Police restrict night prayer at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid on Shab-e-Baraat
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Photo: Reuters
Srinagar: On Shab-e-Baraat, one of the holiest nights in the Islamic calendar, the congregational night prayers at Srinagar's historic great mosque have been prohibited by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was also placed under house arrest by the police.
The restrictions at the grand mosque are "unfortunate," according to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also claimed they show a "lack of confidence in law and order machinery.”
“It is very unfortunate that the security establishment has taken the decision to seal the historic Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, on one of the holiest nights in the Islamic calendar – Shab-e-Baraat. This decision betrays a lack in confidence in the people and a lack of confidence in the law and order machinery that calm won’t prevail without extreme measures. The people of Srinagar deserved better,” he posted on X.
According to Jamia Masjid's Anjuman Auqaf (management), police asked worshippers to leave the area on Thursday afternoon and closed the gates.
According to the management, the police told them that Shab-e-Baraat night prayers would not be permitted, Indian Express reported.
Early on Thursday, the police also placed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who usually leads the mosque's night prayers, under house arrest.
Police have prohibited Shab-e-Baraat prayers at the Jamia Masjid for the sixth year in a row. Since 2019, the prayers have been stopped.
The Anjuman Auqaf called the ban a repressive act, and stated, “It is deeply unfortunate that every time an important religious occasion arrives, people in large numbers who visit the Jama Masjid are left disappointed to find the grand mosque forcibly closed and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq barred from fulfilling his religious responsibilities. Such repeated restrictions not only hurt the sentiments of the people but also infringe upon their fundamental religious rights.”
Although the police did not provide any comments on the development, the Kashmir Zone Police wrote in a post on X, “IGP Kashmir wishes people on the eve of Shab-e-Baraat. May this blessed night bring harmony, happiness, and prosperity to all.”