SRINAGAR — The authorities prevented Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from addressing the Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar and placed him under house arrest.
Mirwaiz, who was scheduled to address the congregation at the mosque, was placed under house arrest by the authorities.
In a statement here, Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the managing body of the 14th-century mosque in the old city of Srinagar, condemned the repeated detention of Mirwaiz on Fridays.
The Anjuman stated that Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir had once again been placed under house arrest at his residence by the authorities and was not permitted to address people at Jamia Masjid Srinagar or to offer obligatory Friday prayers.
The managing body said they were concerned over Mirwaiz’s repeated house detention, especially on Friday, when thousands of people from the valley gather at the historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar to listen to his sermon.
“People get very sad to see the empty pulpit,” the Anjuman said, adding that the authorities should refrain from “repeatedly and arbitrarily detaining Mirwaiz, causing grief to Muslims.”
Last month the government did not allow Eid prayers at the Jamia Mosque. — (Agencies)