Jammu and Kashmir: Friday prayers allowed at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar after 10 weeks

File Photo/AFP

After a span of 10 consecutive weeks, congregational prayers were permitted at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on Friday, December 22, according to officials.

Despite the resumption of Friday prayers, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the delivers sermons at the grand mosque, was not allowed to leave his residence in the Nigeen area of the city, newswire PTI reported.

The congregational prayers had been prohibited for the past 10 weeks due to concerns of potential protests against Israeli actions in Gaza.

The authorities had sealed Jamia Masjid, Kashmir's largest mosque, on October 13, amid fears that worshippers might stage protests or demonstrations against Israel's actions in Gaza and in support of Palestine.

Nowhatta, the location of Jamia Masjid, was historically a center of anti-India sentiment, witnessing frequent pro-Palestine and anti-Israel protests. However, such demonstrations had decreased after the Union government abrogated the Article 370 and subsequent measures in Kashmir.

The closure of the mosque on Fridays was met with increased security deployment in and around the area, ostensibly to prevent any potential law and order issues. The decision was reportedly made due to concerns about anti-Israel and pro-Palestine protests erupting after Friday prayers.

Imams across Kashmir incorporated the ongoing situation in Gaza into their sermons, praying for the safety and security of the people of Palestine.

On September 22, this year, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, was released from house arrest, marking his freedom after four years of detention following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019, according to officials.

The release followed a visit by senior police officials to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's residence, where he was informed of the authorities' decision to lift his house detention and permit him to attend Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid, as stated in a release by the Auqaf.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a leader of several religious groups and the chairman of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, had filed a petition with the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which granted the administration a four-week period on September 15 to respond to his plea.

Placed under house arrest at his Nigeen residence on August 5, 2019, Mirwaiz's detention coincided with the revocation of Article 370 by the BJP-led Central government and the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories.

On August 18 this year, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq issued a legal notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration regarding his house detention.

The notice highlighted the contradiction between Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's assertion that Mirwaiz was free to relocate and the deployment of a significant security contingent outside his Nigeen residence, as per the Mirwaiz's lawyer.