Friday Prayers Barred at Jamia Masjid; Mirwaiz Placed Under House Arrest | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Authorities in Srinagar on Friday prevented congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid on the occasion of Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadhan, officials and local sources said.

Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Umar Farooq, who was scheduled to deliver the customary Friday sermon, was placed under house arrest, effectively barring him from reaching the mosque.

In a post on social media, Umar alleged that he had been put under “arbitrary house arrest” for the third consecutive Friday during Ramadhan. He stated that no formal written order had been served, but restrictions were enforced through the deployment of police vehicles and heavy contingents outside his residence. According to him, authorities sealed entry and exit points in the locality with concertina wires and curtailed movement to prevent him from addressing the congregation.

Umar further criticised the restrictions, asserting that such measures reflected “panic” on the part of the authorities and targeted the centrality of the Jamia Masjid and Muslim institutions in the region. He maintained that such actions could neither “erase identity nor weaken faith”.

There was no immediate official statement from the administration regarding the decision to disallow prayers at the mosque or the restrictions imposed on the Mirwaiz.

Jumat-ul-Vida holds special religious significance, drawing large congregations to major mosques, particularly the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar’s old city. However, the historic mosque has frequently witnessed restrictions on congregational prayers on key religious occasions in recent years, often citing security concerns.