Being put under house arrest to prevent from speaking up on issues, says Mirwaiz
Hurriyat Conference chairman and Jamia Masjid chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq claimed that authorities were putting him under house arrest on Fridays to prevent him from speaking up on issues at the weekly congregational prayers.
“Every Friday I am put under arbitrary house arrest! Putting pressure on me not to speak up. The ban also aims to weaken the centrality of Muslim institutions of the Valley, the Jama Masjid and the office of Mirwaiz, and cause collective grief to Muslims and all those who oppose this authoritarian and sectarian outlook,” Mirwaiz said in a post on X.
The Hurriyat Conference chairman said patience remains his only strength as he waits for the outcome of a court case against his house detention. “My house detention case is still pending in court, where I am seeking relief from the Hon’ble High Court, but in such times patience remains our only strength,” he added.
Meanwhile, Anjuman Auqaf (management committee) of the Jama Masjid expressed “deep anguish and strong condemnation over the continued and arbitrary house detention” of Mirwaiz for the fourth consecutive Friday.
“The repeated restrictions imposed on Mirwaiz are unjust and appear to be aimed not only at silencing his voice on vital issues of Muslims but also at weakening the central religious institutions of the Valley—most notably the Jama Masjid,” the Auqaf said. “These actions cause immense hurt and distress to the Muslim community of Jammu & Kashmir and to all those who value justice, religious freedom and democratic principles.”
