Authorities close Srinagar's Jamia Masjid ahead of Friday prayers

Srinagar: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was reportedly placed under house arrest by the authorities on Friday. Additionally, congregational Jumat-ul-Vida prayers, which are held on the final Friday of the current Ramadan month was prohibited in Srinagar's Jamia Masjid. The mosque's managing body was blocked by authorities from getting ready for Friday morning's Jumat-ul-Vida prayers, according to witnesses, and the mosque remained closed to attendees.

Additionally, security guards prevented reporters from accessing Mirwaiz's home in Srinagar's Nigeen neighbourhood when he called a press conference on Friday morning, reportedly to discuss the new restrictions placed upon him.

Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the administrative body of the historic mosque situated in the Nowhatta neighbourhood of downtown Srinagar, released a statement stating that the main gates were sealed on Friday at 6 am, just after the morning prayer session concluded, the Wire reported.

"They put padlocks on the gates of the mosque and told us that Friday prayers will not be allowed. They didn’t give any reason in writing,” said the Anjuman-e-Auqaf spokesperson.

Thousands were expected to attend the congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid on Jumat-ul-Vida, the final Friday of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. After the reading of Article 370, Mirwaiz was to give his first speech on this occasion.

On Friday morning, the head of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference was also placed under house arrest, according to a Mirwaiz aide, and nobody was permitted to enter or exit the home. “He was not allowed to address the press conference. They didn’t give any reason in writing,” the aide said.

A group of journalists who had come to Mirwaiz's home to cover the press conference claimed that the security guards had turned them away at the front gate.

“We tried to reason with them that we had to attend the press conference. However, they didn’t allow us to enter. We didn’t had many options but to come back,” said a Srinagar-based journalist, who didn’t want to be named.

Mirwaiz, in a statement, said his detention was “extremely sad and unfortunate”, adding that it has caused “great distress, anguish and pain” to people. “We the people of Jammu Kashmir protest this authoritarianism and direct violation of our religious rights,” he said.

"Each Friday is a day of uncertainty and anxiety for me as I do not know if I will be allowed to go to Jama Masjid or not depending on the will of the authorities. A few hours before noon I am conveyed what that decision is and if I can go to Jama Masjid or not. This is the most arbitrary and authoritarian way to function and is highly regrettable,” Mirwaiz said in the statement.

The Anjuman reports that the occurrence occurred a few days after Mirwaiz, the chief priest of Kashmir, was permitted to offer Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid for the fourth time since his release in September of last year and for the first time during Ramadan post Article 370 last month.

Mirwaiz, in his sermon, had called for unity and demanded the “release of political prisoners and youth languishing in different jails” of the country.

The administration informed the Jammu and Kashmir High Court last month that the moderate Hurriyat leader had been verbally "asked to limit and restrict his movement" after Article 370 was read down because he was under a "perceived threat" from terrorists.

The plea was made on August 5, 2019, after Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two union territories and degraded. Mirwaiz had petitioned the court to contest his "illegal detention."

The submission was made after Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two union territories on August 5, 2019, and Mirwaiz filed an application with the court to contest his "illegal detention."

In a habeas corpus petition, Mirwaiz informed the court that he was "illegally" held at his Srinagar home and that the administration had placed restrictions on him, preventing him from going outside of it to fulfil his social and religious obligations.

But the administration pointed to more than twenty examples, one of which was during a recent trip to New Delhi, wherein Mirwaiz was allegedly permitted to attend social and religious events as well as medical situations.