Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar expressed dismay and anguish regarding the continued house detention of the Mirwaiz of Kashmir, Muhammad Umar Farooq since August 2019 by the authorities, which has deprived the people of Kashmir of his “soulful rendition of waz o Tableeg (sermon)”at Jama Masjid Srinagar for the past 100 Friday’s now.
“This authoritarian move, to forcibly keep the Mirwaiz away from the pulpit of the Jama Masjid, causes great distress and pain to tens of thousands of Muslims who throng the mosque on Fridays to listen to the Mirwaiz’s tableeg (sermon) rendered in the centuries-old unique style of his predecessors, and deeply hurts the religious sentiments of all Muslims of Kashmir,” said Anjuma in a statement.
It further read: “This attempt by the authorities to keep the Mirwaiz away from Jama Masjid and from the people of Kashmir, who have deep religious affiliations with the institution of the Mirwaiz and with him, is not only extremely regrettable but reprehensible, the Anjuman said.”
Anjuman said that it once again asks the authorities to release the Mirwaiz “from arbitrary house detention and put an end to hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslims of Kashmir and interfering with their religious practices”.
Meanwhile, “all sections of the society of Jammu and Kashmir – including Ulemas, Imams, religious, social and educational associations, civil society members and all segments of society have repeatedly expressed their indignation over the continuous detention of the Mirwaiz and demanded his release, and have also made it clear that such dictatorial actions are not acceptable at all,” read the statement.
