SRINAGAR — Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has once again been featured among the world’s 500 most influential Muslim personalities in the 2027 edition of The Muslim 500, marking his 13th consecutive inclusion in the annual publication.
The Mirwaiz office announced this in a post on X on Saturday, saying the recognition highlighted his longstanding advocacy of dialogue, non-violence and peaceful engagement.
Published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC), Jordan, the 2027 edition features Mirwaiz in the Political category and identifies him as the 14th Mirwaiz of Kashmir, who assumed religious leadership in 1990 at the age of 17 following the assassination of his father.
The publication acknowledges his consistent advocacy of dialogue between India and Pakistan, describing it as the only sustainable path towards peace, and notes his support for non-violent engagement on regional issues.
It also refers to his prolonged house detention from August 2019 to September 2023 and observes that he continues to face sudden and intermittent restrictions by authorities.
Highlighting his religious and public role, the publication describes him as the chief cleric of Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, noting his role in connecting traditional religious leadership with human rights advocacy.
For over three decades, Mirwaiz has advocated dialogue and reconciliation as a means of resolving the Kashmir issue, while emphasising religious harmony and the protection of human dignity. — (KIMS)