:18:36","slug":"mirwaiz-slams-school-closures-in-iiojk-calls-it-assault-on-students-future-and-religious-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/2026\/05\/08\/mirwaiz-slams-school-closures-in-iiojk-calls-it-assault-on-students-future-and-religious-identity.html","title":{"rendered":"Mirwaiz slams school closures in IIOJK, calls it assault on students\u2019 future and religious identity"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has expressed deep concern over the banning of Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom and other educational institutions run by local trusts and committees in the territory, saying such measures are not only endangering the future of hundreds of students but also amount to an attack on the religious identity of Kashmiris.<\/p>\n

According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing the Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, the Mirwaiz termed the closure of Jamia Siraul Uloom in Shopian district under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as a serious matter that has further deepened concerns among people regarding the targeting of local educational and religious institutions in IIOJK.<\/p>\n

He referred to recent protests by students and parents of the institution, saying their courage reflected the urgency and deep distress caused by the situation. He said the occupation authorities must understand that if public resentment was not visible, it was due to lack of space for people to express their disagreement and anguish. He warned that continued such policies could further consolidate undercurrent anger and urged the authorities to revisit their approach and allow the reopening of the closed institutions.<\/p>\n

Referring to the drug menace, Mirwaiz said it has emerged as one of the gravest challenges facing society. He observed that a generation growing amid political uncertainty, stress, and limited economic opportunities is highly prune to substance abuse, with many young people suffering from anxiety, hopelessness and psychological distress as a fallout of political uncertainty and anxiety about their future. He stressed that while strict action against drug traffickers and dismantling of their networks is necessary, policing alone cannot resolve this health emergency. He called for a holistic approach involving all segments of society, highlighting the role of mosques and imams in addressing the issue.<\/p>\n

The Mirwaiz said Kashmir has historically been a society rooted in spirituality, morality, and strong social values. While acknowledging the need to combat drug abuse, he expressed concern over the growing normalisation and expansion of alcohol consumption in the territory. He noted that official figures suggest the existence of hundreds of licensed liquor outlets across Kashmir, with alcohol revenues increasing significantly in recent years. He questioned whether one form of addiction could be fought while another is simultaneously promoted.<\/p>\n

The Mirwaiz urged the authorities to seriously reconsider their alcohol policy in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and called for a complete ban on liquor in the territory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has expressed deep concern over the banning of Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom and other educational institutions run by local trusts and committees in the territory, saying such measures are not only endangering the future of hundreds of students but also …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":193687,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-200063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2026\/01\/Mirwaiz-Umar-Farooq-1200x667-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200063"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200064,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200063\/revisions\/200064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/193687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}