ibn sultan
Srinagar, Feb 3 : The Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid on Monday said that police directed the Auqaf authorities to close the gates of the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar shortly after Asr prayers, denying permission for Shab-e-Barat observances. The authorities were instructed to keep the mosque closed throughout the night, despite prior preparations made for the sacred occasion.
In a statement issued to the Kashmir News Service (KNS), the Auqaf expressed deep regret that congregational prayers could not be held at the Jama Masjid on yet another important religious occasion. The statement also said that Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir, Umar Farooq, has been placed under house arrest.
The Auqaf noted that since 2019, major religious congregations at the historic mosque have repeatedly been disallowed, which it termed a “blatant interference in the religious rights of the people.”
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a post on social media platform X, said that while mosques across the region were illuminated with devotion on the sacred night, Jama Masjid Srinagar remained shut under surveillance. He said Shab-e-Barat has now joined a long list of occasions since 2019 when prayers at the Valley’s largest mosque were stopped without any explanation.
“For those who beat the drums of ‘normalcy’ and ‘Naya Kashmir,’ this contrast needs an explanation,” the Mirwaiz wrote.
The Anjuman Auqaf strongly condemned the authorities’ approach and urged them to review the policy and allow peaceful religious congregations at the historic Jama Masjid on sacred occasions.(KNS)
