No Jumat-ul-vida prayers allowed in Kashmir’s Jamia Masjid

No Friday prayers on Jumat-ul-vida (last Friday of Ramzan) were allowed at Jamia Masjid and Hurriyat chairman and chief cleric Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest.

The authorities had earlier denied permission to hold prayers at the grand mosque in Srinagar, Jamia Masjid, on the auspicious occasion of Shab-e-Qadr on Thursday night

“After Shab-e-Qadr, Jama Masjid Srinagar continues to remain closed to people and I under house detention. Even today on Juma-Tul-Vida, when lakhs of people eagerly await the whole year to offer congregational prayers on this blessed Friday for great reward and blessing from Allah. Want to ask the authorities why is this most important centre of Kashmir’s religious identity and affinity repeatedly targeted and people’s fundamental right to religious practice curbed, when tall claims of normalcy are trumpeted every day?,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq wrote on X along with closed pictures of city’s one of the biggest mosques.

In the month of February, the police had not allowed Shab-e-Barat prayers as well at Jamia Masjid triggering outrage with even chief minister Omar Abdullah expressing his criticism.

Several political leaders criticised government for placing Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest and not allowing prayers at the mosque on Jamtul Vida and Shab-e-Qadr.