Srinagar, August 06, 2021 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Anjuman Auqaf of Jamia Masjid has said that after almost four months, congregational Friday prayers were resumed at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, today. The occupation authorities had banned the holding of congregational Friday players at the historic mosque in the name of curtailing the spread of coronavirus.
All arrangements made by the Auqaf to ensure Covid SOPs were in place and were observed by all who offered prayers at the Jamia Masjid. The President of Anjumam Auqaf of Jamia Masjid and Hurriyat forum Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was not allowed to move out of his residence for the Juma sermon and offering of Friday prayers at the Jamia Masjid. Mirwaiz continues to be under house detention since 04, August 2019, a day before the Narendra Modi-led Indian government repealed the special status of IIOJK and placed the territory under military siege.
On this occasion, the Imam of Jamia Masjid, Maulana Syed Ahmed Naqshband, also known as Imam Hai, in his address thanked Almighty Allah that prayers had been resumed at the grand mosque, with all Covid protocols in place. He lamented that since the past two years Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been arbitrarily detained at his house by the authorities and is not even allowed to visit Jamia Masjid to deliver the Friday sermon which people are longing to hear and participate in. This is causing people great hurt and anguish as it is the centuries-old tradition of Mirwaizeen-e-Kashmir who deliver the unique Friday sermon from the pulpit of the Jamia Masjid, he added.
Imam Hai said by keeping the pulpit forcibly empty by detaining Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the authorities are deliberately hurting the sentiments of the Muslims of the Kashmir Valley. Those present said that although they were happy that prayers at Jamia Masjid were resumed, which they greatly missed in the last months, but the continued illegal detention of Mirwaiz was causing his absence from the mosque made them sad.
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